Validation and Verification

Validation is a process that is used to ensure that food safety control measures are capable of being effective. The validation process uses evidence to determine whether control measures are capable of controlling food safety hazards and ensuring that products are safe. Control measures are implemented and managed using operational prerequisite programs (OPRPs) and HACCP plans and must be validated before they are implemented.

Verification is a process that uses objective evidence to confirm that specified requirements have been met. In the context of most food safety standards, you are expected to verify that your food safety management system has been implemented. You are expected to do at least the following:

• Verify that your Prerequisite programs (PRPs) have been implemented.
• Verify that hazard analysis inputs are updated.
• Verify that your hazard levels are acceptable.
• Verify that Operational prerequisite programs (OPRPs) are implemented and effective.
• Verify that HACCP plan is implemented and effective.
• Verify that procedures are implemented and effective.

Corrective Actions

Corrective actions are steps that are taken to eliminate the causes of an existing nonconformity. The corrective action process includes causal analysis and is designed to prevent a recurrence.

It is difficult to quantify or prescribe corrective actions, as the options would be related directly to the food safety management system and identified deviation or non-conformance. The scope of the corrective actions is also directly related to the class and grade of fruit to be produced and the market for which it is destined. Planned corrective actions are described in the Quality Management Standard Operations Procedure Manual or in the Standard Operating Procedures manual for the food safety management system. The development of such prescribed corrective actions relates directly to HACCP step 5.

The following principles are applied in terms of taking corrective actions:

• Early identification of the problem through prescribed and regular analysis and interpretation reports.
• Open and honest channels of communication regarding the occurrence of non-conformance to avoid health risks to the consumer and limit liability to the grower and its agents.
• A rapid and coordinated response to the problem, for example, quarantine any affected produce immediately or suspend procedures that caused the problem.
• Investigation and confirmation of non-conformance as measured against the critical control points identified in the food safety management system.
• Confirmation and identification of the source(s) of the non-conformance or nonconforming product(s) by measuring against critical limits.
• Take decisive action to prevent future non-conformance instances or the production of similar non-conforming produce.