HACCP is a legal requirement. These tools digitise it so you stay compliant without drowning in paperwork.
HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points, known in Spain as APPCC) has been mandatory for every hospitality business in Spain since 2000. Regulation (EC) 852/2004 and Spanish Royal Decree 3484/2000 require you to keep records of temperatures, cleaning, traceability and other critical controls. Fines for non-compliance range from €3,001 up to €600,000 in serious cases.
For years, most restaurants have managed HACCP with folders full of paper sheets filled in by hand (when they get filled in at all). The reality is that manual paperwork is tedious, error-prone and hard to keep up to date. And when an inspection comes round, finding the right record can be a nightmare.
Digital HACCP software does away with paper: automatic temperature logging with sensors, digital checklists on a tablet or phone, alerts when something goes wrong, and inspection-ready reports in seconds. In this comparison we review 6 tools that digitise HACCP, from specialist solutions such as Andy or ePackPro to more affordable options such as appticc or APPCC Controller.
Andy is the leading digital HACCP assistant for restaurant chains in Spain. It goes beyond simple record-keeping: it digitises the whole food safety self-monitoring system, including use-by date labelling, internal audits and operations management. It is the tool chosen by brands such as Goiko, La Tagliatella and Vips.
appticc is digital HACCP software aimed specifically at independent restaurants and small chains. Its pitch is clear: meet food safety regulations simply and at an affordable price. It includes temperature monitoring, customisable checklists and automatic reports.
ePackPro (formerly ePack Hygiene) is a French solution with a strong presence in Spain, specialising in HACCP and food traceability. What sets it apart is its connected temperature sensors, which log data automatically 24/7, removing manual logging and human error.
Apicbase is a Belgian food management platform that includes a very complete HACCP and food safety module. Its approach is to combine HACCP control with recipe management, nutritional information and allergens, giving a complete view of food compliance.
FoodDocs is an Estonian food safety platform that has gained international traction thanks to its focus on AI-driven automation. It automatically generates a tailored HACCP plan based on the type of business and offers smart monitoring with predictive alerts.
APPCC Controller is a simple, low-cost Spanish app for digitising basic HACCP records. It does not try to be the most complete option, but rather an affordable alternative to paper for small businesses that need to comply without a big investment.
Choosing HACCP software depends on the size of your business and what you need. For chains and franchises, Andy is the benchmark in Spain thanks to its depth and multi-site capability. If you need automatic temperature monitoring with sensors, ePackPro is hard to beat. For independent restaurants on a tight budget, appticc offers excellent value for money. And if you simply want to stop using paper without any fuss, APPCC Controller does the job for under €20/month. Important: these tools digitise HACCP, but they do not replace the need for a well-designed food safety plan. If you do not have a HACCP plan, hire a food safety consultant first.
Dig deeper into the key concepts behind this comparison.
Answers to the most common questions about this category.
Yes, it is a legal requirement. Regulation (EC) 852/2004 and Spanish Royal Decree 3484/2000 require every hospitality business in Spain to implement a self-monitoring system based on HACCP principles. This includes keeping records of temperatures, cleaning, traceability and pest control. Fines for non-compliance range from €3,001 (serious offence) up to €600,000 (very serious offence posing a risk to public health).
The law does not require records to be digital — paper is still legally valid. However, digital HACCP software offers huge advantages: it eliminates logging errors, sends alerts when something goes wrong, produces inspection reports in seconds and proves that checks are really being carried out (not filled in after the fact). More and more inspectors look favourably on digital systems.
It depends on your volume and the number of control points. For a small restaurant with 2–3 cold rooms, manual logging in an app (appticc, APPCC Controller) is enough and much cheaper. For hotels, chains or kitchens with lots of refrigeration equipment, automatic sensors (ePackPro) remove the manual work and make sure no deviation slips through, even overnight.
No. The software digitises how HACCP is carried out and recorded, but you need a food safety plan designed beforehand that defines your critical points, limits, procedures and corrective actions. If you do not have a HACCP plan, the first step is to hire a food safety consultant to design one for your business. The software comes afterwards.
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