HACCP Plan documentation gives a food business a structured way to identify, assess and control food safety hazards before unsafe products reach customers. Rather than relying solely on final inspections, a HACCP Plan examines each critical stage of receiving, storing, preparing, processing and serving food to help prevent food safety risks.

Quick Overview 
A HACCP Plan is a structured food safety system that helps businesses identify, control, and prevent hazards before unsafe food reaches customers. It follows a preventive approach by examining each stage of food handling, from receiving ingredients and storage through preparation, cooking, cooling, reheating, packaging, transport, and service.

This guide covers:
✅What a HACCP Plan is and the HACCP plan meaning
✅HACCP Plan requirements and the HACCP Plan steps in order
✅The HACCP Plan first step and the seven HACCP principles explained
✅A practical HACCP Plan example and a customisable HACCP Plan template
✅How to create a HACCP Plan for restaurant operations and other food businesses
✅HACCP Plan format, monitoring, verification, record-keeping and HACCP Plan review best practices

The plan explains what could go wrong, which hazards are significant, where control is essential and what employees must do if a process falls outside an acceptable limit. It may cover deliveries, refrigerated storage, food preparation, cooking, cooling, reheating, packaging and service.

A small café may be able to use a relatively simple HACCP-based food safety system. By contrast, a manufacturer producing chilled ready-to-eat products may require several detailed HACCP Plans supported by technical validation. In every case, the system should accurately reflect the business’s food products, equipment, premises and day-to-day working practices.

What Is a HACCP Plan?

What is the HACCP Plan? A HACCP Plan is a documented food safety system for identifying, evaluating and controlling hazards that could make food unsafe.

The HACCP plan meaning becomes easier to understand when its main terms are considered separately. HACCP stands for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point.

A hazard is anything with the potential to make food unsafe. Hazard analysis involves assessing which hazards could reasonably occur and how serious the consequences might be. A Critical Control Point (CCP) is a stage in the process where control is essential to prevent, eliminate or reduce a significant food safety hazard to an acceptable level.

The completed HACCP Plan records the identified hazards, control measures, critical limits, monitoring procedures, corrective actions, verification activities and supporting records needed to demonstrate that food safety is being effectively managed.

HACCP is a preventive system. For example, a restaurant preparing raw chicken should not wait until the finished meal is served before considering the risk of bacterial contamination. Instead, it should assess the supplier, delivery conditions, chilled storage, preparation methods, cooking processes, hot holding and any cooling or reheating stages where food safety hazards could occur.

A HACCP Plan is normally one part of a wider food safety management system. Cleaning, personal hygiene, allergen management, pest control, supplier approval and equipment maintenance provide the essential foundation that allows HACCP to operate effectively.

These basic controls are commonly known as prerequisite programmes (PRPs). Even a detailed HACCP Plan cannot compensate for poor handwashing practices, unreliable refrigeration or inadequately cleaned equipment.

HACCP Plan Requirements

The HACCP plan requirements are based on seven internationally recognised principles. A food business must identify hazards, determine the Critical Control Points (CCPs), establish critical limits, implement monitoring procedures, define corrective actions, verify that the system is operating effectively and maintain appropriate records.

Before applying these principles, the business should ensure that its prerequisite hygiene controls are operating effectively. Depending on the type of operation, these may include:

• supplier approval and delivery checks;
• cleaning and disinfection;
• personal hygiene and sickness reporting;
• cross-contamination prevention;
• allergen management;
• chilled and frozen storage;
• pest and waste control;
• equipment maintenance and calibration; and
• traceability and product-withdrawal procedures.

The scope of the HACCP Plan should also be clearly defined. It should identify the products, premises and process stages covered by the hazard analysis.

Food that is prepared, cooked and served immediately follows a different process from food that is cooked, cooled, refrigerated and reheated. The second process introduces additional food safety hazards and therefore requires additional control measures.

A practical HACCP Plan format typically includes the process stage, identified hazard, control measure, CCP decision, critical limit, monitoring procedure, corrective action, verification method and the records used to demonstrate compliance.

The amount of documentation should always be proportionate to the business and its operations. A small café does not require unnecessary paperwork, but it should maintain sufficient records to demonstrate how significant food safety hazards are identified, controlled and monitored through its HACCP Plan.

The 5 Preliminary Tasks Before Creating a HACCP Plan

People frequently ask, “What are the 7 steps of the HACCP plan?” The seven principles form the main control system within a HACCP Plan, but five important preliminary tasks should be completed before applying the principles.

These preliminary tasks establish the foundation for effective hazard analysis and help ensure that the HACCP plan steps in order are applied accurately:

1. Assemble the HACCP team.
2. Describe the product.
3. Identify the intended use.
4. Construct the process flow diagram.
5. Confirm the process flow diagram on site.

The final two tasks are closely connected because a process flow diagram should always be verified against actual working practices before hazard analysis begins.

Step 1: Assemble the HACCP Team

The first HACCP plan step is to bring together people who understand the food, processes, equipment, and workplace conditions. A successful HACCP Plan depends on practical knowledge from those involved in daily operations.

In a small restaurant, the team may include the owner, head chef, and kitchen supervisor. A larger food operation may require input from production, food safety, quality assurance, purchasing, engineering, cleaning, maintenance, and distribution staff.

Collectively, the HACCP team should understand:

• ingredients and suppliers;
• recipes or product formulations;
• preparation and processing methods;
• storage and distribution arrangements;
• equipment and premises;
• microbiological, chemical, physical, and allergen hazards; and
• how customers are expected to use the food.

Front-line employees should be consulted because they understand how processes operate during normal service and busy periods. They may identify practical issues such as delays, temporary storage areas, or workarounds that are not included in written procedures.

The team should also define the scope of the HACCP Plan. For example, a restaurant scope might state:

“This study covers chilled and frozen ingredients from delivery through storage, preparation, cooking, hot holding, cooling, refrigerated storage, reheating, and service.”

At least one team member should have the authority to approve changes and provide the resources needed to maintain the system. Where the product or process is technically complex, competent external advice may be required.

Step 2: Describe the Product

The next HACCP plan step is to describe the food or product group accurately. A clear product description helps the team identify hazards and establish appropriate controls.

A useful description may include:

• ingredients and allergens;
• preparation or manufacturing methods;
• packaging details;
• storage conditions;
• expected shelf life;
• distribution arrangements; and
• whether the food is ready to eat.

Consider a restaurant preparing chicken curry. The product description might explain that chilled raw chicken is received from an approved supplier, stored under refrigeration, prepared on site, and cooked in batches.

Some portions may be served immediately, while others may be cooled and reheated later. These routes should be assessed separately because cooling, chilled storage, and reheating introduce additional hazards that require specific controls.

The product description should be reviewed whenever ingredients, suppliers, recipes, packaging, batch sizes, or shelf-life arrangements change.

For example, a substituted ingredient could introduce a new allergen risk, while a larger batch size could affect how effectively the food cooks or cools.

Step 3: Identify the Intended Use

The HACCP team must identify how the food is expected to be used and who is likely to consume it. This information forms an important part of the HACCP plan requirements because food safety controls must reflect the intended consumer and method of use.

Some foods are ready to eat, while others require cooking or reheating before consumption. A product may also be supplied to another food business for further processing.

The intended consumer group is important. Food prepared for hospital patients, care-home residents, young children, or other vulnerable groups may require stricter controls due to increased food safety risks.

Reasonably foreseeable misuse should also be considered. For example, a customer may store a chilled meal for too long, keep it at an unsuitable temperature, or misunderstand reheating instructions.

A business cannot control every action after sale, but clear labelling, storage instructions, and realistic preparation guidance can help reduce predictable risks.

The intended-use description should not rely on vague assumptions. Stating that a customer will “cook thoroughly” is not an effective control unless clear instructions are provided and the process is capable of making the food safe.

Step 4: Create and Verify the Process Flow Diagram

A process flow diagram shows every stage through which food passes from receiving ingredients to final service or distribution. It is a key part of developing a reliable HACCP Plan because it allows the team to examine hazards at each stage.

A basic restaurant process may be:

Delivery → Storage → Preparation → Cooking → Service

However, the actual operation may also involve defrosting, hot holding, cooling, refrigerated storage, reheating, packaging, takeaway collection, or home delivery.

Different routes should be shown separately where they introduce different hazards. The flow diagram should also consider:

• ingredients and packaging entering the process;
• delays or temporary storage;
• outsourced activities;
• reworking where appropriate;
• movement between preparation areas;
• transport arrangements; and
• waste leaving the process.

Once the diagram is drafted, the HACCP team must walk through the premises and compare the diagram with actual working practices. This on-site confirmation is the fifth preliminary task.

The team may discover that deliveries remain outside refrigeration before being checked, cooked food passes close to raw-food preparation areas, or staff use different methods during peak service periods.

The process flow diagram should be corrected before hazard analysis begins. An inaccurate diagram can cause important hazards to be missed and may result in ineffective controls being included in the HACCP Plan.

The five preliminary tasks provide the foundation for the seven HACCP principles that follow. Completing these tasks carefully helps ensure that the HACCP plan steps in order are based on accurate information about the food, processes, equipment, and people involved.

A well-prepared HACCP Plan is not simply a completed document; it is a practical food safety management tool that reflects real working conditions and supports consistent control of significant hazards.

The 7 HACCP Principles

The HACCP plan steps in order are the seven recognised principles that form the foundation of a HACCP Plan:

1. Conduct a hazard analysis.
2. Determine Critical Control Points (CCPs).
3. Establish critical limits.
4. Establish monitoring procedures.
5. Establish corrective actions.
6. Establish verification procedures.
7. Establish documentation and record-keeping.

These HACCP plan steps transform the information gathered during the preliminary tasks into a practical food safety control system. Whether developing a HACCP plan for restaurant operations or a more complex food manufacturing process, each principle should be applied systematically and supported by accurate records.

Principle 1: Conduct a Hazard Analysis

The HACCP plan first step is to conduct a detailed hazard analysis. This involves examining every stage in the verified process flow and identifying hazards that could reasonably occur.

Food safety hazards are commonly grouped into three main categories:

• Microbiological hazards include harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites, and toxins. Examples include bacteria surviving inadequate cooking or multiplying during unsuitable storage conditions.
• Chemical hazards include cleaning substances, pesticides, excessive additives, naturally occurring toxins, and allergens.
• Physical hazards include glass, metal, stones, hard plastic, or fragments from damaged equipment.

Hazards should be described specifically. For example, “metal fragments from a damaged slicing blade” provides more useful information than simply recording “physical contamination”.

The HACCP team should assess both the likelihood of each hazard occurring and the severity of the possible harm. Not every theoretical hazard requires the same level of control, so the team must determine which hazards are significant.

For each significant hazard, suitable control measures should be identified. These may include approved suppliers, refrigerated storage, separation of raw and ready-to-eat foods, validated cooking processes, allergen management procedures, or equipment inspections.

Some hazards can be managed through prerequisite programmes, while others may require control at a Critical Control Point (CCP).

Principle 2: Determine Critical Control Points

A Critical Control Point (CCP) is a stage where control is essential to prevent, eliminate, or reduce a significant hazard to an acceptable level.

For example, cooking raw poultry is commonly identified as a CCP because inadequate cooking may allow harmful microorganisms to survive. Where no later safety step exists, effective control during cooking becomes essential.

Not every important food safety activity should be classified as a CCP. Cleaning, handwashing, personal hygiene, and pest management are generally managed through prerequisite programmes.

A decision tree may help the HACCP team determine whether:

• a significant hazard exists;
• a suitable control measure is available;
• the stage is specifically designed to control the hazard;
• the hazard could increase to an unacceptable level; and
• a later process stage will provide sufficient control.

The decision tree should support professional judgement rather than replace it. Identifying too many CCPs can make a HACCP Plan difficult to operate, while failing to identify a genuine CCP may leave a serious hazard uncontrolled.

Principle 3: Establish Critical Limits

A critical limit defines the boundary between acceptable and unacceptable control at a CCP.

Critical limits may relate to:

• temperature;
• time;
• acidity or pH;
• water activity;
• chemical concentration; or
• another measurable condition.

Instructions such as “cook properly”, “cool quickly”, or “keep chilled” are too vague for an effective HACCP Plan. Employees need clear limits that show whether the process remains under control.

Each critical limit should have a reliable basis, such as legal requirements, recognised scientific evidence, official guidance, or suitable validation studies.

The limit must also reflect the actual food, equipment, and process being used. A method that works for a small portion may not be suitable for a large batch.

Businesses may also establish operational targets that are more cautious than the critical limit. This allows staff to make adjustments before a formal failure occurs.

Principle 4: Establish Monitoring Procedures

Monitoring confirms whether a CCP remains under control and is a key part of any effective HACCP plan format.

The monitoring procedure should clearly state:

• what will be checked;
• how it will be checked;
• how frequently checks will take place;
• who is responsible; and
• where the results will be recorded.

For a cooking CCP, a trained employee may use a suitable probe thermometer to check the centre temperature of each batch before service.

Monitoring must happen frequently enough to identify failures before unsafe food reaches customers. Records should be completed at the time of checking rather than recreated later from memory.

Measuring equipment must also be maintained and checked for accuracy. A reliable critical limit cannot protect food safety if the equipment used for measurement is inaccurate.

Principle 5: Establish Corrective Actions

Corrective action explains what employees must do when a critical limit is not achieved.

The procedure should address two key questions:

1. What happens to the affected food?
2. What caused the failure, and how will control be restored?

If food has not completed its validated cooking process, it may be possible to continue cooking and verify the result. Where safety cannot be demonstrated, the affected food should be isolated and discarded.

The cause of the failure should also be investigated. Possible causes may include overloaded equipment, incorrect settings, unsuitable procedures, or inaccurate monitoring equipment.

A corrective-action record should identify:

• the failed result;
• affected food;
• immediate action taken;
• final product decision;
• likely cause; and
• responsible person.

Repeated failures may indicate that changes are required to equipment, procedures, or staff training.

Principle 6: Establish Verification Procedures

Verification confirms that the HACCP system is being followed correctly and remains effective.

It is different from monitoring. Monitoring checks an individual CCP during production, while verification evaluates whether the wider HACCP system continues to work as intended.

Verification activities may include:

• reviewing monitoring records;
• observing staff practices;
• checking corrective actions;
• calibrating equipment;
• auditing hygiene procedures; and
• reviewing complaints or food safety incidents.

Validation is related but different. Validation provides evidence that a control measure is capable of managing a hazard, while verification confirms that the validated procedure is being applied correctly.

For example, a cooking process may be validated using suitable technical evidence. A supervisor may then verify the system by reviewing temperature records and observing employees carrying out checks.

Principle 7: Establish Record-Keeping

Record-keeping provides evidence of what the business planned, what employees checked, and how food safety failures were managed. This information is essential during a HACCP plan review.

A practical HACCP plan template may include:

• the scope of the study;
• HACCP team details;
• product descriptions;
• intended-use statements;
• process flow diagrams;
• hazard analyses;
• CCP decisions;
• monitoring records;
• corrective-action reports;
• calibration information;
• staff training records; and
• previous HACCP plan review records.

Both paper-based and digital systems can be effective. The chosen HACCP plan format should be practical enough for employees to complete during normal operations while capturing the date, result, responsible person, and action taken.

Overly complicated paperwork may lead to incomplete or inaccurate records. However, reducing documentation should not remove the evidence required to demonstrate that significant hazards are being effectively controlled.

A well-designed HACCP Plan is a working food safety management tool, not simply a completed document. A suitable HACCP plan example, supported by a clear HACCP plan template and regular HACCP plan review process, helps businesses maintain consistent standards and adapt when products, equipment, processes, or regulations change.

HACCP Plan Example

The following simplified HACCP plan example covers part of a restaurant’s cooked-chicken process. It demonstrates the structure and type of information included in a HACCP Plan but does not provide universal critical limits, as these must be established based on the specific food, equipment, process, and validated safety requirements of each business.

Process stage	Hazard and control	CCP decision	Monitoring and action
Chilled storage	Microbial growth controlled through suitable refrigeration	Depends on the hazard analysis	Check at planned intervals; assess affected stock if control is lost
Preparation	Cross-contamination controlled through separation and good hygiene practices	Usually a prerequisite control	Observe working practices; stop activity, clean equipment, and assess affected food
Cooking	Survival of harmful microorganisms	Commonly a CCP	Check each batch against the validated critical limit; continue cooking or discard if safety cannot be confirmed
Hot holding	Microbial growth caused by unsuitable conditions	May be a CCP	Check at defined intervals; discard food if safety cannot be demonstrated

A complete HACCP Plan would also address receiving, cooling, reheating, allergen controls, cleaning procedures, service, verification activities, and record-keeping requirements.

HACCP Plan Template

A HACCP Plan template provides a structured framework for documenting a food business’s hazard analysis and control measures. Although templates vary, they should begin with the business name, site address, products covered, scope of the plan, HACCP team members, version number, approval date and next review date.

A typical HACCP Plan format includes the following columns:

• Process stage
• Potential hazard
• Significance and justification
• Control measure
• CCP decision
• Critical limit
• Monitoring procedure
• Corrective action
• Verification activity
• Record used

Supporting documents may include supplier approval records, cleaning schedules, allergen information, equipment operating instructions and calibration records.

Using a HACCP Plan template helps maintain consistency and ensures that important information is recorded in a logical manner. However, no template can complete the technical hazard analysis automatically. Every HACCP Plan must be developed and adapted to reflect the business’s actual ingredients, equipment, processes, staff practices and working methods.

Businesses looking for a HACCP Plan example should treat sample documents as guidance only. A generic example cannot replace a site-specific assessment carried out for the individual food business.

HACCP Plan for Restaurant Operations

A HACCP Plan for restaurant operations should accurately reflect the restaurant’s menu, kitchen layout, equipment, food preparation methods and the different routes followed by food from delivery through to service.

Food prepared and served immediately follows a different process from food that is cooked, cooled, refrigerated and reheated. Buffets, takeaway services, off-site catering and home delivery may introduce additional food safety hazards that should be assessed within the HACCP Plan.

Restaurants should pay particular attention to preventing cross-contamination, managing allergens, validating cooking temperatures, controlling cooling and reheating procedures, and reviewing recipe changes. For example, substituting a sauce, ingredient or garnish may introduce an allergen that is not identified within the existing food safety documentation.

Many smaller restaurants, cafés and takeaways in England and Wales use Safer Food, Better Business instead of developing a complex manufacturing-style HACCP Plan. However, the pack must still be completed for the individual premises, accurately reflect day-to-day operations and be supported by routine monitoring records.

Responsibilities should remain clearly allocated during busy service periods. Monitoring forms should be readily accessible, calibrated equipment should be available where required, and employees should understand the corrective actions to take whenever monitoring identifies a failure.

Understanding the HACCP Plan steps helps businesses develop a systematic approach to food safety management.

The HACCP Plan first step is to assemble the HACCP team and define the scope of the plan. The team should include people with appropriate knowledge of the products, processes and food safety hazards relevant to the business.

Developing Food Safety Knowledge with High Paying Skills

High Paying Skills presents itself as a provider of flexible online learning designed to help learners develop career-related skills. According to information published on its website, learning materials may include PDFs, video lessons, supplementary resources and assessments.

The platform also refers to completion certificates and makes general statements regarding CPD, CPD IQ and IOAS accreditation. However, at the time of writing, a dedicated live HACCP programme and course-specific recognition could not be confirmed from the publicly available course catalogue that was reviewed.

Learners considering HACCP training should therefore verify the individual course title, learning outcomes, syllabus, assessment method, certificate issuer and any accreditation that applies specifically to that course before enrolling.

A short online course may support awareness or refresher learning, but a completion certificate should not automatically be regarded as a regulated food safety qualification. Formal training should also be supported by practical workplace competence and the implementation of a site-specific HACCP Plan.

HACCP Plan Review

A HACCP Plan review should be carried out at planned intervals and whenever significant changes occur that could affect food safety.

Common reasons for a HACCP Plan review include:

• introducing a new product, recipe or ingredient;
• changing supplier;
• installing new equipment;
• modifying the premises or workflow;
• changing packaging or shelf life;
• repeated monitoring failures;
• customer complaints or food safety incidents; and
• updates to legislation, scientific evidence or official guidance.

During the HACCP Plan review, the HACCP team should walk through the production process, examine monitoring and verification records, confirm that the process flow diagram remains accurate and determine whether existing control measures continue to be effective.

Repeated monitoring failures require particular attention because they may indicate unsuitable equipment, ineffective procedures, inadequate staff training or unrealistic monitoring arrangements. The root cause should be investigated and appropriate corrective and preventive actions implemented.

Every HACCP Plan review should be documented, even when no changes are required. Where amendments are made, the version number should be updated, obsolete documents removed from use, relevant records revised and affected employees informed of the changes. Maintaining accurate documentation demonstrates that the HACCP Plan remains current, effective and appropriate for the business’s operations.

Conclusion

A reliable HACCP Plan begins with an accurate understanding of the food, the production process and the people responsible for controlling food safety. The five preliminary tasks establish the foundation of the system, while the seven HACCP principles provide a structured framework for identifying hazards, establishing controls, setting critical limits, monitoring performance, implementing corrective actions and carrying out verification activities.

Understanding the HACCP Plan steps in order helps businesses develop an effective food safety management system. The HACCP Plan first step is assembling a competent HACCP team and defining the scope of the plan before progressing through the remaining HACCP Plan steps.

Every HACCP Plan should be practical, evidence-based and tailored to the individual business. Whether using a HACCP Plan template, following a recognised HACCP Plan format, reviewing a HACCP Plan example or developing a HACCP Plan for restaurant operations, the final document should accurately reflect the business’s ingredients, equipment, processes and working practices.

A HACCP Plan review should be carried out regularly and whenever ingredients, suppliers, equipment, recipes, processes or working methods change. Keeping the plan up to date helps ensure that food safety controls remain effective and continue to reflect current operations.

Ultimately, HACCP is not simply paperwork prepared for an inspection. When employees understand the controls, complete monitoring correctly and respond appropriately when problems occur, the HACCP Plan becomes an effective tool for preventing unsafe food from reaching customers.

FAQs

1. What are the 7 steps of the HACCP Plan?

The seven HACCP principles, often referred to as the HACCP Plan steps, are:

• Conduct a hazard analysis.
• Determine Critical Control Points (CCPs).
• Establish critical limits.
• Establish monitoring procedures.
• Establish corrective actions.
• Establish verification procedures.
• Establish documentation and record-keeping procedures.

These principles are applied after completing the preliminary tasks involved in developing a HACCP Plan.

2. What is the first step in creating a HACCP Plan?

The HACCP Plan first step is assembling a competent HACCP team and defining the scope of the plan as part of the preliminary tasks. The first formal HACCP principle is conducting a hazard analysis.

3. What are the HACCP Plan steps in order?

The HACCP Plan steps in order begin with the five preliminary tasks, including assembling the HACCP team and verifying the process flow diagram, followed by the seven HACCP principles. Completing these steps systematically helps create an effective and site-specific HACCP Plan.

4. Does every UK food business need a HACCP Plan?

UK food businesses are required to operate a documented food safety management system based on HACCP principles. The complexity of the HACCP Plan should be proportionate to the size, activities and food safety risks of the business.

5. Can a small restaurant use a HACCP Plan template?

Yes. A HACCP Plan template can provide a useful starting point, particularly for smaller businesses. However, it must be adapted to reflect the restaurant’s actual menu, ingredients, equipment, premises and working practices. A generic HACCP Plan example should be used only as guidance and should never replace a site-specific assessment.

6. Is cooking always a Critical Control Point?

No. Cooking is commonly identified as a CCP for many products, but it is not automatically a Critical Control Point in every HACCP Plan. The decision should be based on the hazard analysis and whether any later control step can effectively eliminate or reduce the hazard.

7. How many CCPs should a HACCP Plan contain?

There is no fixed number. A HACCP Plan should include only those Critical Control Points that are justified by the hazard analysis and the specific production process.

8. What is the difference between monitoring and verification?

Monitoring involves checking that a specific Critical Control Point remains under control during routine operations. Verification confirms that the overall HACCP Plan is being implemented correctly and continues to operate effectively.

9. How often should a HACCP Plan review be carried out?

A HACCP Plan review should be completed at planned intervals and whenever significant changes occur, such as new products, ingredients, suppliers, equipment, premises, production methods or food safety legislation. Regular reviews help ensure the HACCP Plan remains accurate and effective.

10. Does a High Paying Skills certificate equal a regulated HACCP qualification?

Not necessarily. According to information published on the provider’s website, completion certificates and certain accreditation claims are referenced. However, a dedicated regulated HACCP qualification could not be verified from the publicly available course information reviewed. Prospective learners should confirm the specific course content, awarding body, assessment method and accreditation before enrolling.