HACCP plan for each product or by product group?

Glad I found this forum! My family runs a small 15-employee bakery which we have owned for over 13 years. I've been put in charge of figuring out how to get us SQF certified. I have completed HACCP and SQF training courses.

We make individually wrapped cookies and fully baked, fruit-filled snack bars. It makes sense to me that with the snack bars we can develop just one HACCP plan since the main difference between the products is the different flavor of fruit filling. With our cookies I'm not so sure. We have classic flavors like chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin which have no special allergen considerations (egg and wheat are not considered because all of our products contain them), but then we have flavors like peanut butter and white chocolate hazelnut where separate storage and utensils are involved.

The basic flow of the cookies is pretty much the same: Receiving>storage>mixing> die cut or extrusion> decoration> baking> packaging>shipment.

So: should I do one HACCP plan covering all 10 flavors of cookie an individual plan for each? should I do a separate plan for the products that have specific allergens (peanuts and tree nuts are a big cause of concern for us)? If I do one HACCP plan, how do I account for the differences in ingredients and slight work flow variations. I'm not sure I have totally wrapped my head around all hazard analysis concepts.

One other note, an outside consultant did a makeshift HACCP plan for our bars and it included one HACCP plan for all ingredients of the product group and one HACCP plan for all the process steps of the product group. Is that a good format to follow?

Thanks!

-Zach

Glad I found this forum! My family runs a small 15-employee bakery which we have owned for over 13 years. I've been put in charge of figuring out how to get us SQF certified. I have completed HACCP and SQF training courses.

We make individually wrapped cookies and fully baked, fruit-filled snack bars. It makes sense to me that with the snack bars we can develop just one HACCP plan since the main difference between the products is the different flavor of fruit filling. With our cookies I'm not so sure. We have classic flavors like chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin which have no special allergen considerations (egg and wheat are not considered because all of our products contain them), but then we have flavors like peanut butter and white chocolate hazelnut where separate storage and utensils are involved.

The basic flow of the cookies is pretty much the same: Receiving>storage>mixing> die cut or extrusion> decoration> baking> packaging>shipment.

So: should I do one HACCP plan covering all 10 flavors of cookie an individual plan for each? should I do a separate plan for the products that have specific allergens (peanuts and tree nuts are a big cause of concern for us)? If I do one HACCP plan, how do I account for the differences in ingredients and slight work flow variations. I'm not sure I have totally wrapped my head around all hazard analysis concepts.

One other note, an outside consultant did a makeshift HACCP plan for our bars and it included one HACCP plan for all ingredients of the product group and one HACCP plan for all the process steps of the product group. Is that a good format to follow?

Thanks!

-Zach

Hi Zach

I would suggest a HACCP plan for each allergen category.

If your contols are the same for hazelnut and peanut then you may be able to have a common HACCP plan. Then maybe you could have a Nut Cookie and a Non Nut Cookie HACCP Plan.

Regards,

Tony

Either can work. Tony's suggestion is probably the way to get least muddled though but you can make a plan that's completely generic as long as you consider all possible risks in all products.

Trust me, when I used to make 100's of different ready meals (some containing nuts) I didn't have 100's of plans!

That helps, Thanks!

I have always taught that HACCP Plans can and should be combined when the process, hazards, and controls are essentially the same. If two products are similar but contain different allergens - yet are controlled by one allergen conotrol procedure - this is one HACCP Plan. It is important to use the principles of HACCP without over- complicating the system. If having more than one plan makes it work beter for you - go ahead and do that. If you find that having multiple plans creates duplication of paperwork without a benefit to food safety or proving adequate control - then don't do it.

I have always taught that HACCP Plans can and should be combined when the process, hazards, and controls are essentially the same. If two products are similar but contain different allergens - yet are controlled by one allergen conotrol procedure - this is one HACCP Plan. It is important to use the principles of HACCP without over- complicating the system. If having more than one plan makes it work beter for you - go ahead and do that. If you find that having multiple plans creates duplication of paperwork without a benefit to food safety or proving adequate control - then don't do it.

Absolutely. In my level 4 training we covered all the different types of plan and the trainer was at pains to point out that any are fine as long as they work for you and include all the steps and potential hazards.

Dear Zachfitz,

I am curious.

What is this magic control procedure which is equally effective for eliminating / reducing to an acceptable level (equal??) two different allergenic components / (presumably) concentrations ? – Cleaning the equipment ??

Presumably requires 2 separate validations ??

Rgds / Charles.C

Dear Zachfitz,

I am curious.

What is this magic control procedure which is equally effective for eliminating / reducing to an acceptable level (equal??) two different allergenic components / (presumably) concentrations ? – Cleaning the equipment ??

Presumably requires 2 separate validations ??

Rgds / Charles.C

It might be recipe control or cleaning as you suggested, or a nut control procedure which controls nut use in the nut meal and limits the risk of cross contamination. Dedicated equipment (it's still dedicated even if it's a different set for one meal than another).