Final answer:
The purpose of setting critical limits in a HACCP plan is to reduce hazards to safe levels by controlling food safety hazards at specific points in the production process and preventing food safety problems before they occur.
Step-by-step explanation:
The purpose of setting critical limits in a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan is to reduce hazards to safe levels. A critical limit is a specified maximum or minimum value to which a biological, chemical, or physical parameter must be controlled at a critical control point to prevent, eliminate, or reduce to an acceptable level the occurrence of a food safety hazard.
The setting of critical limits is a fundamental step in the HACCP system, which was developed by the Pillsbury Company in collaboration with NASA to ensure food safety for astronauts. The primary goal of HACCP is to prevent food safety problems before they occur, unlike other systems that may aim only to detect food contamination after the fact. Therefore, critical limits are essential to the proactive nature of HACCP systems, allowing for the monitoring and management of significant food safety hazards at designated points in the production process.
Each critical limit is often supported by food safety research, regulatory standards, or expert consensus, and they are designed to be monitored and verified to ensure the process is under control. If a measurement falls outside of an established critical limit, corrective actions must be taken to ensure the safety of the food product.