HACCP stands for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point, a system food businesses use to find the spots where food could become unsafe and to control those spots before anything reaches a plate. Instead of testing finished food and hoping for the best, a HACCP plan builds safety into each step, from receiving raw ingredients to cooling, packing and shipping.
You will hear the term in meat plants, seafood processors, juice makers, school cafeterias and restaurant kitchens. Many food safety courses and job postings ask for HACCP training, and federal agencies require formal HACCP plans for certain foods.
Quick facts
Stands for
Hazard Analysis and Critical Control PointType
Acronym, also spelled out letter by letterHow to say it
HASS-ip is commonUsed in
Food plants, kitchens, inspections, training coursesRequired by
USDA for meat and poultry; FDA for seafood and juiceStarted
1960s, as part of making safe food for space flightsRelated terms
CCP, GMP, food safety plan
What HACCP stands for, word by word
The name packs two ideas together.
| Part | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Hazard analysis | Listing what could make the food unsafe: germs, chemicals or physical bits like glass or metal |
| Critical control point | A step where control is essential, such as cooking to a set temperature or chilling fast enough |
So the full form describes the method itself. First you study the hazards. Then you pick the points in the process where you can stop them, and you watch those points closely.
The seven HACCP principles
- Conduct a hazard analysis. List the biological, chemical and physical hazards at each step.
- Determine the critical control points. Find the steps where a hazard can be prevented, removed or cut to a safe level.
- Set critical limits. Give each point a measurable limit, such as a minimum cooking temperature.
- Set up monitoring. Decide who checks, how and how often.
- Plan corrective actions. Write down what to do when a limit is missed.
- Verify the system. Confirm the plan works, for example by checking thermometers and reviewing logs.
- Keep records. Document the plan, the checks and any fixes.
HACCP in a real kitchen
Cooked chicken is a classic critical control point. The hazard is bacteria such as salmonella. The limit is an internal temperature the food code sets. Monitoring means a cook checks with a probe thermometer and logs the reading. If the reading is low, the corrective action is to keep cooking and check again.
A cooling log on a clipboard: "Chili, 2:00 p.m., 140°F. 4:00 p.m., 68°F. 8:00 p.m., 39°F. Initials: MR." Each line is a HACCP record showing the batch cooled within the time limits.
Other common control points are cold holding, reheating, acidifying foods and metal detection on a packing line.
Who requires HACCP
In the United States, two agencies carry most of the rules. The USDA requires HACCP plans in meat and poultry plants it inspects. The FDA requires them for seafood and juice processors, and its broader food safety rules ask many other plants for written safety plans built on similar ideas. State and local health departments often use HACCP thinking in restaurant inspections and may require a plan for special processes like curing meat or vacuum packing.
For more agency names, see the government acronyms hub.
Where HACCP came from
The approach grew out of work in the 1960s to make food for astronauts. Crumbs and germs in space were a real risk, and testing every finished meal was not practical. A food company, working with NASA and Army food scientists, focused on controlling each step instead. That idea later spread to the wider food industry and to international food standards.
Questions people ask
What does HACCP stand for, and how do you pronounce it?
It stands for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point. Many people say HASS-ip. Others spell out the letters, H A C C P. Both are heard in kitchens and plants.
What is a critical control point?
It is a step where a food safety hazard can be prevented, removed or reduced to a safe level. Cooking, chilling and metal detection are common examples.
Do restaurants need a HACCP plan?
Many do not need a formal written plan for everyday cooking, but most follow HACCP ideas through the food code. Special processes such as curing or vacuum packing often require one. Local health departments set the details.
What are the 7 principles of HACCP?
Hazard analysis, critical control points, critical limits, monitoring, corrective actions, verification and record keeping. Together they form the plan.