Which step in the four-step HACCP regulatory process involves using the GAD process to determine regulatory compliance or noncompliance?

• A. Decision-making
• B. Inspection Methodology
• C. Documentation
• D. Enforcement

Answer: (A)

Decision-making is where the GAD process is applied to determine regulatory compliance or noncompliance. In this stage, inspectors gather relevant information, analyze it against regulatory requirements, and decide whether the establishment meets the standards or not. This is the step that converts collected evidence into a formal regulatory conclusion. The other steps focus on how evidence is collected (inspection methodology), how findings are recorded (documentation), or what actions follow a noncompliance finding (enforcement), rather than making the final compliance determination.