HACCP Plan Template: Soft Cheese (Free)
HACCP Plan Template – Soft Cheese
Soft cheese keeps QA managers up at night for good reason – high moisture, and Listeria loves a damp ripening room. This plan centers on pasteurization, salting and environmental control, built on the Codex framework.
Don’t just fill in the blanks – the value is the team discussion the Codex steps force you to have. Replace every [bracketed] entry with your operation’s detail and validate each critical limit for your own product and equipment.
1. Document control
| Field | Details |
|---|---|
| Document title | HACCP Plan Template – Soft Cheese |
| Document no. | [QA-HACCP-007] |
| 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., Brie-style soft cheese] |
| Description | [Soft, high-moisture cheese from pasteurized milk] |
| Ingredients | [Milk, cultures, rennet, salt, [list all]] |
| Packaging | [Wrap / box – describe] |
| Shelf life and storage | [e.g., 45 days at ≤5 °C] |
| Distribution | [Chilled distribution to retail] |
3. Intended use and consumers
- General public. Note: soft cheese is higher risk for pregnant women and immunocompromised consumers – labelling and advisory statements per local rules.
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 milk and ingredients
- Milk storage (≤4 °C)
- Pasteurization
- Cooling to set temperature
- Culture addition and coagulation
- Cutting and moulding
- Draining / brining or dry salting
- Ripening / maturation
- Packaging and labelling
- Cold storage (≤5 °C)
- Dispatch
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 in milk; C: antibiotic residues | Y | Approved suppliers; testing |
| Pasteurization | B: survival of vegetative pathogens incl. L. monocytogenes | Y – CCP | Validated time-temperature (CCP 1) |
| Coagulation to brining | B: Staph. aureus enterotoxin if acidification slow; L. monocytogenes growth | Y | Validated make procedure: pH and time profile |
| Brining / salting | B: inadequate salt allows pathogen growth | Y – CCP or OPRP per your analysis | Salt concentration and time (CCP 2 if designated) |
| Ripening | B: L. monocytogenes growth during maturation | Y | Ripening room ≤[temperature]; environmental monitoring program |
| Packaging and labelling | C: undeclared allergens (milk); P: foreign material | Y | Label verification; foreign material controls |
| Cold storage / dispatch | B: growth if cold chain broken | Y | ≤5 °C throughout |
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 – Milk pasteurization | Survival of vegetative pathogens | [e.g., ≥72 °C for 15 s – use your validated schedule] | Continuous recording each batch; [role] | Re-process or dispose; investigate | Record review; calibration | Pasteurization log |
| CCP 2 – Brining / salting | Pathogen growth from under-salting | Brine at [concentration, e.g., 18-22% w/w] and [temperature]; cheese brined for [time] | Brine strength [frequency]; timer; [role] | Extend brining or dispose per QA assessment | Record review; salometer calibration | Brining 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.