How to Create a HACCP Plan Step by Step

HACCP Plan guidance provides food businesses with a structured approach to identifying and controlling food safety hazards before unsafe food reaches customers. Rather than relying mainly on finished-product inspections, a HACCP Plan examines each important stage of food handling and establishes effective controls where failures could create significant risks.

Quick Overview
A HACCP Plan provides food businesses with a structured approach to identifying, controlling, and preventing food safety hazards before they affect customers. It is a preventive system used across restaurants, catering businesses, hospitality, food manufacturing, and other food-related sectors.

This guide covers:
✅ What a HACCP Plan is and how it supports effective food safety management
✅ The HACCP plan meaning, key requirements, and the importance of hazard control
✅ The five preliminary tasks and the 7 HACCP principles explained step by step
✅ How hazards, CCPs, critical limits, monitoring, and corrective actions work together
✅ HACCP plan examples, templates, formats, and restaurant applications
✅ HACCP plan review processes, documentation, verification, and UK food safety considerations

A HACCP Plan may cover purchasing, receiving deliveries, storage, preparation, cooking, cooling, reheating, packaging, transport, and service. The level of detail should be proportionate to the size, complexity, and risk profile of the operation. For example, a small café may use a straightforward HACCP-based food safety management system, while a manufacturer producing chilled ready-to-eat products may require more detailed, product-specific plans.

An effective HACCP Plan should reflect the business’s actual ingredients, equipment, premises, customers, and working practices. This guide explains the five preliminary tasks, the seven HACCP principles, a practical restaurant example, a HACCP plan template, and the process for reviewing and maintaining the completed system.

What Is a HACCP Plan?

What is the HACCP plan? A HACCP Plan is a documented food safety system used to identify, evaluate, and control hazards that could make food unsafe. It provides a structured approach for preventing, reducing, or eliminating food safety risks before they affect customers.

HACCP stands for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point. The HACCP plan meaning becomes clearer when its key elements are explained:

• A hazard is anything with the potential to make food unsafe, including biological, chemical, or physical risks.
• Hazard analysis identifies which hazards are reasonably likely to occur and determines their significance.
• A Critical Control Point (CCP) is a stage in the process where control is essential to prevent, eliminate, or reduce a significant hazard to an acceptable level.

A HACCP Plan records the control measures, critical limits, monitoring procedures, corrective actions, verification activities, and evidence needed to maintain effective food safety control.

HACCP is a preventive system. For example, a restaurant preparing raw chicken should not wait until food has been served to identify possible contamination risks. Instead, it should assess controls throughout the process, including supplier approval, chilled storage, preparation areas, cooking procedures, hot holding, cooling, and reheating arrangements.

A HACCP Plan normally forms part of a wider food safety management system. Supporting procedures such as cleaning, personal hygiene, pest management, allergen controls, equipment maintenance, and staff training provide the foundation for effective HACCP implementation.

These supporting controls are often known as prerequisite programmes. A detailed HACCP document cannot replace poor hygiene practices, inadequate cleaning procedures, or unreliable refrigeration controls.

HACCP Plan Requirements

The main HACCP plan requirements are based on seven recognised HACCP principles. A food business must:

• identify and analyse hazards;
• determine its Critical Control Points (CCPs);
• establish critical limits;
• establish monitoring procedures;
• establish corrective actions;
• establish verification procedures; and
• maintain suitable documentation and records.

Before applying these principles, businesses should ensure that effective prerequisite controls are in place. Depending on the operation, these may include supplier approval, delivery checks, cleaning procedures, staff hygiene controls, temperature-controlled storage, allergen management, pest control, waste management, equipment maintenance, calibration, and traceability procedures.

The scope of the HACCP Plan should also be clearly defined. It should identify the products, premises, and process stages covered. Different food processes create different risks. For example, food cooked and served immediately follows a different control pathway from food that is cooked, cooled, refrigerated, and reheated before service.

A practical HACCP plan format usually records:

• the process stage;
• the potential hazard;
• the control measure;
• whether the stage is a CCP;
• the critical limit;
• the monitoring method and frequency;
• the responsible person;
• the corrective action;
• the verification activity; and
• the relevant record used.

Documentation should be proportionate to the size and complexity of the business. A small food business should avoid unnecessary paperwork that employees cannot realistically maintain. However, records must contain enough information to demonstrate how significant hazards are controlled and how essential food safety checks are being completed.

The 5 Preliminary Tasks Before Creating a HACCP Plan

People often ask, “What are the 7 steps of the HACCP plan?” The seven HACCP principles are the core stages used to control food safety hazards, but five important preliminary tasks should be completed before applying those principles.

The HACCP plan meaning becomes clearer when these foundation tasks are understood, as they help a food business create an accurate and effective food safety management system.

The five preliminary tasks are:

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 fourth and fifth tasks are closely connected because a process flow diagram should always be verified against the way employees actually carry out the work.

Step 1: Assemble the HACCP Team

The first HACCP Plan step is to bring together people who understand the product, processes, equipment, and working environment.

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

Together, the team should understand ingredients, recipes, suppliers, preparation methods, storage conditions, equipment, and potential microbiological, chemical, physical, and allergen hazards. Front-line employees should also be consulted because they can identify whether written procedures reflect actual practices, particularly during busy periods.

The team should define the scope of the HACCP Plan, including relevant stages such as delivery, storage, preparation, cooking, cooling, reheating, and service.

At least one team member should have the authority to approve changes and ensure appropriate resources are available. Where an operation involves technically complex processes or serves vulnerable consumers, competent external advice may be required.

Step 2: Describe the Product

An accurate product description is an important part of the HACCP plan requirements because it provides the information needed to identify realistic food safety hazards.

The description may include:

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

For example, consider a restaurant preparing chicken curry. The product description may state 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 different routes must be considered separately because cooling, refrigerated storage, and reheating introduce additional hazards compared with food served directly after cooking.

The product description should be reviewed whenever there are changes to ingredients, suppliers, recipes, packaging, batch sizes, or shelf-life arrangements. A replacement ingredient could introduce a new allergen, while increased batch sizes may affect cooking or cooling performance.

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.

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.

Food intended for vulnerable groups, including hospital patients, care-home residents, young children, or individuals who may be more susceptible to foodborne illness, may require additional controls and careful consideration.

The team should also consider reasonably foreseeable misuse. For example, a customer may store a chilled meal for longer than recommended or misunderstand reheating instructions. Clear labelling and practical guidance cannot remove every risk, but they can help reduce predictable food safety issues.

Step 4: Create and Verify the Process Flow Diagram

A process flow diagram is a key part of HACCP plan requirements because it shows every stage through which food moves during production and service.

A basic restaurant process flow may include:

Delivery → Storage → Preparation → Cooking → Service

However, the actual process may also involve defrosting, hot holding, cooling, refrigerated storage, reheating, packaging, transport, or home delivery. Each relevant process route should be included.

The diagram should show important details such as delays, temporary storage, reworking, outsourced activities, and waste handling. Once the diagram has been created, the HACCP team should walk through the premises and compare it with actual working practices.

This on-site verification is essential because employees may carry out tasks differently from written procedures. For example, the team may discover that deliveries remain unrefrigerated for too long, cooked food passes near raw food preparation areas, or staff follow an alternative process during busy periods.

Any differences identified should be corrected before starting the hazard analysis stage of the HACCP Plan.

The 7 HACCP Principles

The HACCP Plan steps in order are the seven recognised principles that form the foundation of a food safety management system:

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 procedures.

These HACCP Plan steps transform the information gathered during the preliminary tasks into a practical food safety control system. Understanding these principles helps businesses create an effective HACCP Plan, whether they require a simple HACCP plan for restaurant operations or a more detailed system for complex food production environments.

A well-designed HACCP Plan template or HACCP plan format should reflect these seven principles while remaining practical for the size and complexity of the business.

Principle 1: Conduct a Hazard Analysis

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

Microbiological hazards include harmful bacteria, viruses, parasites, and toxins. Chemical hazards may include cleaning chemicals, pesticides, excessive additives, and allergens. Physical hazards include glass, metal, stones, hard plastic, and 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 a hazard occurring and the severity of its potential consequences. Not every theoretical hazard is significant, so consideration should be given to ingredients, suppliers, equipment, consumers, and previous incidents.

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

Some hazards may be controlled through prerequisite programmes, while others may require consideration as potential Critical Control Points (CCPs).

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 food safety 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. If there is no later step that will remove this risk, effective control during cooking becomes essential.

Not every important food safety activity is a CCP. Cleaning, handwashing, staff hygiene, and pest control are generally managed through prerequisite programmes.

A HACCP decision tree can help support CCP decisions, but it should not replace professional judgement based on the specific product and process.

Businesses should avoid identifying unnecessary CCPs, as this can make the HACCP Plan difficult to manage. However, genuine CCPs must not be excluded simply to reduce documentation.

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, water activity, concentration, or another measurable factor. Instructions such as “cook thoroughly” or “keep chilled” are not specific enough because they cannot be consistently measured.

Each critical limit should be supported by legislation, recognised guidance, scientific evidence, or an appropriate validation process. It must also apply to the actual food product, portion size, equipment, and operating conditions.

For example, a cooking method suitable for a small portion may not achieve the same result for a larger batch. Similarly, cooling procedures may become ineffective if food is stored in containers that are too deep.

A business may also establish an operational target that is stricter than the critical limit. This provides staff with an opportunity to correct the process before food safety control is lost.

Principle 4: Establish Monitoring Procedures

Monitoring confirms whether a CCP remains within its established limits.

The monitoring procedure should explain:

• what will be checked;
• how the check will be carried out;
• how often monitoring 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 be carried out frequently enough to identify problems before unsafe food reaches customers. Records should be completed at the time of checking rather than reconstructed later from memory.

Measuring equipment must also be maintained and checked for accuracy. A reliable critical limit is only effective when the equipment used to measure it is working correctly.

Principle 5: Establish Corrective Actions

Corrective actions explain what employees must do when a critical limit is not achieved.

The procedure should address both the affected food and the cause of the failure. For example, if food has not reached its validated cooking temperature, it may be possible to continue cooking and verify the result. If safety cannot be confirmed, the food should be isolated and disposed of appropriately.

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

Records should include the failed result, affected product, immediate action taken, final decision, and the person responsible. Repeated failures may indicate that equipment, procedures, or staff training require improvement.

Principle 6: Establish Verification Procedures

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

Verification is different from monitoring. Monitoring checks individual CCPs during production, while verification evaluates whether the overall HACCP system continues to work as intended.

Verification activities may include reviewing records, observing staff practices, checking calibration results, reviewing complaints, and examining corrective actions.

Validation is related but separate. Validation provides evidence that a control measure is capable of managing a hazard, while verification confirms that the validated process is being implemented correctly.

For example, a business may validate a cooking process using reliable technical evidence. A supervisor may then verify the system by reviewing temperature records and observing staff carrying out checks.

Principle 7: Establish Documentation and Record-Keeping

Documentation demonstrates what the business planned, what employees monitored, and how food safety issues were managed.

A practical HACCP plan format may include:

• HACCP study scope;
• team details;
• product descriptions;
• process flow diagrams;
• hazard analysis records;
• CCP decisions;
• monitoring records;
• corrective action reports;
• calibration records;
• staff training information; and
• HACCP plan review history.

Both paper-based and electronic record systems can be suitable. A good HACCP plan template should be simple enough for employees to complete during normal operations while capturing essential details such as dates, results, responsible persons, and actions taken.

Regular HACCP plan review is important, particularly when there are changes to ingredients, suppliers, equipment, processes, premises, or food safety requirements. A restaurant HACCP plan example may need updating after menu changes, while a manufacturer may require a more detailed review following process modifications.

HACCP Plan Example

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

A complete HACCP Plan would also address relevant stages such as receiving, cooling, reheating, allergen management, cleaning, service, verification activities, and record-keeping.

HACCP Plan Template

A HACCP plan template should begin with essential business details, including the business name, site, scope, products covered, HACCP team members, document version number, and review date.

A practical HACCP plan format may include the following working table columns:

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

Supporting documents may include supplier information, cleaning schedules, allergen details, equipment instructions, calibration records, staff training records, and previous HACCP plan review notes.

A template provides structure and consistency, but it cannot complete the technical analysis automatically. It must be adapted to the actual products, processes, equipment, premises, and working practices of the food business.

HACCP Plan for Restaurants

A HACCP plan for restaurant operations should reflect the menu, kitchen layout, staff procedures, and 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, stored, and reheated. Activities such as buffet service, takeaway operations, off-site catering, and food delivery may introduce additional hazards that require assessment.

Restaurants should pay particular attention to:

• prevention of cross-contamination;
• allergen management;
• temperature controls;
• cooking, cooling, and reheating procedures; and
• recipe or supplier changes.

For example, replacing a sauce, ingredient, or garnish may introduce an allergen that is not included in existing food safety information.

Many smaller restaurants, cafés, and takeaways can use a suitable HACCP-based food safety pack rather than creating a complex manufacturing-style system. However, the selected documentation must still be completed for the actual premises and supported by effective daily food safety practices.

Food Skills and Dishcover Academy

Dishcover Academy presents itself as a platform for learning about international cuisines. Its indexed catalogue includes courses relating to European and African food traditions, including Croatian and Macedonian cuisine.

These courses may support learners in understanding recipes, ingredients, and cooking techniques. However, a dedicated HACCP course, regulated food safety qualification, or formal HACCP accreditation could not be verified from the current public catalogue.

Learners should use recognised food safety training separately when their workplace or career requires specific HACCP knowledge. Before enrolling in any course, check the syllabus, assessment method, certificate issuer, and whether the qualification meets employer or industry requirements.

Cuisine-focused training can support practical cooking development, but it does not replace a site-specific HACCP Plan or the technical competence required to manage complex food safety risks.

Reviewing and Updating Your HACCP Plan

A HACCP plan review should be carried out at planned intervals and whenever significant changes occur within the food business.

Common review triggers include:

• a new recipe or product;
• a different ingredient or supplier;
• new equipment;
• changes to kitchen layout or workflow;
• revised packaging or shelf-life arrangements;
• repeated monitoring failures;
• food safety complaints or incidents; and
• new official or technical guidance.

During a HACCP Plan review, the team should reassess the process, examine monitoring records, and confirm that the process flow diagram and control measures remain accurate and effective.

The outcome of the review should always be recorded, even when no amendments are required. Where changes are made, update the document version, remove outdated forms, revise relevant records, and ensure affected staff understand the updated procedures.

Conclusion

A reliable HACCP Plan begins with an accurate understanding of the food, the process, the equipment, and the employees responsible for maintaining food safety. The five preliminary tasks establish this foundation, while the seven HACCP principles create a structured system of hazard controls, critical limits, monitoring procedures, corrective actions, and verification activities.

The completed plan should be practical, evidence-based, and specific to the individual food business. The HACCP plan format should reflect the actual products, processes, premises, and working methods used. The system should also undergo a HACCP plan review whenever significant changes occur, such as changes to ingredients, suppliers, equipment, or procedures.

HACCP is not simply paperwork prepared for an inspection. When employees understand the controls, follow procedures correctly, and respond appropriately when problems occur, the system helps reduce the risk of unsafe food reaching customers.

FAQs

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

The HACCP plan steps in order are hazard analysis, determination of Critical Control Points (CCPs), establishing critical limits, monitoring procedures, corrective actions, verification procedures, and documentation and record-keeping.

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

The HACCP plan first step depends on the stage of development being discussed. The first preliminary task is assembling a suitable HACCP team and defining the scope of the study. The first formal HACCP principle is conducting a hazard analysis.

3. Does every UK food business need a HACCP-based system?

Food businesses in the UK need a written food safety management system based on HACCP principles. The complexity of the system should be proportionate to the size, activities, and risks of the operation.

4. Can a restaurant use a HACCP plan template?

Yes. A restaurant can use a HACCP plan template, but it must be adapted to the restaurant’s actual menu, ingredients, equipment, premises, and working practices. A generic template alone is not sufficient for effective hazard control.

5. Is cooking always a Critical Control Point?

No. Cooking is often identified as a CCP for certain products, but the decision must be based on the hazard analysis. The HACCP team should consider whether cooking is the essential control step or whether another later process manages the hazard.

6. How many CCPs should a HACCP Plan contain?

There is no fixed number of CCPs required. A HACCP Plan should include only the CCPs that are justified through the business’s hazard analysis. The number will vary depending on the products, processes, and risks involved.

7. What is the difference between monitoring and verification?

Monitoring checks whether a specific CCP remains within its required limits during operation. Verification checks whether the overall HACCP system is being implemented correctly and continues to remain effective.

8. How often should a HACCP Plan be reviewed?

A HACCP plan review should take place at planned intervals and whenever relevant changes occur, including changes to products, suppliers, ingredients, equipment, packaging, or processes.

Regular review helps confirm that the hazard analysis, control measures, records, and procedures remain suitable for the business.

9. Does Dishcover Academy currently offer a HACCP qualification?

A dedicated HACCP course or regulated HACCP qualification could not be verified from its current public catalogue. Learners should confirm the latest course details, syllabus, certificate issuer, and recognition requirements directly before enrolling.

10. What should a HACCP plan example include?

A practical HACCP plan example should show how hazards are identified, how controls are selected, how CCPs are managed, and how monitoring, corrective actions, verification, and records are maintained.

For example, a HACCP plan for restaurant operations may include controls for receiving, chilled storage, preparation, cooking, cooling, reheating, allergen management, cleaning, service, and record-keeping.