A blank, fillable procedure — purpose, scope, responsibilities, step-by-step method, verification, records, and revision history — for one task your operation runs the same way every time.
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This is a blank procedure you fill in for one task your operation runs the same way every time — mixing a batch, sanitizing a filler, receiving a delivery. Reach for it when an auditor flags a procedure as vague or missing, when you are training someone new on a job, or when a task lives only in one person's head and needs to live on paper.
A good procedure answers four questions plainly: who does the task, what they do, how they do it, and how often. An auditor writes a procedure up as a non-conformance when it skips one of those — a step with no named owner, a "clean the line" with no method, a check with no frequency — or when nothing records that it was done. SQF Edition 9 asks the same of every documented procedure: the method and the responsibility written down, kept current under document control (SQF Food Safety Code, Edition 9, verified July 2026). This template turns those four questions into fields, so a finished procedure names the who, the what, the how, the frequency, its verification, and the record it leaves behind.
Use one copy per task. A covers any repeated job — a production step, a receiving check, an equipment calibration. A is the same structure pointed at sanitation.
Fill every blank, replace the example rows with your own, and keep the revision history current so the copy on the floor matches the copy in the binder. Download a blank copy of this template to fill in offline.
| Field | Entry |
|---|---|
| Procedure title | |
| Document number | |
| Type (SOP or SSOP) | |
| Version | |
| Effective date | |
| Facility and area or line | |
| Prepared by | |
| Approved by (name and role) | |
| Next scheduled review |
State what this procedure controls and why it exists — the outcome it protects, whether that is a food-safety hazard, a quality specification, or a legal requirement.
Purpose: ____
Where and when this procedure applies, and — just as important — what it deliberately does not cover.
Applies to (products, lines, areas, shifts): ____
Does not cover: ____
| Role | Responsibility under this procedure |
|---|---|
| (example) Line operator | Runs the steps below and records each check on the log |
| (example) Shift lead | Confirms the procedure was followed; signs the record |
| (example) Quality assurance | Reviews records; approves any deviation before product moves |
Everything the task needs before it starts — tools, chemicals with their concentration, personal protective equipment, forms, and any reference document.
Number each step in the order it happens. Every step names what is done, how (settings, times, tools, chemical concentration), who does it, and how often.
| Step | What — the action | How — method, settings, tools, concentration | Who — role | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | (example) Sanitize the filler | Flush with ____ ppm sanitizer for ____ min, then potable-water rinse | Sanitation technician | Before each production run |
| 2 | ||||
| 3 | ||||
| 4 | ||||
| 5 | ||||
| 6 |
How you confirm the procedure was both followed and effective — a separate act from doing it. Name who checks, how, and how often.
| Verification activity | How | Who | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| (example) Record review | Check every field is filled in and within limits | Shift lead | Each shift |
| (example) Sanitation effectiveness | ATP or environmental swab of the cleaned surface | Quality assurance | Weekly, and after any changeover |
The forms this procedure generates, and where they live. A procedure with no record cannot be verified.
| Record or form | Where it is kept | Retention period |
|---|---|---|
| (example) Sanitation log | Production binder, then QA archive | ____ |
Every change to this procedure, newest first. Document control means the version running on the floor is the version written here.
| Version | Effective date | Change | Author |
|---|---|---|---|
| (example) 1.0 | ____ | Initial release | |
If this procedure is an SSOP, check that your operation's full set of sanitation procedures covers the eight sanitation areas FDA names in its seafood HACCP rule (21 CFR 123.11, verified July 2026). That rule is written for fish and fishery products, but its eight areas are the common backbone operators use for SSOPs across food manufacturing:
Each area is usually its own SSOP, written on the structure above.