Water Quality Assessments Through The Application Of Cause And Effect Diagrams In Conjunction With Haccp And Risk Assessment For "Roua Apusenilor" Spring Water Bottling Process

In this paper, we approached the two dimensions of water quality assessments. The qualitative dimension which involves the analyses of the physicochemical and microbiological parameters of "Roua Apusenilor" spring water and the application of both HACCP principles and Ishikawa Diagrams as risk analysis steps. The paper highlights the high-quality groundwater parameters of "Roua Apusenilor" spring water according to the European legislation. The hazard analysis was used for risk assessment and for the identification of different types of hazards in a spring water bottling process. To identify the the causes that may lead to a potential risk. the Cause and Effect Diagram was used, based on the analysis of the 5M. The paper presents this in detail for the bottling process stage. The main emphasis was put on the quantification of risk assessment by determining the Risk Class (RC) per identified processing hazard. Also, corrective actions were undertaken. For the bottling stage, critical control points have been identified in the Cause and Effect Diagram, based also on the analysis of the 5M. The two methods. HACCP in conjunction with Cause and Effect Diagrams, display enhanced effects on a larger scale when they are used in combination.