Control Measure

A control measure is an action, procedure or condition used to prevent a food-safety hazard, eliminate it or reduce it to an acceptable level. Control measures are selected according to the hazard, the food and the process, and may be applied at receiving, storage, preparation, cooking, cooling, service or cleaning.

Examples of food-safety control measures

• Temperature control: Refrigerating potentially hazardous foods, monitoring cold and hot holding, and using a validated cooking or reheating process.
• Cross-contamination prevention: Separating raw and ready-to-eat foods, using dedicated equipment or cleaning and sanitizing between tasks.
• Allergen management: Checking ingredient information, preventing cross-contact and communicating allergen information accurately.
• Personal hygiene: Handwashing, suitable protective clothing and excluding or restricting ill food handlers as required.
• Cleaning and sanitation: Removing soil and applying an approved sanitizer according to its label and the operation’s procedure.
• Supplier and receiving controls: Purchasing from approved sources, checking product condition and verifying required delivery temperatures or documentation.
• Pest control: Preventing access to food, monitoring activity and correcting conditions that attract pests.

Choosing an effective control measure

Start by identifying the hazard and where it can enter or increase in the process. Select a measure that directly addresses that hazard, define how it will be applied and monitored, and establish what staff must do when the control fails. Some hazards require more than one measure. For example, safe food storage may depend on temperature control, packaging integrity, stock rotation and separation from raw products.

Monitoring and corrective action

Monitoring may involve temperature checks, visual inspections, concentration testing, records or other observations specified by the food-safety plan. If a control is missed, take immediate action to protect food and guests, assess affected product, correct the process and document the incident. Follow the applicable local requirements and the operation’s validated procedures rather than relying on generic limits.

Control measures in HACCP

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) systems identify hazards and determine appropriate controls. Some control measures are managed through prerequisite programmes such as sanitation, pest control and staff hygiene; others may be identified as critical control points when the hazard analysis establishes that status.

Example: A restaurant uses a verified cooking process to control a biological hazard in poultry, monitors the required product temperature and records the result according to its food-safety plan.

Chef’s tip: A control measure must be practical, understood by staff and checked often enough to show that it is working. A written rule that is not implemented is not an effective control.

Key distinction: A control measure is the action used to manage a hazard. A critical control point is a specific step at which control is essential to prevent, eliminate or reduce a significant hazard to an acceptable level.