Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) — definition
Systematic food safety management approach that identifies biological, chemical and physical hazards in a production process and defines critical control points where risk must be monitored and controlled.
HACCP requires documenting each process step, identifying hazards and critical limits, and defining monitoring, corrective action and verification procedures for each critical control point identified. It underpins many national food safety regulations and forms part of broader management system standards such as ISO 22000.
Why it matters to industrial buyers
HACCP-based process design directly influences equipment specification, since critical control points such as thermal processing or metal detection require validated equipment performance.
Key reference points
Core steps
Widely summarised as seven principles, from hazard analysis through to record-keeping and verification.
Regulatory role
Referenced or mandated within food safety regulation in many jurisdictions and required by many international buyers.
Commonly confused with
ISO 22000
ISO 22000 is a broader food safety management system standard that incorporates HACCP principles alongside management system requirements.
How it is used in practice
The HACCP plan for the poultry processing plant identified the chiller and metal detector as critical control points requiring continuous monitoring.
Frequently asked questions
Is HACCP a certification or a methodology?
HACCP is a methodology; certification is typically achieved against a scheme or standard, such as ISO 22000, that incorporates HACCP principles.
Does HACCP apply only to finished food products?
No, it applies across the full process from raw material receipt through to finished product dispatch.
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Related terms
Food Processing Plant
Industrial facility where raw agricultural, fisheries or livestock inputs are converted into packaged or bulk food products through mechanical, thermal or chemical processing steps.
Hygienic Processing Zone
Designated area within a food or pharmaceutical facility built and operated to elevated sanitation standards to minimise contamination risk to exposed or ready-to-eat product.
Poultry Processing Plant
Facility that converts live poultry into dressed carcasses, cuts or further-processed products through slaughter, evisceration, chilling, cutting and packaging stages under regulated hygiene conditions.
Fish Processing Line
Sequence of processing stations that transform whole harvested fish into graded, filleted, packed or frozen products, typically including reception, sorting, filleting, freezing and packaging steps.
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Reference content only. Global B2B Group is independent of equipment manufacturers and financing institutions; definitions are provided for education and do not constitute engineering, financial or legal advice.