Performance criteria encompass critical limits, microbial criteria, process criteria, and product criteria. All of these criteria are connected to the microbial food safety management and in particular to the newly developed risk-based food safety management. Critical limits are directly connected to hazard analysis critical control points (HACCP). Microbial criteria are associated with generic hazard management and with HACCP, as well as with food safety and performance objectives. Likewise, process criteria and product criteria, although described for a long time as control parameters in HACCP, have been redefined within the risk-based management framework as operational settings contributing to meeting a public health goal.