Understanding the HACCP Method (Finally!)

HACCP stands for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point.

To speak of an HACCP standard is not accurate. It is not a standard in the French sense of the term. The expressions HACCP method, HACCP approach, HACCP system are more appropriate.

Did you know?

It was developed by NASA? as part of the Apollo ?‍? space program to prevent and eliminate as far as possible any biological, chemical or physical danger to astronauts. If you’re going to have lunch on the moon, you might as well have food safety under control!

What is the HACCP method?

The HACCP method is based on the identification, evaluation, and description of control measures. It relies on 7 main principles.

1. Hazard analysis.
2. Determination of critical control points (the well-known CCP: Critical Control Point).
3. Setting the critical limit(s).
4. Establishing a monitoring system for hazard control measures at the CCPs.
5. Defining corrective actions to be taken when a given CCP is not under control.
6. Applying verification procedures to confirm that the HACCP system is working effectively. ✅
7. Compiling a file that includes all procedures and all records related to these principles and their implementation (traceability).

The HACCP method thus enables vigilance through these 7 principles by identifying the steps where there is a risk of contamination.

Can the HACCP method be digitized?

Need help implementing the HACCP method in your facility?

What does French law say? ⚖️

Since January 1, 2006, the “Hygiene Package” applies to the entire agri-food chain, from production through processing to distribution to the final consumer. Thus, it concerns all catering establishments and food trades.

📜 Reference texts:

• Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 is the key text setting out the main principles of the Hygiene Package. It applies to all actors in the food supply chain. This regulation assigns responsibility for food safety to the professionals who place products on the market. It notably defines traceability obligations 📋 and product withdrawal procedures for items that may pose a risk to consumers, among other things.
• Food hygiene governed by Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 applies to all operators in the food sector. It requires, among other things, the implementation of procedures based on HACCP principles as part of a sanitary control plan.
• Specific hygiene rules applicable to food of animal origin 🥩 (Regulation (EC) No 853/2004) for all operators handling or processing animal or animal-origin products. It specifies the obligation for health approval.

Other implementing regulations and ministerial orders complete this non-exhaustive list and can be consulted on the government website.

How to implement the HACCP method in my establishment? ✅

If you do not have a Sanitary Control Plan (SCP), you must at least ensure traceability of your products, respect the expiry dates (DLC and DDM) of your products, guarantee the cold chain, or implement an effective cleaning and disinfection plan.

Discover all our complete and free guides to help you better master the basics of HACCP.

Traceability?

To ensure the essentials of controlled food safety, you must among other things guarantee traceability. Because all restaurants have a HACCP traceability obligation.

This obligation is governed by Regulation EC 178/2002 of January 28, 2002, which sets the procedures related to food safety. Food traceability is the 7th and final pillar of the Sanitary Control Plan (SCP). 🗂️

Ensuring food traceability means being able “to track, through all stages of production, processing, and distribution, the path of a foodstuff, animal feed, an animal producing foodstuffs, or a substance intended to be incorporated or likely to be incorporated into a foodstuff or animal feed.”

To ensure food traceability, we recommend following these steps, among others:

• Upstream traceability: ensure control at reception.
• Internal traceability: keep batch numbers and expiry dates of all sensitive products you use.
• Secondary traceability: label all opened or prepared products that return to cold storage.

If you want to learn more about this topic, discover our free guide on traceability.

How to perform an incoming goods inspection? 📋

In practice, you must check the goods you receive from your suppliers. You need to verify that the goods are compliant. That means no expired products were delivered to you and that the packaging is intact (no punctured bags, damaged cans, etc.). But you must also check that the delivery temperature is appropriate. ❄️ Even in the heat of summer, fresh products must be delivered to you at a maximum of 4°C! Otherwise, you must refuse the goods.

To properly carry out an incoming goods inspection, you must measure the delivery truck’s temperature with a thermometer, then sample a sensitive product and note its temperature as well as its expiry date (DLC or DDM).

If during delivery a product is not at the correct temperature (for example, minced beef delivered at 5°C) or the expiry date is passed or too short, you must refuse the goods. 🚫

How to set up internal traceability??

• The product name to be able to identify it,
• The expiry date (DLC) or best before date (DDM) (the new name for DLUO),
• The batch number,
• For products that have it (meat, for example): the health stamp.

How should you keep this information? Either by cutting out and storing your labels for at least 6 months, or by taking photos of them. 📸

With the Octopus HACCP app, your photos are automatically sorted and stored on our secure servers, so you no longer need to cut out and store your traceability labels.

In case of a hygiene inspection, with our HACCP software you can find your labels in just 2 clicks! ✅

How to implement secondary traceability?

You must also define secondary expiry dates (DLC) adapted to your production conditions and products to reduce bacteriological risks. 🦠 It is therefore important to establish appropriate secondary expiry dates for each product category in your kitchen, according to your production conditions.

Secondary expiry dates apply to all unpacked or opened foodstuffs. These items must be stored protected from external contamination (humidity, air, odors) either in covered containers or sealed hermetically. 🛡️

Fresh products must be kept after unpacking at a compliant temperature. In most cases, this means refrigeration below 4 °C to prevent the growth and proliferation of bacteria or microorganisms. ❄️

The storage duration depends on your production conditions (use of gloves, production in a refrigerated space, etc.) but must not exceed 3 days if you do not perform microbiological testing. Within 3 days, you avoid regulatory risks, but some products cannot be stored for 3 days (such as milk or liquid eggs, etc.). Beyond that, you must carry out microbiological tests to ensure product safety. In all cases, you must date your opened or prepared products with the production/manufacturing date and the expiration date. 📅

Ensuring the cold chain?

Temperature recordings of your cold rooms and freezers

To ensure the cold chain is not interrupted, you must regularly measure the temperature of your cold rooms and freezers with a thermometer ❄️. It is recommended to do this at least once a day in the morning before starting the day’s preparations. If the temperature exceeds the critical limit, you must record your corrective action (for example: destruction of goods).

If you want to learn more about this topic, discover our free guide on temperatures.

You can also choose to equip yourself with connected temperature loggers that will take the readings for you and alert you in case of a problem. ⚠️

Rapid cooling ⏳

If you are equipped with a cooling cell, when cooling a product, you must record the start time and temperature, as well as the cooling duration.

This duration must not exceed, for a hot product, 2 hours to go from 63 °C to 10 °C.

Because it is within this temperature range that the risk of bacterial growth is highest. By rapidly cooling your preparations, you ensure food safety. ✅

Serving food in buffets 🍽️

Finally, if you serve food in buffets, you must ensure that the serving temperature is above 63 °C for hot dishes and below 5 °C for cold products, with some exceptions such as raw fish (2 °C).

Cold cuts, raw fish, or dairy products are particularly sensitive, so you must ensure that your cold displays or buffets are at the correct temperature! ❄️

It is recommended to take temperature readings for each product category, prioritizing sensitive products, at the beginning and end of service. 📋

Cold chain or hot chain?

If your establishment performs home delivery via hot chain or delivers satellites via cold chain, the HACCP method must be strictly applied.

To guarantee food safety, the hot chain or cold chain must be perfectly maintained.

For all your temperature recordings, the Octopus HACCP app offers a dedicated solution. You can try the app by clicking the button below.

If you want to learn more about this topic, discover our complete and free guide on hot and cold chains.

Master the basics of HACCP with our free training courses?

Free training

Want to get trained on HACCP but don’t know where to start? We offer free training sessions led by HACCP experts. Each month, we cover a different topic: traceability, temperature control, cleaning plans, etc. 📚

• All you have to do is sign up for the topic you’re interested in — it’s free!
• Share the information with your team or colleagues so they can also gain skills and stay up to date with regulations.

Our training sessions are open to everyone

• Whether you’re a beginner or experienced, our HACCP training is accessible to all. With Octopus, you and your teams can benefit from continuous learning. ✅

Fully online

• These are online workshops held in small groups
• Just you and our experts for about 30 minutes
• You can ask all your questions

We answer your questions!?