What do preventive controls in HACCP primarily focus on?

Preventive controls in Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) systems are fundamentally designed to minimize or prevent food safety hazards. This involves identifying potential hazards and taking proactive steps to ensure that these risks are effectively managed before they can result in food safety problems.

By focusing on prevention, the aim is to create a safer food product and to protect consumers from the risks associated with foodborne illnesses or contamination. Preventive controls may include measures such as proper cooking temperatures, storing food at safe temperatures, and implementing sanitation protocols, all of which directly contribute to minimizing hazards.

While understanding customer preferences, maximizing production efficiency, and training employees are important aspects of food production and business operations, they do not specifically address the core purpose of preventive controls in HACCP, which is to ensure food safety through risk management and hazard reduction.