How and Why to become HACCP Certified
Do I need to be HACCP certified?
Since 2006 it is mandatory for food businesses in the UK to have and implement an HACCP plan, or if relevant a Simplified Food Safety Management system. As a business owner it is your responsibility to establish a standard HACCP food safety program, which includes adequately training your staff in HACCP and food safety, to ensure the integrity of your products and consumer safety.
The HACCP certification process validates that the necessary controls, corrective actions, and documentation have been completed, giving your customers more trust in your products and your business a better, cleaner reputation. Achieving HACCP certification has also been linked with reductions in waste levels and increased awareness in your business towards food safety, thus making greater use of your resources.
How do I become HACCP certified?
To become HACCP certified, you first have to create and implement an HACCP plan. The next step is to verify the validity of your HACCP plan, which can be done via an internal analysis.
Once both of these steps have been completed, you must select a qualified third-party certifier from a registered external certification body to conduct an HACCP audit of your business.
What is the HACCP audit?
The HACCP audit involves a qualified food safety auditor reviewing your HACCP documentation as well as evaluating your HACCP process implementation.
Before the actual audit takes place you will work with you auditor to choose the right personnel for the process. Your organisation will nominate a team, yet it is the auditor’s right to request more information regarding each team member, or, in extreme circumstances, object to the use of a specific individual. Once the team has been agreed on the auditor will require the business’s HACCP documentation to perform an offsite review.
The onsite audit itself can be separated into two stages. During stage one the auditor will assess the documented system against the standards in your management system. In other words they will assess whether you are completing the processes that you claimed to be within your HACCP documentation. The outcome is a report listing what areas of the process you fulfilled as well as a list of areas your auditor was concerned about. The content of both of these lists will influence how and when stage two of the audit is approached.
With any major problems most likely foreseen during stage one, stage two of the audit focuses on an in-depth evaluation of your documented information, in order to assess the effectiveness of the management system. Once this has been completed, you and the auditor will have a closing meeting where the auditor will give a verbal report including any nonconformities which they have identified, whilst you will have the opportunity to ask any further questions.
Depending on the size of your business the audit should last between one to five days, although the scope of the audit will also influence the duration. Once you have passed you will receive your HACCP certificate alongside guidance for marketing yourself as an HACCP-certified organisation. Although, it is important to remember that you will be required to pass a surveillance audit, which may or may not occur without warning, within the next two years.
How long does HACCP certification last?
A HACCP certificate doesn’t expire but you should retake it every 3 years to address for any changes to food processes etc. As surveillance audits can take place at any time it is vital that HACCP plans and processes are continually kept up to date, regardless of prior certification.
How much does HACCP certification cost?
Initial costs vary greatly depending on you and your team’s previous experience with HACCP. There are a plethora of HACCP training courses available both online and in person. Prices for these courses vary greatly although the knowledge they impart is available if you and your team are to pass the HACCP audit.
Costs for the audit itself are normally charged at a day rate dependent on the certification body chosen. This is, of course, heavily influenced by the size of your business and its geographic location. However, it is common practice for auditors to provide estimates thus ensuring you have an idea of the costs before signing up.