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Codex CXC 1-1969 · Rev. 2022 · MS 1480

The 7 HACCP principles and the 12 steps, explained

HACCP stands for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point. It is the internationally agreed way to control food safety hazards, set out by the Codex Alimentarius Commission and adopted in Malaysia through MS 1480. Here is what each principle actually asks of a food business.

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01 MeSTI02 GMP03 HACCP04 ISO 22000 · FSSC 22000

Principles quoted verbatim from the Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene, CXC 1-1969 (adopted 1969, last revised 2022). Last updated: .

The seven principles

  1. Principle 1

    Conduct a hazard analysis and identify control measures.

    List every biological, chemical and physical hazard that could reasonably occur at each step, decide which are significant, and name what controls each one.

  2. Principle 2

    Determine the critical control points (CCPs).

    Find the steps where control is essential: where losing control would let a significant hazard reach the customer and no later step would catch it.

  3. Principle 3

    Establish validated critical limits.

    Set the measurable line between safe and unsafe at each CCP (a temperature, a time, a pH, a detector sensitivity) and have evidence that the line actually controls the hazard.

  4. Principle 4

    Establish a system to monitor control of CCPs.

    Decide who checks each critical limit, how, and how often, so that a loss of control is spotted in time to act on the product it affects.

  5. Principle 5

    Establish the corrective actions to be taken when monitoring indicates a deviation from a critical limit at a CCP has occurred.

    Write down in advance what happens to the affected product and how the process is brought back under control, so nobody improvises at 2am.

  6. Principle 6

    Validate the HACCP plan and then establish procedures for verification to confirm that the HACCP system is working as intended.

    Prove the plan works before you rely on it, then keep checking that it does: calibration, record review, internal audit, product testing.

  7. Principle 7

    Establish documentation concerning all procedures and records appropriate to these principles and their application.

    Keep the plan and the records that show it is being followed. To an auditor, a check that is not recorded did not happen.

The twelve steps

Codex applies the principles in a logic sequence of twelve steps. The first five are preparation, and they are where most plans go wrong: a flow diagram drawn at a desk instead of walked on the floor misses the rework loop, the overnight hold, or the second entrance for raw material.

StepWhat happensPrinciple
01Assemble the HACCP team and identify the scopePreparation
02Describe the productPreparation
03Identify the intended use and usersPreparation
04Construct the flow diagramPreparation
05Confirm the flow diagram on sitePreparation
06List all potential hazards, conduct a hazard analysis, consider control measuresP1
07Determine the CCPsP2
08Establish validated critical limits for each CCPP3
09Establish a monitoring system for each CCPP4
10Establish corrective actionsP5
11Validate the HACCP plan and establish verification proceduresP6
12Establish documentation and record keepingP7

How MS 1480:2025 words it

Malaysia’s HACCP standard, MS 1480:2025, follows the same seven principles with slightly different clause titles; for example, Principle 1 becomes “Identify hazards and determine control measures”. The 2025 revision also deletes the raw material decision tree, revises the raw and packaging material worksheet, and adds a clause on emergency preparedness and response. Accredited certification to the 2019 edition is accepted until 24 October 2027.

What a finished plan looks like

The worksheet below is a simplified example for a ready-meal line. Five of the seven steps are controlled by prerequisite programmes; only cooking and metal detection become critical control points, each with a measurable limit someone checks every time.

HACCP plan · worked exampleReady-meal line — 7 steps, 2 critical control points
  1. 01ReceivingPRPApproved suppliers · temperature on arrival
  2. 02Chilled storagePRPTemperature log · FIFO
  3. 03PreparationPRPColour-coded boards · hand hygiene
  4. 04CookingCCP 1Biological — pathogen survivalCritical limit Core temperature min. 75 °CProbe every batch
  5. 05Cooling & packingPRPTime/temperature · sanitation
  6. 06Metal detectionCCP 2Physical — metal fragmentsCritical limit Rejects Fe 1.5 · NFe 2.0 · SS 2.5 mmTest pieces hourly
  7. 07DispatchPRPVehicle hygiene · traceability
Illustrative only. Your critical limits come from your own hazard analysis and are validated before the plan is signed off.
Jawapan ringkas · Bahasa Malaysia

Apakah maksud HACCP?

HACCP ialah singkatan bagi Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point, atau Analisis Bahaya dan Titik Kawalan Kritikal. Ia sistem keselamatan makanan yang mengenal pasti bahaya dalam proses, menentukan titik yang mesti dikawal, dan memantau titik itu setiap kali makanan dihasilkan. Di Malaysia, keperluannya ditetapkan dalam MS 1480. Baca dalam Bahasa Malaysia.

FAQ

Questions about HACCP principles

What does HACCP stand for?
HACCP stands for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point. It is a preventive food safety system: instead of testing finished food and hoping, you identify the hazards in your process, find the points where they must be controlled, and monitor those points every time you produce.
What is the difference between a CCP and a prerequisite programme?
A critical control point is a step where a significant hazard must be controlled and there is a measurable critical limit you monitor; a prerequisite programme is the general hygiene that keeps the whole operation clean and safe, such as cleaning, pest control and staff hygiene. Most steps in a food process are controlled by prerequisite programmes, and only a few become CCPs, which is why a good hazard analysis usually ends with a short HACCP plan rather than a long one.
How many CCPs should a HACCP plan have?
There is no correct number of CCPs; a plan should have exactly as many as the hazard analysis justifies. It is common for a simple process to end up with only one or two. A plan that makes every step a CCP is a warning sign, because it spreads monitoring effort thin and suggests the hazard analysis was not really done.
Is HACCP the same as ISO 22000?
No. HACCP is a method for controlling hazards in a specific process; ISO 22000 is a full food safety management system standard that includes HACCP principles and adds management system requirements such as policy, objectives, internal audit, management review and continual improvement. Many businesses get HACCP first and move to ISO 22000 or FSSC 22000 when a buyer requires it.

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