Self-monitoring system according to HACCP principles

Setting up an HACCP system is an extremely bureaucratic and product-specific activity. HACCP is scientifically-based and follows a systematic concept. It determines specific sources of hazard and the measures to control them in order to ensure the safety of foodstuffs. Small and medium-sized enterprises are often overburdened. For large companies, however, it is relevant and compulsory.

Regulation (EC) No. 852/2004 dictates that food business operators must prepare documentation as part of the HACCP-backed procedure, to an extent dictated by the size and type of the company. This means that smaller companies (restaurants, public houses, snack bars, catering businesses, mobile food business operators, retirement homes, kindergartens, etc.) can use different documentation/procedures to those set out in Article 5 of Regulation (EC) No. 852/2004, provided that they achieve the objectives of said regulation.

Since both systems have a lot of flexibility of use and there are numerous options for equipment, documentation and staff training opportunities, if you are unsure we recommend participating in a relevant workshop on setting up a self-inspection system in accordance with HACCP principles. Further information on our workshops can be found under the heading ‘More on this subject’.

‘Good practice’ guidelines can make up some or all of the documentation required.

An effective and well-documented HACCP/self-inspection system in accordance with HACCP principles ensures orderly operations and guarantees both food safety and cost effectiveness. This in-house system can be integrated into an existing quality management system and thus be set up at reasonable expense.

For small and medium-sized food business operators, after setting up a self-inspection system in accordance with HACCP principles the following fields must generally be checked and documented and fall under the auspices of ‘good practice’:

This is a list of cleaning measures and potentially also disinfection measures in all operational areas (e.g. production department, storerooms, sales area, etc.) This list must record what is cleaned and/or disinfected, how often, what with, by whom and how.

Delivered goods are checked for proper condition upon delivery on a random basis. This must consider the following points:

In all operating areas where perishable foods are cooled or deep frozen, the storage temperatures must be checked daily.

In operating areas using heating processes, the heating temperatures must also be checked on a random basis.

Adverse effects on foodstuffs caused by pests (cockroaches, beetles, flies, etc.) and rodents (mice, rats) are avoided through good visual pest control. You must make regular visual checks for pests (approximately twice a month) in your operation. An important element of this is monitoring damp, warm and dark areas. You can also fulfil this monitoring obligation using commercially available bait traps. If a pest or rodent infestation is detected, it is recommended or even mandatory to engage a professional pest controller. .

The staff of food business operators must receive regular training (at least once a year and/or for new appointments) on food hygiene law. This training focuses on topics occurring in your operations (e.g. work clothing, hand washing, cleaning plan, basic concepts such as personal hygiene, industrial hygiene, etc.). Training can be completed in-house. You are not required to engage an external consulting firm.

The statutory requirement for training on infection prevention law can be dealt with in conjunction with hygiene training. Remember that instruction in infection prevention law (formerly the ‘health certificate’) is only valid if training is performed on infection prevention law topics at least once a year or for new appointments.

We have provided you with checklists for your daily workflow in a separate document. If you need templates which you can then further edit and adapt to your operational concerns, please contact us.