What action should be taken if a critical limit is not met at a critical control point?

When a critical limit is not met at a critical control point, it is essential to establish corrective actions. This approach is rooted in the principles of food safety management systems, such as Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP). Corrective actions are specific steps taken to address a deviation from established safety protocols.

Corrective actions are necessary to ensure that the food products are brought back within acceptable parameters to ensure they remain safe for consumption. This may include actions such as reprocessing the product, disposing of it, or adjusting the process immediately to prevent any potential hazards from affecting food safety.

Establishing these corrective actions helps maintain the integrity of the food safety management system and ensures that any failures can be addressed promptly to protect public health. By having a predefined set of corrective actions, organizations can respond quickly and effectively to deviations, minimizing the risk of unsafe food reaching consumers.

The other choices do not adequately address the situation: ignoring the issue contradicts safety practices and poses a health risk, reassessing the entire food safety plan may be excessive and impractical in response to a single deviation, and merely increasing cooking time without a proper evaluation could lead to inconsistent results and continue to compromise food safety.