HACCP in the kitchen is a risk assessment method to guarantee food and consumer safety.
It is mandatory in the field of commercial catering where food is delivered directly to consumers and in collective catering establishments of a social nature (Hygiene Package – EC Regulation 852/2004).
It allows for the identification of hazards at all stages of manufacturing, from the receipt of materials.
from the initial stages to final consumption.
HACCP imposes a logical and methodological approach that leads to the identification of hazards in a manufacturing process while defining control measures and effective procedures to guarantee food safety. Find our training guide on HACCP methodology .
The regulatory context in professional kitchens
In France, the 1973 decree (n°73-138) obliges any manufacturer or processor of food for human and animal consumption to ensure the cleanliness of surfaces and objects intended to come into contact with them.
For this purpose, only cleaning products whose ingredients have been authorized either by an opinion from ANSES , or by appearing in the positive list established by the decree of September 8, 1999 amended in 2013 are authorized.
This regulation is specific to the French market. The obligation concerns " materials or objects
intended to come into contact with foodstuffs .” This means that contact with the
Food must be the primary function of the material or object (e.g., cutlery, pots, plates, glasses, etc.). This requirement does not apply to materials or objects whose primary function is not food, even if they are present in an environment where food is present (floors, chairs, tables, etc.).
The use of food brushes and kitchen cloths incorporating a color code by zone is also now mandatory for the implementation of Haccp procedures and compliance with hygiene standards in professional kitchens.
The professional kitchen product needed is not just one
Implementing a range of kitchen cleaning and disinfection products is essential, but it must be accompanied by protocols and equipment to improve cleaning efficiency and staff hygiene. The establishment of washing and disinfection stations to systematically treat floors and surfaces with precisely dosed products is now standard practice.
Professional kitchen cleaning and product use requires PPE
The use of professional cleaning products is not done without a method but also without putting in place personal protective equipment for cleaning staff, wait staff or food preparation staff.
Whether it is for hygiene reasons where it will be mandatory to provide hairnets, caps for the head.
Wearing disposable latex, nitrile or vinyl gloves is now also the norm, whether in the preparation or handling of certain cleaning products.
Kitchen maintenance and the HACCP method
It is based on 3 main dangers to food hygiene:
1. Biological (viruses, bacteria…): microbiological contamination (e.g., listeria, salmonella, staphylococci…)
2. Chemicals (pesticides, additives…): presence of cleaning product residues.
3 Physical (wood, glass, hair…): presence of foreign bodies in food.
The 7 principles of the HACCP plan for kitchen maintenance:
1. Analyze the risks.
2. Determine the critical control points (CCPs).
3. Define the critical limits.
4. Establish a CCP monitoring system.
5. Establish corrective actions to be applied when monitoring indicates a deviation from the defined critical limit.
6. Establish procedures for verifying the proper functioning of the HACCP system.
7. Establish a documentation system to summarize all procedures and records.
The food contact logo on kitchen cleaning products
Cleaning and disinfection in kitchens and food environments, whether of premises or food preparation equipment, are daily operations in the kitchen that are of great importance.
Indeed, for surfaces that come into contact with food, cleaning and disinfection methods must meet specific criteria in order to avoid any food contamination.
To help you better identify products that come into contact with food, manufacturers affix a logo symbolizing compliance with this regulation.