HACCP

Do I have to have a HACCP Plan and HACCP training?

Food safety legislation requires that all food business operators put in place, implement and maintain a food safety management system based on the principles of HACCP.

HACCP stands for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point and as such a HACCP plan is an internationally recognised food safety management system used to identify, assess and control significant hazards that may affect food safety in your particular business. It does this by identifying all the points in the business where hazards could occur, determining which points are critical to the safety of the end product and focusing control on these critical points.

Food safety management in any business, whether a cafe, a 5 star hotel or a food manufacturer, involves focus on the specific areas. Firstly ensuring that the food business has a safely designed establishment, adequate facilities and the correct equipment. Then ensuring that procedures covering the general principles of hygiene are in place, are appropriate and operational. Once these are in place then a HACCP plan can be drawn up.

Not all businesses, especially catering outlets, require a full bespoke HACCP plan, it is very much evaluated around the potential risks in the individual establishment. The Food Standards Agency has compiled an “off the shelf” version called “Safer Food, Better Business” and all the component parts and content required for this system can be downloaded, free, from the FSA website. For example, a café handling low risk products would be perfectly well covered using SFBB, however a complex restaurant serving fresh seafood or products cooked using the sous vide system would have a much higher level of risk and therefore the local authority EHOs would expect more detail than could be provided through SFBB.

For manufacturing businesses, or catering and hospitality outlets that are larger or more complex, or part of a group, an individualised (bespoke) HACCP plan may the best way forward. I have many years skills and experience in assessing food businesses, identifying the risks and compiling appropriate HACCP plans and associated documents and records designed specifically to fit your business. Once the plan is in place it is easy to validate, verify and update or make changes wherever necessary to ensure the documentation changes as required by any operational changes to the business.

For the management team onsite who are responsible for the ongoing management of food safety some level of training in the principle of HACCP would be advised, The Foundation Certificate in HACCP course offers a starting point for those involved in food safety systems. It is especially useful for small food operations or “Artisan” producers, whilst the Intermediate certificate (Level 3) in HACCP is designed to ensure managers & supervisors develop the required knowledge and practical skills to implement a food safety Management system in larger operations.

Contact us for further information and to arrange a meeting to discuss your business & requirements for HACCP training or consultancy services.

For food manufacturing businesses this can also be a critical step if considering applying for SALSA accreditation.