What constitutes a critical control point in food safety?

A critical control point in food safety is a step in the process of preparing, handling, or storing food where control can be applied to prevent or eliminate food safety hazards. Cooking food to a safe temperature is a prime example of such a point because it directly addresses the need to kill harmful pathogens that can cause foodborne illnesses.

By ensuring that food reaches a specified internal temperature, it minimizes the risk of bacteria surviving in the food, thus safeguarding public health. This step is typically rigorously monitored and documented in food safety plans to ensure compliance with safety standards.

In contrast, activities such as making sales to customers, receiving raw food products, and arranging food on display are important operational practices but do not directly address the elimination of food safety hazards in the same critical manner as cooking does. While these practices do contribute to overall food safety, they do not constitute critical control points.