HACCP Plan Template: Restaurant Cook-Serve
HACCP Plan Template – Restaurant Cook-Serve
A restaurant HACCP plan has to survive Friday night – simple enough that a busy kitchen actually uses it. Cooking, holding, cooling and reheating are the four CCPs.
Before you start: this is a working document, not a shelf document. Walk the 12 Codex steps with your HACCP team, replace every [bracketed] bit with your own reality, and validate the critical limits on your equipment – a limit that works in someone else’s oven is a guess in yours.
1. Document control
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Document title | HACCP Plan Template – Restaurant Cook-Serve |
| Document no. | [QA-HACCP-021] |
| 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., Cook-serve menu items – attach menu] |
| Description | [Cooked meals served same day] |
| Ingredients | [Per recipe – attach] |
| Packaging | [Plated / takeaway containers] |
| Shelf life | [Serve within [hours] of cooking] |
| Distribution | [On-site service and takeaway] |
3. Intended use and consumers
- General public, dine-in and takeaway.
4. Process flow diagram
Codex Step 5, and the one teams skip: walk the flow on the floor and fix the diagram until it matches what actually happens – including the unofficial shortcuts. Number the final version.
- Receiving
- Cold/dry storage
- Thawing (if frozen)
- Preparation
- Cooking
- Hot holding
- Service
- Cooling leftovers (if any)
- Reheating (if any)
- Cold storage
5. Hazard analysis (Codex Principle 1)
Be honest here. If a hazard is reasonably likely, say so – auditors distrust a hazard analysis where nothing comes out significant. Only significant hazards go to the decision tree.
| Process step | Hazard (B / C / P) | Significant? Rationale | Control measure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Receiving | B: pathogens; C: undeclared allergens | Y | Approved suppliers; receiving temps; allergen info |
| Storage | B: growth if cold chain broken; cross-contamination | Y | ≤5 °C; raw below RTE; covered, labelled |
| Thawing | B: growth during ambient thaw | Y | Thaw in chiller, microwave, or under cold running water |
| Cooking | B: survival if undercooked | Y – CCP | Cook to CCP 1 limits |
| Hot holding | B: growth if held in danger zone | Y – CCP | Hold at CCP 2 limit; time limits |
| Cooling | B: C. perfringens growth | Y – CCP | Cool to CCP 3 limit |
| Reheating | B: survival if inadequately reheated | Y – CCP | Reheat to CCP 4 limit; single reheat only |
6. CCPs, critical limits and monitoring (Principles 2-4)
These limits are solid starting points from industry practice and regulation, but they’re not yours yet. Validate each one on your equipment – this is the section auditors probe hardest.
| CCP | Significant hazard | Critical limit | Monitoring (what / how / frequency / who) | Corrective action | Verification | Records |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CCP 1 – Cooking | Survival of pathogens | Poultry ≥74 °C; minced meat ≥71 °C; [per recipe] | Probe each batch; [role] | Continue cooking; do not serve | Record review; probe calibration | Cooking temperature log |
| CCP 2 – Hot holding | Pathogen growth | ≥60 °C; max hold [e.g., 2 h] | Temp checks [e.g., every 2 h]; [role] | Reheat once to ≥74 °C, or discard | Record review; calibration | Hot holding log |
| CCP 3 – Cooling | Growth of C. perfringens | 60 to 21 °C in 2 h, then ≤5 °C in 6 h total | Temp checks; [role] | Discard if limit exceeded | Record review; calibration | Cooling log |
| CCP 4 – Reheating | Survival of pathogens | ≥74 °C; single reheat only | Probe each batch; [role] | Continue reheating or discard | Record review; calibration | Reheating 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.