A run-through of the five preliminary tasks and seven principles a HACCP plan needs — tick each item only when you can put your hand on the record that proves it.
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Work this list before an audit or a customer assessment that expects a documented HACCP plan, or once a year as a self-review of the plan you already run. Read each item with your plan open in front of you and tick it only when you can put your hand on the record that proves it; the ones you cannot tick are your prep list. It backs up the lesson on recordkeeping that passes an audit, which builds the records these items look for.
Know which rule actually governs your product
HACCP is a framework — the five preliminary tasks and seven principles from FDA's HACCP Principles and Application Guidelines — not a single law that covers everyone. FDA requires a HACCP plan by rule for seafood (21 CFR Part 123) and juice (21 CFR Part 120), and USDA FSIS requires one for meat and poultry (9 CFR Part 417). For most other FDA-regulated food, the rule that legally governs is the preventive-controls rule in 21 CFR Part 117, which is built on the same hazard-analysis logic. Either way, most retail customers and every GFSI-benchmarked scheme expect a documented HACCP plan — so confirm which rule applies to your product at the source before you rely on this list. Verified July 2026.
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