The use of two or more critical operational parameters, treatments, or processes to achieve lethality and control a food safety hazard in a product is referred to as:

• A. Lethality and stabilization
• B. HACCP plan design
• C. Multiple hurdles concept
• D. Shelf stability

Answer: (C)

This is about hurdle technology: using two or more stresses or controls to kill or inhibit a food safety hazard. Each hurdle—such as heat treatment, low pH, reduced water activity, preservatives, time, or packaging atmosphere—imposes a challenge to microorganisms. When these stresses are combined, their collective effect is greater than any single hurdle, making it much less likely for pathogens to survive. This approach also lets you keep processing gentler for quality while still achieving safety targets.

Hurdle technology is different from simply designing a HACCP plan, which focuses on identifying hazards and controlling them at critical points rather than describing a strategy of combining multiple stresses. It’s also not a term for lethality and stabilization or shelf stability alone—the emphasis here is on the strategy of using multiple concurrent barriers to control hazards.

An example would be a product that uses mild heat in combination with acidity and limited water activity—each hurdle contributes to safety, so the product remains of higher quality while still meeting safety goals.