HACCP stands for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points. It is a way of finding the food safety hazards in a process and controlling them at the steps where control matters most. A HACCP audit checks two things: that the plan is sound on paper, and that the site follows it every day.
Last reviewed: 17 October 2026. Facts checked. We searched for the Codex seven principles and for how FSSAI treats HACCP, and read search summaries of FAO, Manitoba government and FSSAI material. Our attempts to open the FSSAI and Codex pages directly failed (access refused or page not found), so we did not read those primary texts. We did not verify any FSSAI inspection rule or penalty. The checklist is our practical design built on the seven principles.
What HACCP is, and where it sits in India
HACCP guidance is based on the Codex Alimentarius General Principles of Food Hygiene. The Codex approach has seven principles, usually applied in twelve steps. The principles are:
- Conduct a hazard analysis.
- Identify the critical control points (CCPs).
- Set critical limits.
- Set up monitoring.
- Define corrective actions.
- Verify that the system works.
- Keep records.
HACCP works only on top of basic hygiene. Cleaning, pest control, staff hygiene and maintenance, often called prerequisite programmes, must be in place first.
In India, search summaries of FSSAI material say licence applicants must hold a documented food safety management plan and meet Schedule 4 hygiene requirements, and that FSSAI's guidance documents on HACCP are recommendatory. They also include sample plans and an inspection checklist. We could not open the pages ourselves, so read FSSAI's current regulations to see what applies to your licence category.
Before you start: plan the audit
Agree the scope: which products, lines and sites. Collect the flow diagram, the hazard analysis, the CCP table, monitoring and calibration records, and the last internal audit report. Read them before you walk the floor. The general method is in our guide to running an ISO internal audit.
The checklist, by principle
| Principle | What to check | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Prerequisites | Cleaning, pest control, hygiene, water, supplier approval are in place | Schedules, logs, supplier files |
| Team and scope | A named team, product description, intended use | Team list, product sheets |
| Flow diagram | Diagram matches the real process, including rework and storage | Walk the line with the diagram |
| 1. Hazard analysis | Biological, chemical and physical hazards considered at each step, with a reason for each decision | Hazard analysis sheet |
| 2. CCPs | Each CCP is justified, and steps not chosen as CCPs have another control | Decision logic, CCP list |
| 3. Critical limits | Each limit is measurable and has a stated source | Limits table, supporting references |
| 4. Monitoring | Who checks, how, how often, with which instrument | Monitoring records, observation |
| 5. Corrective action | Actions defined in advance, including what happens to affected product | Deviation records |
| 6. Verification | Plan reviewed, instruments calibrated, records checked by someone independent | Review minutes, calibration files |
| 7. Records | Complete, legible, signed, retained | Sample from several months |
Four tests that find real problems
Walk the flow. Stand at each step with the diagram. Steps that exist in practice but not on paper are the most common gap.
Trace one batch. Pick a finished batch and follow it back to raw material and forward to dispatch. This tests monitoring records and traceability together.
Watch a check being done. Observe the operator take a temperature or test a concentration. Compare it to the written method and critical limit.
Test a deviation. Find a record where a limit was missed. Did the operator act as the plan says? Was affected product held? Was the cause recorded?
What to record and how to rate it
Write each finding as a short statement of the requirement, the evidence and the gap. Rate it by its effect on food safety, not by how long the paperwork takes to fix. A missed critical limit with no action taken matters more than a missing signature. Our note on major and minor nonconformities explains a sensible way to rate and close findings. For the walk-round, you can adapt the environmental, health and safety audit checklist or build one with the audit checklist generator.
Findings auditors raise most often
- Hazard analysis copied from a template without reference to the actual process.
- Critical limits with no stated source.
- Monitoring done, but records filled in at the end of the shift.
- Thermometers or sensors with no calibration record.
- No evidence that verification happened.
- Plan not updated after a change in product, supplier or equipment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does a HACCP audit check?
It checks that the HACCP plan follows the seven principles and that the site follows the plan in daily operation, using documents, records and observation.
How is a HACCP audit different from an ISO 22000 audit?
A HACCP audit looks at the food safety plan and its controls. An ISO 22000 audit looks at the whole management system, which includes HACCP. We cover that in a separate ISO 22000 audit guide.
Is HACCP mandatory in India?
We could not confirm this from FSSAI's own pages. Search summaries say licensed businesses need a documented food safety plan and must meet Schedule 4, and that the HACCP guidance is recommendatory. Check the regulations for your category.
How often should a HACCP plan be reviewed?
Review it at least periodically, and whenever the product, process, supplier or equipment changes. We did not find a fixed interval in the sources we checked.
Who should audit a HACCP plan?
Someone independent of the process, trained in HACCP, who can follow the flow and challenge the hazard analysis.
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