Study Guide

7 HACCP Principles Explained Simply

A plain-language guide to the 7 HACCP principles every Canadian food handler needs to know. With real-world examples for each principle.

Updated March 20269 min read

What Is HACCP?

HACCP stands for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points. It is a systematic, science-based approach to food safety that focuses on preventing problems rather than reacting to them after they occur. Originally developed for NASA's space program in the 1960s, HACCP is now the gold standard for food safety management worldwide, including Canada.

Think of HACCP as a safety roadmap for your food operation. Instead of inspecting finished products and hoping they are safe, HACCP identifies where things can go wrong and puts controls in place at those specific points.

The 5 Preliminary Steps

Before implementing the 7 principles, you must complete 5 preliminary steps:

  1. Assemble your HACCP team — include people with food science, production, and quality knowledge
  2. Describe the product — what are you making, how is it packaged, what is its shelf life?
  3. Identify the intended use — who will eat it? Are vulnerable populations involved?
  4. Construct a flow diagram — map every step from receiving ingredients to serving the final product
  5. Verify the flow diagram on-site — walk through the actual process to confirm accuracy

Principle 1: Conduct a Hazard Analysis

In simple terms:

Look at every step of your food process and ask: "What could go wrong here?"

For each step in your flow diagram, identify potential hazards in three categories:

  • Biological — bacteria (Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria), viruses (Norovirus, Hepatitis A), parasites
  • Chemical — cleaning agents, pesticides, allergens, toxic metals
  • Physical — glass, metal fragments, hair, bone, plastic, jewelry

Example: At the "receiving" step, a hazard might be that refrigerated chicken arrives above 4°C (biological hazard — bacteria may have multiplied during transport).

Principle 2: Determine Critical Control Points (CCPs)

In simple terms:

Find the specific steps where you CAN and MUST take action to prevent or eliminate hazards.

A CCP is a point in the process where control is essential — if you lose control here, the food becomes unsafe and there is no later step to fix it. Use a CCP decision tree (a series of yes/no questions) to determine if a step is a CCP.

Example: Cooking chicken is a CCP because reaching 74°C kills Salmonella. If this step fails, no later step eliminates the hazard.

Principle 3: Establish Critical Limits

In simple terms:

Set specific, measurable boundaries that MUST be met at each CCP.

Critical limits must be measurable and based on scientific evidence. They represent the line between safe and unsafe.

Examples:

  • Chicken must reach minimum internal temperature of 74°C
  • Chlorine sanitizer must be at 100 ppm concentration
  • Refrigerated deliveries must arrive at 4°C or below
  • Hot held food must be maintained at 60°C or above

Principle 4: Establish Monitoring Procedures

In simple terms:

Decide HOW, WHEN, and WHO will check that critical limits are being met.

Monitoring involves planned observations and measurements. You need to define: What will be monitored? How will it be measured? How often? Who is responsible?

Example: The line cook checks the internal temperature of every batch of chicken with a calibrated probe thermometer and records the reading on the temperature log. Checked for every batch.

Principle 5: Establish Corrective Actions

In simple terms:

Decide IN ADVANCE what to do when something goes wrong at a CCP.

Corrective actions are predetermined steps taken when monitoring shows a critical limit has not been met. They must address three things: fix the cause of the deviation, determine what to do with the affected food, and document what happened.

Example: If chicken only reaches 68°C instead of 74°C: continue cooking until 74°C is reached. If it cannot reach 74°C, discard the batch. Record the deviation and action taken on the log.

Principle 6: Establish Verification Procedures

In simple terms:

Confirm that your entire HACCP system is actually working as intended.

Verification is different from monitoring. Monitoring checks individual CCPs in real time. Verification steps back and evaluates whether the overall HACCP system is effective.

Examples:

  • Reviewing temperature logs weekly for completeness and accuracy
  • Calibrating thermometers daily
  • Conducting internal audits quarterly
  • Testing food samples periodically
  • Reviewing the HACCP plan annually or when processes change

Principle 7: Establish Record-Keeping Procedures

In simple terms:

Document everything. Records prove your system works and provide a trail for audits and investigations.

Records are your evidence of due diligence. If something goes wrong and you are investigated, records show that you had proper systems in place and followed them.

Essential HACCP records include:

  • The hazard analysis document
  • CCP monitoring logs (temperatures, times, sanitizer concentrations)
  • Corrective action records
  • Verification activity records
  • Equipment calibration records
  • Supplier and ingredient specifications
  • Staff training records

HACCP on Your Food Handler Exam

HACCP questions on Canadian food handler exams typically test whether you:

  • Know what HACCP stands for
  • Can identify the 3 types of hazards (biological, chemical, physical)
  • Understand what a CCP is and can give examples
  • Know how many principles HACCP has (7)
  • Understand the purpose of critical limits, monitoring, and corrective actions
  • Know why record-keeping is important

Our practice exams include 33 HACCP questions covering all 7 principles in depth. Practice HACCP questions here.

Test Your HACCP Knowledge

33 HACCP questions covering all 7 principles. Free, no sign-up.

Practice HACCP Questions Full Mock Exam