1. Identify High-Risk Foods
High-risk foods are those most likely to cause foodborne illness if handled incorrectly. These typically include:
- Raw meat and poultry
- Seafood
- Dairy products
- Ready-to-eat items
Ask yourself: “Which foods in my kitchen could grow harmful bacteria if not handled properly?”
Tip: Keep a short list of your high-risk foods visible in your kitchen. This keeps safety top of mind every day and makes it easier to prioritise safe handling practices.
2. Know Your Critical Control Points
A critical control point (CCP) is a stage in food preparation where a safety hazard can be prevented or reduced. Common CCPs include:
- Cooking and reheating foods to the correct temperature
- Cooling and storing foods safely
- Handling and preparing ready-to-eat items
Tip: Start small—focus on monitoring one CCP per day. Over time, you’ll build the habit of consistently checking all key points in your kitchen.
3. Keep Simple Logs
You don’t need complex forms or expensive software to start tracking food safety. A simple notebook, spreadsheet, or app can be enough.
Keep logs of:
- Temperature checks for cooked and stored foods
- Cleaning and sanitising tasks
- Dates for prepared items
Tip: Make logging part of your daily routine. Recording actions as they happen is far easier than trying to remember or correct mistakes later.
Start Small, Stay Consistent
HACCP doesn’t have to be intimidating. By focusing on high-risk foods, critical control points, and simple logs, you can start protecting your customers and your business today. These small steps form the foundation for a full HACCP plan—and the best part? They’re easy to implement right now.