What Is a HACCP Plan for Restaurants?

What is a HACCP plan?

Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) is a systematic food safety management approach that identifies biological, chemical, and physical hazards in food production and establishes Critical Control Points (CCPs) to prevent or control them. Originally developed for spaceflight food, HACCP is now required for seafood (FDA 21 CFR 123), juice (21 CFR 120), and meat/poultry (USDA 9 CFR 417). Voluntary for most other food service operations.

Is a HACCP plan required for all restaurants?

No, not federally. HACCP is required for federally-regulated food categories (seafood, juice, meat, poultry, ready-to-eat meat/poultry) and for any restaurant that does specialized processing (sushi rice acidification, cooking-cooling-reheating large batches, vacuum sealing/sous vide, smoking for preservation). Many state and county health departments require Variance approval which often includes a HACCP plan for these specialized processes.

What are the 7 HACCP principles?

(1) Conduct a hazard analysis. (2) Determine Critical Control Points. (3) Establish critical limits at each CCP. (4) Establish monitoring procedures. (5) Establish corrective actions. (6) Establish verification procedures. (7) Establish recordkeeping and documentation. Plans must be developed, signed, dated, and reviewed at least annually or when processes change.

Who can develop a HACCP plan?

Trained personnel — typically a HACCP-certified individual (HACCP Manager Certification through accredited providers like NEHA, IFT, or AIB International). Some larger operations have an in-house HACCP coordinator. Consultants are common for initial plan development. The plan must be specific to the operation's processes; generic templates rarely satisfy regulators.

Does FileFlo handle HACCP documentation?

Yes. FileFlo's food service rule-pack tracks HACCP plan documents (with version control + approval signatures), CCP monitoring logs, corrective action records, employee HACCP training records, and verification audit results. Audit binder ready for FDA, USDA, or state health inspector review. State-specific rule-packs adjust HACCP requirements based on local codes.