HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points, known in Spain as APPCC) is a mandatory preventive system in hospitality that identifies and controls food safety risks to make sure the food you serve is safe.
HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points), known in Spain as APPCC (Análisis de Peligros y Puntos de Control Crítico), is a preventive food safety management system that identifies, assesses and controls hazards that are significant for food safety. In Spain it is compulsory for every establishment that handles food, under Regulation (EC) 852/2004 of the European Parliament and Royal Decree 3484/2000. The system rests on 7 core principles: (1) carry out a hazard analysis, (2) determine the critical control points (CCPs), (3) set critical limits for each CCP, (4) set up a monitoring system for each CCP, (5) establish corrective actions, (6) establish verification procedures, and (7) create a documentation and record-keeping system.
In a restaurant, in practice, this means controlling temperatures when goods are received, during cold-room storage, cooking, hot and cold holding, and cleaning. Each of these points has specific temperatures and conditions that must be recorded every day. Failing to comply can lead to fines ranging from €5,000 for minor offences to more than €600,000 for very serious ones, as well as the temporary or permanent closure of the premises.
In your restaurant, a typical critical control point is the delivery of chilled goods. The HACCP procedure states that meat must arrive at no more than 4 °C and fish at no more than 2 °C. Every morning, when the supplier's order arrives, the person in charge of the kitchen must check the temperature with a calibrated thermometer and record it on the control sheet. If a batch of chicken arrives at 8 °C, it is above the critical limit and must be rejected immediately, the incident recorded and the supplier notified.
Another CCP is cooking temperature: chicken must reach 75 °C at the core to make sure salmonella is destroyed. These records must be kept for at least 2 years and be available for the health inspectors.
Beyond being a legal obligation, HACCP protects your customers' health and your business's reputation. A case of food poisoning can mean the temporary closure of the restaurant, heavy fines and, worst of all, irreparable damage to its image in the age of online reviews. A well-implemented HACCP system drastically reduces the risk of incidents, keeps losses from spoiled produce to a minimum and shows the health authorities that you run a professional operation. Keeping your records organised also makes health inspections far easier, turning a stressful situation into a routine formality.
Restaurants with a solid HACCP system also waste less, because strict control of temperatures and use-by dates lets them manage stock more efficiently.
Zindra digitises your whole HACCP record-keeping: cold-room temperatures, goods-in checks, cleaning and batch traceability. Your records are always to hand and organised for any inspection, with no paper and fewer human errors.
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Wastage is the product lost between buying a raw ingredient and the customer finally eating it. It covers natural losses, processing losses and service losses.
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Every hospitality term with formulas, examples and benchmarks in a handy PDF.
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