HACCP Concept: The 7 Principles Simply Explained

What is HACCP? – Meaning & Definition

HACCP stands for "Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points". It is a HACCP system for systematic identification and control of hazards in food production.

The HACCP concept is legally required for all food processing businesses (EU Regulation 852/2004) and serves to ensure food safety.

The 7 principles of the HACCP concept

Principle 1: Conduct hazard analysis

Identification of all potential biological, chemical and physical hazards that may occur during food production.

Principle 2: Determine Critical Control Points (CCPs)

Determination of the critical control points – process steps where control is essential to prevent hazards.

Principle 3: Establish critical limits for CCPs

Setting critical limits – measurable values that must not be exceeded (e.g. temperature, pH value, time).

Principle 4: Establish monitoring procedures

Implementation of systematic controls for continuous monitoring of the critical points.

Principle 5: Establish corrective actions

Definition of corrective actions in case critical limits are exceeded.

Principle 6: Establish verification procedures

Regular checks to ensure the HACCP system is functioning correctly.

Principle 7: Documentation & record keeping

Complete documentation of all HACCP-relevant processes and results.

HACCP Training – Mandatory for Gastronomy

HACCP training is mandatory for all employees in the gastronomy sector. A HACCP training course provides:

• Fundamentals of food hygiene
• The principles of HACCP
• Practical implementation in the business
• Documentation requirements

The HACCP training must be repeated regularly – usually annually.

HACCP Temperature Control

Temperature control is a central part of the HACCP concept:

• Refrigerated storage: max. +7°C
• Freezing: min. -18°C
• Keeping hot: min. +65°C
• Core temperature meat: min. +72°C

Creating a HACCP Plan

A HACCP plan documents all critical control points and measures for your operation. It should include:

• Flowchart of production processes
• Hazard analysis for each step
• Designated CCPs with critical limits
• Monitoring procedures
• Corrective actions
• Responsibilities

Retention Samples: Mandatory or Recommended?

Hardly any topic persists so stubbornly in kitchens like the misconception that retention samples are legally required. This has not been the case since 8 March 2016: the corresponding regulation was removed from the Animal Food Hygiene Ordinance (TierLMHV). Since then, there is no general legal obligation for retention samples in Germany.

Nevertheless, retention samples are good practice in communal catering — and done in your own interest. If there is suspicion of a food-borne illness, the frozen sample is often the only means by which a kitchen can clear itself. Without it, it is statement against statement. Many clients – daycare and school sponsors, clinics, operators of senior facilities – require retention samples contractually, even if the legislator no longer demands them.

What DIN 10526 Recommends

The decisive standard today is DIN 10526 "Food Hygiene – Retention Samples in Communal Catering":

Experts now recommend 14 days instead of seven. The reason is practical: the time between consumption, first symptoms, medical diagnosis and notification of food authorities often exceeds one week – by then the sample would already have been discarded.

What Matters in Storage

• Dedicated equipment instead of shared use: retention samples should not be stored among frozen goods. Daily opening of the storage freezer causes temperature fluctuations – which impairs traceability.
• Continuous temperature control: −18 °C is the upper limit, not the target. A temperature alarm signals disturbances before the samples become unusable.
• Orderly storage: If you need the Tuesday sample after ten days, you need a system – drawers and fixed date order save time in an emergency.
• Documentation: The sample itself is only half the protection. Only together with records of when which dish was retained does it become proof (see principle 7).

For this purpose, there are dedicated devices such as the Retention Sample Freezer RGS 225 by KBS: −18 to −26 °C, seamless interior, two transparent drawers and a temperature alarm – with 60 cm width.