How to develop a basic HACCP plan

Your first step to safe food handling

If your business handles, prepares, or sells food, you are legally required to have a documented food safety management system. The most effective way to meet this requirement is to implement a plan based on the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles. The good news is that the Food Standards Agency (FSA) provides free packs called 'Safer food, better business' that make this straightforward for small businesses.

What is a HACCP plan?

HACCP might sound complicated, but it’s a simple, logical system for managing food safety hazards. It’s about taking a proactive approach rather than a reactive one. Instead of waiting for something to go wrong, you identify potential problems in advance and set up controls to prevent them from happening.

Think of it like this: you don't just check if the chicken is cooked at the end; you identify that undercooked chicken is a hazard, cooking it thoroughly is a critical control point, and you set a limit (e.g., reaching a core temperature of 75°C) that you monitor every time.

A full HACCP system is based on seven principles:

1. Conduct a Hazard Analysis: Identify any potential biological, chemical, or physical hazards in your food preparation process.
2. Identify Critical Control Points (CCPs): Pinpoint the steps in your process where you can apply controls to prevent or eliminate a hazard.
3. Establish Critical Limits: For each CCP, define the maximum or minimum value to which a hazard must be controlled (e.g., a specific temperature or time).
4. Establish Monitoring Procedures: Outline how you will check that the critical limits are being met.
5. Establish Corrective Actions: Decide what you will do if monitoring shows that a critical limit has not been met.
6. Establish Verification Procedures: Create procedures to confirm that your HACCP system is working effectively (e.g., reviewing records, testing equipment).
7. Establish Record-Keeping Procedures: Keep clear and accurate records to document your system. This is your proof of due diligence.

Getting started: The 'Safer food, better business' packs

For most small food businesses like cafes, takeaways, and restaurants, creating a full HACCP plan from scratch is unnecessary. The FSA's 'Safer food, better business' (SFBB) packs have done the hard work for you. They translate the HACCP principles into simple, practical guidance and ready-to-use diary sheets.

How to create your plan using an SFBB pack:

1. Find the right pack: Go to the Food Standards Agency website and find the SFBB section. There are different packs tailored for various types of businesses, including caterers, retailers, childminders, and specific cuisines.
2. Download and print: Download the relevant pack for your business. It’s best to print it out and keep it in a folder in your kitchen where it can be easily accessed by all staff.
3. Work through the 'Safe Methods': The pack contains sections covering the '4 Cs': Cross-contamination, Cleaning, Chilling, and Cooking. Read through each one and adapt the guidance to your specific business operations. This is your core plan.
4. Use the diary: The most important part of the pack is the diary section. You and your staff must fill this in every day. It provides a simple checklist for opening and closing checks, and a place to record any issues. An Environmental Health Officer will always ask to see your completed diary during an inspection.

Top Tip: Your food safety plan is a living document, not just a folder that sits on a shelf. You must use it every single day. Regularly review your methods, especially if you change your menu or suppliers, and ensure all staff are trained on how to follow it and fill in the diary correctly.