Which statement about CCP monitoring is accurate?

• A. Records review is sufficient to ensure CCP control.
• B. Ongoing monitoring is required to detect deviations.
• C. A CCP does not require ongoing monitoring.
• D. Monitoring must occur only during peak production.

Answer: (B)

Ongoing monitoring is required to detect deviations and keep the process within its critical limits. In HACCP, a CCP is a step where control can prevent, eliminate, or reduce a hazard to an acceptable level, and monitoring involves planned measurements or observations (like temperature, time, or pH) to verify the process stays within its critical limits. This real-time or near‑real‑time checking is what lets you see when something starts to go out of range, so you can take corrective action immediately and protect product safety.

Relying only on records review won’t reliably catch deviations as they happen, since it looks back after the fact rather than ensuring the process is under control in real time. A CCP does require ongoing monitoring, and the frequency or method of monitoring isn’t limited to peak production; it should be defined in the HACCP plan based on the process and risk, ensuring continuous assurance of safety.