HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) is a food safety management system: a business works out in advance at which steps food could become unsafe, puts controls with clear limits on those steps, and records the results. In plain terms, HACCP isn't a binder of documents — it's the kitchen's agreement on what to control and how, so that guests don't get sick. In many countries some form of HACCP-based food safety system is a legal requirement for food businesses, including restaurants. Below: the 7 principles, the 12 steps and how to implement HACCP in food service.

HACCP in plain terms

Traditional quality control checks the finished product: taste the dish, send a sample to the lab. HACCP looks earlier — at the process. Instead of asking "did the dish turn out fine?", it asks:

where in the process a hazard could appear — bacteria, a foreign object, an allergen, chemicals;
at which step it can be prevented or reduced to a safe level;
which parameter shows the step is under control (temperature, time, a visual check);
what to do if the parameter goes beyond its limit.

A kitchen example: chicken may carry Salmonella. The step that eliminates the hazard is cooking. The controlled parameter is the core temperature. The limit comes from your local rules and HACCP plan. If the reading is below the limit, the chicken goes back on the heat instead of out to the guest. All of this is recorded.

The international basis for HACCP is the Codex Alimentarius General Principles of Food Hygiene (CXC 1-1969), revised in 2020 with amendments in 2022. It sets out 7 principles and 12 steps for applying the system.

The 7 principles of HACCP

#	Principle	What it means in a kitchen
1	Conduct a hazard analysis and identify control measures	Walk through every step, from receiving to service, and record the possible biological, chemical and physical hazards and how each is controlled
2	Determine the critical control points (CCPs)	Find the steps where control is essential, or the hazard reaches the guest — e.g. cooking, cooling, cold holding
3	Establish validated critical limits	A measurable limit for each CCP — temperature, time, pH, a visual sign — with evidence that it is sufficient
4	Establish a system to monitor control of CCPs	Who measures, how, how often, and where it's recorded
5	Establish corrective actions	What to do when a limit is breached: with the food, with the process, and how to prevent a repeat
6	Validate the HACCP plan and establish verification	Confirm the plan actually works: record reviews, internal audits, thermometer calibration, lab testing
7	Establish documentation and record keeping	The plan, procedures and logs that show the system is working

The wording above is a paraphrase; the official text is in the Codex document. Note that since the 2020 revision, validation is explicitly part of the principles: limits and the plan must be justified, not just written down.

The 12 steps

The principles are applied through 12 steps (the Codex logic sequence):

Assemble the HACCP team.
Describe the product.
Identify the intended use and users.
Construct a flow diagram.
Confirm the flow diagram on site.
Conduct a hazard analysis (principle 1).
Determine the CCPs (principle 2).
Establish critical limits (principle 3).
Establish monitoring (principle 4).
Establish corrective actions (principle 5).
Validate the plan and establish verification (principle 6).
Establish documentation and record keeping (principle 7).

Is HACCP mandatory for restaurants?

It depends on the country. In many jurisdictions — for example, the European Union, the Eurasian Economic Union and others — food business operators, restaurants included, are required to have procedures based on HACCP principles. Elsewhere, food service may be covered by a food code or a simpler food safety plan that still relies on the same ideas: identify hazards, control critical steps, monitor and keep records.

Two things are worth knowing wherever you operate:

the law usually requires a working system based on HACCP principles, not a certificate. Certification is typically voluntary;
inspectors look at whether the system actually runs: a plan that matches your kitchen, logs filled in on time, and actions taken on deviations.

Check the exact requirements with your local food safety authority.

How to implement HACCP in a restaurant or cafe

1. Appoint a HACCP team

In a small cafe this can be 2–3 people: the owner or manager, the head chef, a sous-chef or food technologist. Record the team formally and train them — without understanding the principles, the plan will be a formality.

2. Describe the menu and processes

Group dishes by process: cold items with no cooking, hot dishes, dishes cooked and then cooled, baked goods, drinks. Draw a flow diagram for each group: receiving → storage → preparation → cooking → cooling → storage → service. Walk the kitchen and confirm the diagram matches reality.

3. Carry out the hazard analysis

At every step, list the possible hazards and assess them by likelihood and severity. Don't forget allergens — it's convenient to control them separately (see the allergen control checklist).

4. Determine CCPs and limits

Typical CCPs in food service are cooking, cooling of cooked food, and hot and cold holding. Many other hazards are covered by prerequisite programmes: personal hygiene, cleaning, pest control, supplier and receiving controls. Don't turn every step into a CCP — the system becomes unmanageable.

Take critical limits from your local regulations, technical guidance and scientific sources, and record where each one comes from.

5. Set up monitoring and logs

For each CCP, a log: who measures, when, with what, and where it's recorded. A typical set of kitchen logs covers fridge temperatures, deliveries, cooking temperatures, frying oil, staff health checks and cleaning. More on logs in which HACCP logs you need and how to keep a fridge temperature log.

6. Define corrective actions

For each limit, a pre-agreed procedure: what to do with the food, how to fix the process, who decides, how to prevent a repeat. When a cook sees +9 °C in a fridge, they should know what to do without calling the chef.

7. Verify that the system works

Review logs regularly, run internal kitchen audits, calibrate thermometers, and revise the plan whenever the menu, equipment or suppliers change. A daily walk-through is easy with the daily HACCP checklist.

Which documents you need

A minimum set for food service:

a record of the HACCP team;
the HACCP plan: product descriptions, flow diagrams, hazard analysis, list of CCPs with limits, monitoring and corrective actions;
prerequisite programmes (hygiene, cleaning, pest control, receiving, training);
monitoring logs and a register of deviations with corrective actions;
a verification schedule and records.

Check the required list and log formats against your local regulations.

Common implementation mistakes

The plan was bought or downloaded and doesn't match the real kitchen.
Too many CCPs — nobody has time to monitor them.
Limits with no justification: "+4 °C because that's what the template said".
Logs are filled in at the end of the week "from memory".
Deviations are recorded, but there are no corrective actions.
The plan hasn't been reviewed since opening, even though the menu has completely changed.

HACCP in jeCheck

jeCheck has a dedicated HACCP module for food service, with an international profile based on Codex as well as country profiles for Kazakhstan, Russia and Uzbekistan.

The HACCP plan is built in 12 Codex steps: a standard food service flow diagram, a library of hazards by step and a decision tree for CCPs. Responsibility for the analysis stays with your team — jeCheck provides the structure and checks completeness.
Logs are filled in from a phone; the server records the time of each entry, and missed entries are visible immediately.
Going beyond a critical limit opens a deviation that can't be closed without corrective actions.
The plan, CCP list, team record, logs and deviation register print out for the inspector.

What Is HACCP? A Plain Guide for Restaurants