What is HACCP? The 7 principles explained
A clear, practical explanation of HACCP and its 7 principles — written for food business operators who need to build a working, audit-ready plan.
What HACCP actually is
HACCP — Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point — is a preventive food safety management system. Instead of checking finished product, HACCP identifies where biological, chemical, physical and allergenic hazards can enter your process and controls them at the point they matter most.
It is a legal requirement in the UK under Regulation (EC) 852/2004 (retained law) for every food business operator, from a single-site bakery to a large manufacturer.
The 7 principles of HACCP
1. Conduct a hazard analysis. List every step from goods-in to dispatch and identify what could go wrong.
2. Determine the Critical Control Points (CCPs). A CCP is a step where control is essential to prevent or eliminate a hazard.
3. Establish critical limits. Set measurable limits — temperature, time, pH, metal-detector sensitivity — that separate safe from unsafe.
4. Establish monitoring procedures. Decide who checks what, how often, and how it's recorded.
5. Establish corrective actions. Define exactly what happens when a limit is breached, including product disposition.
6. Verify the system. Calibrate equipment, review records, run internal audits, and re-validate when products or processes change.
7. Keep records. Auditors and the FSA will want to see evidence — not just paperwork, but evidence the system is alive.
Common mistakes we see in real plans
Treating prerequisites (cleaning, pest control, training) as CCPs. Prerequisites support HACCP but are not control points.
Setting unmeasurable critical limits like 'cooked thoroughly'. Use a number you can monitor and prove.
Copy-paste plans from another site. A HACCP plan must reflect your process, your equipment, your products.
How to build a HACCP plan in 7 steps
A repeatable, audit-ready process to build a HACCP plan that reflects your real operation.
- 1
Conduct a hazard analysis
Map every step from goods-in to dispatch and list biological, chemical, physical and allergenic hazards at each step.
- 2
Determine Critical Control Points
Use a decision tree to identify steps where control is essential to prevent or eliminate a hazard.
- 3
Set critical limits
Define measurable limits — temperature, time, pH, metal-detector sensitivity — that separate safe from unsafe product.
- 4
Establish monitoring
Decide who checks each CCP, how often, with what equipment, and how the result is recorded.
- 5
Define corrective actions
Document exactly what happens when a limit is breached, including product disposition and reporting.
- 6
Verify the system
Calibrate equipment, review records, run internal audits and re-validate after any change to product, process or equipment.
- 7
Keep records
Maintain dated, legible evidence — monitoring logs, calibration certificates, training records and review minutes.
Frequently asked questions
Is HACCP a legal requirement in the UK?+
Yes. All food business operators in the UK must put in place, implement and maintain a permanent procedure based on HACCP principles.
How often should a HACCP plan be reviewed?+
At least annually, and immediately after any change to product, process, equipment, supplier or layout — or after any incident or recall.
Do I need a CCP for every hazard?+
No. Many hazards are controlled by prerequisite programmes. CCPs are reserved for steps where loss of control would lead to an unsafe product.
Author
TFCG Editorial Team
Food safety practitioners
- Chartered CIEH members
- BRCGS Approved Trainers
- Lead Auditors
Chartered food safety practitioners and former technical managers with hands-on UK manufacturing, catering and retail experience. Every article is technically reviewed before publication.
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