HACCP: Best Practice

This is a best practice HACCP document suitable for use in all catering establishments. This HACCP policy covers all the important principles of HACCP and is suitable for hotels, restaurants, diners, coffee shops, catering trucks cateing trailers, outside caters and hotels. HACCP stands for Hazzard Analysis and Critical Control Points. It is essential for any business to undertake some form of risk assessment if they are involved in the preparation and service of food. HACCP follows a standard format which will help to ensure assured safe catering and prove due dilligence.

Receipt of Goods, Storage, Preparation, Cooking, Cooling, Reheating and Service

By undertaking a HACCP assessment the business owner or business manager can identify hazzards at each stage, decide which of these is critical and set up a monitoring regime. HACCP documentation is a legal requirement for all food businesses and crucial to obtaining a five star "scores on the doors" rating for your catering business. Environmental Health Officers must be satisfied that you have a suitable regime in place and that supporting documentation is in order.

Verification of safe methods that your business follows each day is also a key element of proving due diligence. Staff need to understand why safe methods must be adhered to and should receive appropriate training in the completion of documentation.

HACCP stands for Hazzard Analysis and Critical Control Points. In catering it forms the basis of safe catering practice for catering operations. There are seven HACCP stages, Receipt of Goods, Storage, Preparation, Cooking, Cooling, Reheating and Service. At each stage we need to identify the hazzard, implement a control and show how we monitor each control point. Correct identification of the hazzards will ensure that the control points are relevant and that the resulting documentation would provide a defence of due diligence.

• Receipt of Goods
• Storage
• Preparation
• Cooking
• Cooling
• Reheating
• Service

HAZARD

Damaged packaging

Broken seals

Food not transported at correct temperature

Multiplication of bacteria

CONTROL

Staff trained in best practice for delivery

Specified debox area

Frozen and chilled foods in storage within twenty minutes

Specified delivery time for delivery is specified i.e.11am to 1pm on a Wednesday. Van temperature at least -18

Nominated person to co-ordinate delivery in absence of Head Chef

MONITORING

Delivery vehicle checked

Date codes checked

Vehicle temperature checked

Food temperature checked with probe

All packaging checked for defects: knocks, evidence of defrosting

4 point check sheet filled in for deliveries

Regular staff competence testing

HAZARD

Food stored at wrong temperature allowing bacterial multiplication

Cross contamination due to poor hygiene practises

Out of code foods due to stock rotation

CONTROL

Maintain correct storage temperatures

Follow 2 day date coding system in place and discard any unused food that is out of this code life

Organise storage areas prior to delivery to enable stock rotation

Follow fridge planograms and always store raw meat on the bottom shelf

Always cover food and do not store containers on top of one another

Adhere to cleaning routines

MONITORING

Daily recording of fridge and freezer temperatures

Visual checks of food for spoilage

Company approved training

Cleaning schedule filled in daily

Storage areas checked daily for empty boxes and spillages

Spot checks to ensure that routines are being followed

HAZARD

Cross contamination

Food at room temperature

Pests landing on food

Packaging/foreign bodies in food

CONTROL

Prepare food in small batches cover immediately

Colour coded chopping boards

Separate storage for high risk foods

Disposable gloves used

Organisation of work

MONITORING

Time and temperature checks

Cleaning schedule

Equipment defects reported

Fly killers working correctly

Kitchen flow supports controls

HAZARD

Survival of bacteria

Multiplication of bacteria

Food not defrosted correctly

CONTROL

Probes used to ensure raw food reaches 85c and other food reaches 75c

Meat defrosted in refrigerator for appropriate length of time

All staff trained in probe use when appointed

MONITORING

Temperatures taken and recorded on daily record

Equipment defects dealt with on a regular basis

Refresher training of staff

Circulon Infinite Hard Anodised Cookware Set, 5-Piece

HAZARD

Surviving bacteria may multiply

Production of toxins

Contamination

CONTROL

Cooked meats cooled in blast chiller to 5 degrees with 90 minutes and transferred to chiller

Separate storage shelf so that food does not come into contact with raw food

MONITORING

Spot checks

Visual checks

Staff training with documentation

HAZARD

Contamination of food

Food held at inadequate temperature

CONTROL

Disposable gloves worn during service

Baine marie switched on early

High risk foods covered until immediately before customer requests

Batch cooking so that food maintains high temperature

Fridge organised to utilise space during service

MONITORING

Equipment well maintained

Cleaning schedules adhered to

Consistent staff training

Visual checks

Absence of customer complaints