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7 Principles CertificationHazard Analysis and Critical Control Points is the foundation of every credible food safety program. Here's what your team needs to know, and how to get certified.
HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) is a systematic, science-based approach to identifying and controlling food safety hazards. Originally developed for NASA in the 1960s, HACCP is now the universally recognized standard for proactive food safety management.
Rather than testing finished products for safety issues after the fact, HACCP focuses on preventing hazards before they occur by identifying critical control points in the production process and establishing monitoring procedures at each one.
HACCP is required or strongly recommended by the FDA, USDA, Codex Alimentarius, and virtually every major food safety certification standard, including SQF, BRC, and FSMA.
Created in the 1960s to ensure safe food for astronauts. Adopted globally as the gold standard for food safety.
Required for seafood processors (1997), juice processors (2002), and meat/poultry (USDA FSIS). FSMA's HARPC builds directly on HACCP principles.
Required by SQF, BRC, IFS, FSSC 22000, and virtually every major retailer food safety program. No SQF certification without a HACCP plan.
Applies to every company that manufactures, processes, packs, or holds food, regardless of size, sector, or product type.
Every HACCP plan is built on these seven principles. Your HACCP team must understand and implement all seven to achieve a compliant, auditable program.
Identify and evaluate all potential biological, chemical, and physical hazards that could occur at each step of your production process. This forms the scientific foundation of your entire HACCP plan.
Determine which process steps are critical, meaning they are the last opportunity to prevent, eliminate, or reduce a food safety hazard to an acceptable level. These become your CCPs.
Set the measurable maximum or minimum value to which a biological, chemical, or physical hazard must be controlled at a CCP. For example, a minimum internal cooking temperature of 165°F.
Define how, when, and by whom each CCP will be monitored. Monitoring must be frequent enough to detect any loss of control, and the method must be measurable and documented.
Define what must be done when monitoring indicates a CCP is out of control. Corrective actions must address both the deviation itself and the potentially affected product.
Confirm that the HACCP system is working effectively. Verification activities include reviewing monitoring records, calibrating equipment, and conducting periodic audits of the HACCP plan itself.
Maintain documentation for all HACCP procedures, records of monitoring activities, corrective actions, and verification. Records are your proof of compliance during an audit or recall investigation.
HACCP certification benefits, and in many cases is required for, anyone involved in food manufacturing, processing, or distribution.
If you're responsible for building or maintaining an SQF system, HACCP certification is effectively a prerequisite. The SQF code requires a fully documented, HACCP-based food safety plan.
Floor supervisors, line leads, and sanitation managers who are part of the HACCP team or who monitor CCPs in daily production must understand HACCP principles to perform their jobs effectively.
Management commitment is a HACCP principle requirement. Executives and plant managers who sign off on the HACCP plan need to understand what they're committing to.
Every major GFSI-recognized standard requires a HACCP-based food safety plan. Getting HACCP certified first gives your team a solid foundation before tackling the full certification audit.
We recommend accredited HACCP training programs that are recognized by the food manufacturing industry and accepted by SQF, BRC, and regulatory bodies.
A foundational HACCP course covering all 7 principles, prerequisite programs, and documentation requirements. Ideal for food safety team members, line supervisors, and anyone new to HACCP.
Request HACCP Basic Training →Online & in-person options available. Upon completion, you'll receive an industry-recognized HACCP certificate.
An advanced course for practitioners building or auditing HACCP plans. Covers hazard analysis methodology, CCP determination, validation, and how HACCP integrates with SQF and FSMA requirements.
Request Advanced HACCP Training →Recommended for quality managers, SQF practitioners, and food safety team leaders. Certificate valid 3 years.
At MI Consulting Group, every engagement starts with building a complete, facility-specific HACCP plan. We don't hand you a generic template. We conduct the hazard analysis at your facility, identify your CCPs, write your procedures, and configure your digital monitoring system. Then we train your team to understand and run it. By the time MI scales back, your people own the HACCP plan. It doesn't disappear when we do.
A 20-minute call is enough to tell you where you stand, what it takes, and what it costs. No pressure, no boilerplate proposal.