What Is a HACCP Plan and Why Does Your Business Need One?
A HACCP plan is a structured system designed to prevent food safety hazards before they occur. It's a legal requirement for many food businesses in the UK and internationally.
In this guide, we'll walk you through the step-by-step process of writing a HACCP plan, ensuring compliance and food safety in your business.
Step 1: Assemble Your HACCP Team
Writing a HACCP plan requires input from multiple team members. Include staff from quality assurance, production, sanitation, and management to ensure every aspect of food safety is covered.
Step 2: Describe Your Product and Its Intended Use
Provide a clear description of your product, including:
- Ingredients and composition
- Storage requirements
- Intended consumer (general public, children, vulnerable groups, etc.)
Step 3: Create a Process Flow Diagram
A process flow diagram visually represents all the steps in food production, from receiving raw materials to serving the final product. Each step must be analyzed for potential hazards.
Step 4: Conduct a Hazard Analysis
Identify biological, chemical, and physical hazards at each stage of food production.
- Biological: Bacteria, viruses, parasites
- Chemical: Allergens, cleaning agents
- Physical: Glass, metal fragments
Step 5: Determine Critical Control Points (CCPs)
A Critical Control Point (CCP) is a stage in food production where control must be applied to prevent, eliminate, or reduce a hazard.
Examples of CCPs include:
- Cooking temperature of chicken (must reach 75°C)
- Chilling raw seafood within 2 hours
- Ensuring allergen-free preparation areas
Step 6: Set Critical Limits and Monitoring Procedures
Each CCP must have measurable critical limits. These could be:
- Temperature: Cooking or storage requirements
- Time: How long food is kept at unsafe temperatures
- pH levels: Ensuring food acidity remains within safe limits
Monitoring ensures these limits are met, preventing safety breaches.
Step 7: Establish Corrective Actions
If a CCP fails to meet its critical limit, you need a corrective action plan to fix the issue and prevent unsafe food from reaching consumers.
Examples of corrective actions include:
- Reheating undercooked food to the correct temperature
- Discarding contaminated ingredients
- Re-training staff on food handling procedures
Step 8: Verify Your HACCP Plan and Maintain Records
Verification ensures your HACCP plan is working effectively. This includes:
- Regular audits
- Equipment calibration
- Reviewing monitoring logs
Keeping detailed records proves compliance with UK food safety laws.
Get Started with Your HACCP Plan Today
Writing a HACCP plan doesn't have to be overwhelming. By following these steps, you'll ensure your business meets food safety regulations while keeping consumers safe.
Need an easier way to manage HACCP compliance? Culinary Key simplifies HACCP with:
- Digital HACCP logs and tracking
- Automated reminders for monitoring CCPs
- Audit-ready reports for EHO inspections
Try Culinary Key today and take the stress out of food safety compliance.
