HACCP Plan Template – Bakery (Bread)
Bread is one of the more forgiving products you’ll write a HACCP plan for – the oven is a thorough kill step. The real work here is what happens after the bake: cooling, slicing, labelling and metal detection. That’s where this template focuses.
We’ve seen this used well: the team prints it, walks the plant with it, and argues about it. Fill in your [bracketed] details, challenge anything that doesn’t match your process, and don’t sign off until you’d defend every line to an auditor.
1. Document control
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Document title | HACCP Plan Template – Bakery (Bread) |
| Document no. | [QA-HACCP-008] |
| Version | [1.0] |
| Effective date | [YYYY-MM-DD] |
| Prepared by | [Name / Title / Date] |
| Approved by | [Name / Title / Date] |
| Review date | [YYYY-MM-DD] |
2. Product description
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Product name | [e.g., Sliced white sandwich bread] |
| Description | [Baked yeast-leavened bread, ambient] |
| Ingredients | [Flour, water, yeast, salt, [list all incl. improvers]] |
| Packaging | [Poly bag with clip / tie – describe] |
| Shelf life and storage | [e.g., 5 days ambient] |
| Distribution | [Ambient distribution to retail] |
3. Intended use and consumers
- General public. Contains gluten and [list allergens present] – declared on label.
4. Process flow diagram
Don’t draw this from memory in a meeting room. Walk the line, watch what really happens, then number the confirmed flow.
- Receiving flour and ingredients
- Dry storage
- Weighing / scaling
- Mixing
- Dividing and moulding
- Proofing
- Baking
- Cooling
- Slicing
- Packaging and labelling
- Metal detection
- Ambient storage
- Dispatch
5. Hazard analysis (Codex Principle 1)
The weakest hazard analyses are copy-paste jobs. Think through your own ingredients, equipment and history – that’s what this table is for.
| Process step | Hazard (B / C / P) | Significant? Rationale | Control measure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Receiving | C: mycotoxins in flour (within limits); P: foreign material in raw materials | Y | Approved suppliers; COA; sieving |
| Proofing | B: Bacillus cereus growth in prolonged warm proof | Y | Validated proof time-temperature |
| Baking | B: survival of vegetative pathogens if under-baked | Y – CCP or OPRP per analysis | Validated bake time-temperature (CCP 1 if designated) |
| Cooling | B: mould growth if packed warm; condensation | Y | Cool to ≤[temperature] before packing; cooling time limits |
| Slicing | P: metal from blades | Y | Blade checks; metal detection at CCP 2 |
| Packaging and labelling | C: undeclared allergens; wrong date code | Y | Label and date verification |
| Metal detection | P: metal fragments | Y – CCP | Validated metal detector (CCP 2) |
6. CCPs, critical limits and monitoring (Principles 2-4)
Treat these limits as candidates, not gospel. Confirm each works for your product on your line, and set monitoring your team can sustain every shift.
| CCP | Significant hazard | Critical limit | Monitoring (what / how / frequency / who) | Corrective action | Verification | Records |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CCP 1 – Baking | Survival of vegetative pathogens | Oven [temperature] for [time]; core ≥[validated temp, e.g., 94 °C] | Oven chart / probe checks each batch; [role] | Extend bake or dispose; investigate oven | Record review; probe calibration | Baking log |
| CCP 2 – Metal detection | Metal fragments | Detector rejects all test pieces [sizes set by validation] | Challenge test start/end of run and [hourly]; [role] | Hold product since last good check; inspect blades; re-screen | Function checks; annual validation | Metal detection log |
7. Corrective action procedure (Principle 5)
- Hold and segregate all product made since the last acceptable check; tag it and enter it in the hold log.
- Restore control (re-cook, adjust temperature, repair equipment) and confirm it before restarting.
- [QA Manager / designee] assesses the affected product – release, rework or disposal – and records the justification.
- Find and fix the root cause; record the deviation, investigation and disposition, signed within [1 working day].
8. Verification procedures (Principle 6)
- A trained reviewer checks CCP monitoring and corrective action records at [frequency, e.g., within 7 days].
- Calibrate monitoring instruments per the calibration schedule.
- Periodic product testing (microbiological, chemical or physical) per the verification schedule.
- Internal audit at least [annually]; full HACCP reassessment annually or after any significant change.
9. Record-keeping (Principle 7)
- Hazard analysis worksheet and CCP decision records
- CCP monitoring records, signed and dated
- Deviation and corrective action records
- Verification records, including calibration
- Training records for the HACCP team and CCP monitors
Approval and control
| Role | Name | Signature | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prepared by | [Name] | [Signature] | [Date] |
| Reviewed by (QA) | [Name] | [Signature] | [Date] |
| Approved by | [Name] | [Signature] | [Date] |
Keep completed forms for [Define retention period, e.g., 2 years beyond shelf life] at [defined location] – and make sure someone besides you knows where that is.