A HACCP plan is the written output of the seven principles applied to one business: the process, the hazards, the control points, the limits, who checks them and what happens when a check fails. It is a working document rather than an archive, and the commonest failure found at inspection is a plan that describes a menu the kitchen stopped serving two years ago.
The steps a plan follows
Describe the product and the process, walk the flow from delivery to service, list the hazards at each step, decide which steps are critical, set limits, set monitoring, set corrective actions, then write down how all of it is recorded and verified. Small businesses do this inside an FSA pack; larger ones do it as a standalone study.
What goes in the document
A process flow, a hazard analysis table, a list of critical control points with their limits, the monitoring and corrective action for each, and the record forms. Prerequisite programmes such as cleaning, pest control, supplier approval and staff instruction sit alongside it and are referred to rather than repeated.
When to review it
Whenever the process changes: a new menu, a new supplier, new equipment, a new layout, a new member of staff running a step. Beyond that, a scheduled review at least annually is normal practice, and a dated review note is what proves it happened.
The risk assessment behind it
The hazard analysis is a risk assessment in all but name, and doing it properly means asking how likely and how severe rather than listing everything conceivable. A plan with forty critical control points is usually a plan nobody monitors.
Questions people ask about haccp plan
How many steps are in HACCP?
The system is built on seven principles. Codex describes twelve tasks in total, the seven principles plus five preliminary steps, which is why some guides say twelve.
When should a HACCP plan be checked?
On any change to the process, product, supplier or equipment, and on a scheduled review at least once a year. Verification checks that the plan is being followed happen far more often.
Does a HACCP plan need to be written down?
Yes. The requirement is for documented procedures, and the documentation principle exists precisely so that the system can be inspected and audited.