Organizing HACCP Plans

Good morning all!

First, thank you for the wonderful feedback on the paint question.  We just went through our SQF recert audit and the auditor was less than impressed with our HACCP plan.  First off, we are in a unique situation where we do not manufacture actual food products, but the additives, pH adjusters, and cleaners for the dairy industry.  We have a total of 12 products within our HACCP plan, but we don't run actual lines, we process in large batches which either go to holding for an order or loaded right away for shipment.  All of the process steps have variations, but we do have - what I guess I could call - categories.  We've got product that is transloaded (we bring in the product via rail and ship it out) which are a single product and we have blends with 3 or less ingredients.  The one thing in common with our blends is we have a control point with them.  

My questions are:  Have we been running 12 HACCP plans??  Our initial audit went fine and the auditor didn't say anything at all about it.  If we group them, would that give us 2 HACCP plans?  

​Side note: I transferred to my current position from our feed division 4 years ago.  I had taken the PCQI for animal food in 2018 and was told not to worry about the PCQI for human food.  How wrong that turned out to be.  I am currently taking the human food course, but would still appreciate advice.

Thank you for your input.

Jill

Why was the auditor not impressed. Maybe it needs to be more robust and not have to be separated. Don't make 12 separate plans. If they follow similar steps and processes - group them together.

As a former Auditor when I saw (less than impressed) multiple HACCP plans (where the products could have been grouped) I would normally ask how many HACCP plans I would be reviewing and how many people put them together - if the count was over 10, I would normally call my CB contacct and tell them to add time to the audit and give me that approval to continue the review.)

There was one standout for me that I remember to this day 20 years later.... drumroll -------- 47 HACCP plans for 47 products!

I must say that I was impressed by this mess when I started looking at each one asnd realized that most of them were written by different people over the years and none of them were updated.

Oh what an audit that was!!!! I had to laugh later on though, it really was bad, but funny at the same time.

In a previous role, we had one HACCP plan but separated the flow charts for each step. So receival was flow chart one and that went to flow chart 2 or 3. Flow charts 2 and 3 were each for a different range of products that were sold by themselves but also mixed. The mixing and final product from that was flow chart 4 (coming in from 2 and 3). Flow chart 5 was for freezing as some products were frozen. the rest were sold fresh so the final cooling step in charts 2, 3 and 4 was fine. Flow chart 6 was dispatch for all products. There were multiple flows in some on the charts and we had a label as to which specific product these were for (eg. one line did not have a metal detector so it had its own flow). I didn't make these flow charts but was in the team that reviewed them.

I hope that makes sense and is helpful as a comparison. 

I would think that if your products all share the same CCPs they could be contained into one HACCP plan, no? You may have to get creative with the flowcharts if the products have different receiving steps. Your hazard analysis sheet may also be longer than typical for single-product HACCP plans, but the idea will be to show how your set of CCPs common to each product in the plan will effectively control the hazards identified in your HA.

We have one HACCP plan and one flow chart.  We make basically 5 different products (some are the same product, but packed into different size bags)

When I started here in December, the flow chart totally confused me.  So, I redid it, color coding each type of CCP. (bio, phy., chem.)
Then broke it down with with a list of what process steps each product followed.
For example, all products follow steps 1-10.
Then product 1 follows 11, 15,16, 21, 22,24,25

Product 2 follows steps 12,13, 20, 22,23,25

Product 3 follows steps 14,15,20,23,24,25

Product 4 follows steps 11,14,16,18,19,24,24

Product 5 follows steps 15,17,18,20,22,25

During our last USDC audit, our auditor was THRILLED to see that.  Then said he was mad that he hadn't thought of it, and was going to suggest it to other companies to use.

We have one HACCP plan and one flow chart.  We make basically 5 different products (some are the same product, but packed into different size bags)

 

When I started here in December, the flow chart totally confused me.  So, I redid it, color coding each type of CCP. (bio, phy., chem.)
Then broke it down with with a list of what process steps each product followed.
For example, all products follow steps 1-10.
Then product 1 follows 11, 15,16, 21, 22,24,25

Product 2 follows steps 12,13, 20, 22,23,25

Product 3 follows steps 14,15,20,23,24,25

Product 4 follows steps 11,14,16,18,19,24,24

Product 5 follows steps 15,17,18,20,22,25

 

During our last USDC audit, our auditor was THRILLED to see that.  Then said he was mad that he hadn't thought of it, and was going to suggest it to other companies to use.

Hi Miss Frankie; Would you please attach a sample of your flowchart? Interesting idea!

I personally tell people to go with what makes the most sense for their facility and what is most manageable for them. I have always thought of grouping as optional. My personal preference is to group so there is less to maintain/review. I can edit in 1 document rather than several documents. 

Why was the auditor not impressed. Maybe it needs to be more robust and not have to be separated. Don't make 12 separate plans. If they follow similar steps and processes - group them together.

He didn't like that nothing was grouped.  It makes sense to us though. 

We have one HACCP plan and one flow chart.  We make basically 5 different products (some are the same product, but packed into different size bags)

 

When I started here in December, the flow chart totally confused me.  So, I redid it, color coding each type of CCP. (bio, phy., chem.)
Then broke it down with with a list of what process steps each product followed.
For example, all products follow steps 1-10.
Then product 1 follows 11, 15,16, 21, 22,24,25

Product 2 follows steps 12,13, 20, 22,23,25

Product 3 follows steps 14,15,20,23,24,25

Product 4 follows steps 11,14,16,18,19,24,24

Product 5 follows steps 15,17,18,20,22,25

 

During our last USDC audit, our auditor was THRILLED to see that.  Then said he was mad that he hadn't thought of it, and was going to suggest it to other companies to use.

I really like this idea!  Would you mind sharing your format?

Why was the auditor not impressed. Maybe it needs to be more robust and not have to be separated. Don't make 12 separate plans. If they follow similar steps and processes - group them together.

He didn't like that nothing was grouped.  

As a former Auditor when I saw (less than impressed) multiple HACCP plans (where the products could have been grouped) I would normally ask how many HACCP plans I would be reviewing and how many people put them together - if the count was over 10, I would normally call my CB contacct and tell them to add time to the audit and give me that approval to continue the review.)

 

There was one standout for me that I remember to this day 20 years later.... drumroll -------- 47 HACCP plans for 47 products!

 

I must say that I was impressed by this mess when I started looking at each one asnd realized that most of them were written by different people over the years and none of them were updated.

 

Oh what an audit that was!!!! I had to laugh later on though, it really was bad, but funny at the same time.

47?????  Holy moses!! I am four years in with this division and we are still making modifications and updating the HACCP plan.

I deleted some information and thru together some numbers, so this is a pretty good example.

....... if I attached it correctly.

We have one HACCP plan and one flow chart.  We make basically 5 different products (some are the same product, but packed into different size bags)

 

When I started here in December, the flow chart totally confused me.  So, I redid it, color coding each type of CCP. (bio, phy., chem.)
Then broke it down with with a list of what process steps each product followed.
For example, all products follow steps 1-10.
Then product 1 follows 11, 15,16, 21, 22,24,25

Product 2 follows steps 12,13, 20, 22,23,25

Product 3 follows steps 14,15,20,23,24,25

Product 4 follows steps 11,14,16,18,19,24,24

Product 5 follows steps 15,17,18,20,22,25

 

During our last USDC audit, our auditor was THRILLED to see that.  Then said he was mad that he hadn't thought of it, and was going to suggest it to other companies to use.

Hi Miss Frankie,

Are you sure your auditor was not joking ? Or perhaps he/she had a photographic memory ?

Seriously, yr flow chart to my eyes is an absolute maze. Although I do applaud yr artistic ability.

Hi Miss Frankie,

 

Are you sure your auditor was not joking ? Or perhaps he/she had a photographic memory ?

 

Seriously, yr flow chart to my eyes is an absolute maze. Although I do applaud yr artistic ability.

It was MUCH worse when I started.  I did remove some specific words on the flow chart and just left the general steps. 

I've known the USDC auditor for years, the first time he was here after I started, he was going over the flow chart, asking all kind of questions about how things go.  I was new and couldn't answer them (he understood, because he knows me)  The next audit, I had redone it, and had the steps listed. He was MUCH happier.   He was not joking.

It was MUCH worse when I started.  I did remove some specific words on the flow chart and just left the general steps. 

I've known the USDC auditor for years, the first time he was here after I started, he was going over the flow chart, asking all kind of questions about how things go.  I was new and couldn't answer them (he understood, because he knows me)  The next audit, I had redone it, and had the steps listed. He was MUCH happier.   He was not joking.

Hi Miss Frankie,

I guess it depends on what level of complexity is considered normal.

I would have immediately requested some paracetamol. :smile:

I would try grouping your plans by the processing lines.  Flow chart can show multiple receiving sources for multiple products if they all end up in the same processing line throughout the facility.  You can also show different flow outcomes for different shipping/storage requirements (such as short term storage for items shipping immediately vs long term storage for the items not yet sold, etc).  So long as the hazards related to each item are identified at the receiving step (and separately identified in processing if unique hazards exist), I think it's fine to show multiple items flowing through the same flow charts.