Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point HACCP Cannabis

HACCP for Cannabis

Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point or HACCP is not currently required at any level for cannabis. However, the system and procedures used are valuable and worth considering when you are producing a consumable product, such as a cannabis edible, and when building an employee training system for an edibles company.

HACCP is a quality management system in which food safety – such as the quality process in the production of edibles is defined and monitored by the analysis and control of biological, chemical, and physical hazards that could affect your product at any stage of production.

A HACCP system process includes multiple steps, some of which are preparatory, and others come into play throughout production:

  • Building a defined HACCP team
  • Defining and describing the product and how it is distributed
  • Defining the product’s intended use and expected consumer
  • Documenting the process flow, including the comprehensive use of diagrams
  • Establishing the verification steps needed to:
    • Perform any hazard analysis
    • Identify any critical control points
    • Establish thresholds and tolerance limits
    • Establish procedures to monitor adherence to policies and guidelines
    • Establish corrective actions in the case of a variance or violation of a guideline or process
    • Verification of the food safety plan
    • Continuous documentation or record-keeping of all activities relating to production.

The HACCP system is useful as it provides clear guidance for what is expected to happen, and what to do if there is a variance. While most of the procedures are covered under GACP and the various GMP procedures, this tackles specific steps in the process and adds additional steps or measures such as corrective actions, so that all stakeholders understand what happens as a result of each type of violation.

  • Cannabis Industry Certifications
    • Good Agricultural Collection Practice – GACP
    • Good Manufacturing Practice – GMP
    • Current Good Manufacturing practice – cGMP
    • European Good Manufacturing Practice – EU-GMP

Other certifications that would be helpful, and whose processes definitely should be considered are:

  • Global Certifications of relevance:
    • ISO Certifications: ISO-9001; ISO-13485; ISO-14001;

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