No, that’s not what I did before starting this post – although it’s been so long since I’ve written I am hoping for a miracle. “Have A Cup of Coffee and Pray” is what the food production industry nicknamed the HACCP regulations when they first came out. The HACCP system, Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point, is what almost all food wholesalers must comply with and what I spent three days studying at NC State. It was definitely an eye opening experience. But first a little background information.

Since we began production under USDA inspection we’ve been following the HACCP plan I wrote with help from NCDA officials. However, no one was actually certified to approve this plan so I enrolled in the Introduction to HACCP Workshop hoping it would make life at the Radish just a little bit easier. For over two years we have been struggling with our federal meat inspectors, the Battle of the Unstamped Hogs is legendary and the Prosciutto Wars are ongoing, and the conclusion we’ve reached is this: the federal regulations are not written for small plants like ours. Living with this conclusion is not always easy or pleasant and if you visit our bar we’d be happy to regale you with war stories while you nurse your shock with a pint of our excellent beer!

I could have done with several pints before I even started my HACCP class (lovingly referred to as Meat School by friends and family). Being ridiculously anxious about arriving late on my first day, I was 40 minutes early for class. Thankfully I wasn’t the only one with first day jitters and I passed the time talking with a woman from a chicken processing plant near Fayetteville. That doesn’t sound too awful does it? Nothing to send me screaming for a pint of Black Radish? Wrong. HACCP is basically the list of steps to make a particular product with a Critical Control Point (CCP) where an infection/adulteration may occur. As the Weeping Radish Butchery is so small, the Butcher and I work together to create and monitor complete HACCP plans for nearly a dozen products. My new chicken friend spends her days monitoring one CCP! Their operation is so large that they have 12 inspectors that work full 8-hour shifts; our inspector normally finishes his assignments in a few hours. Upon hearing this, my first thought was “Why on earth are we taking the same course?” 

There is a massive difference between our artisan butcher and the meat hackers that need HACCP plans to tell them what to do. This point was hammered home again when the class divided into groups to write HACCP plans for fictitious products. I questioned the use of sodium nitrate in the product, pointing out that a growing number of people are unwilling to buy products that use nitrates as a curing salt (I don’t necessarily agree with this, but that is a blog for another day!). I think the look they gave me was close to pity, “Poor confused girl thinking about public opinion instead of mass production.” When I explained that our operation consisted of one Master Butcher who only worked with whole animals they looked at me like I had two heads! What is this strange creature doing in HACCP School with Perdue and ConAgra (makers of Slim Jim and Chef Boyardee)? Excellent question! Any answers USDA?