Templates and records · HACCP
Cleaning and disinfection plan: template and example
The most basic prerequisite and the most visible at an inspection: clean premises and equipment, with a written plan and a record that proves it.
In one sentence
The cleaning and disinfection plan defines, for each area, piece of equipment and utensil, what is cleaned, with which product and concentration, by which method and how often, who does it and how it is checked, and its record shows compliance with Annex II to Regulation (EC) 852/2004 on clean premises and equipment in good repair.
- Type of information
- Mandatory record Prerequisite required by Annex II to Regulation (EC) 852/2004
- Who fills it in
- Cleaning or production staff The hygiene manager checks; if an external company is used, the contract sets its scope
- When
- At the frequency set in the plan Daily, weekly, monthly or after each use, depending on the area and equipment
- How long it is kept
- An appropriate period Article 5(4) of Regulation (EC) 852/2004 sets no period: it requires documents and records to be kept for an appropriate length of time. Covering at least the shelf life of the product, with a margin, lets you respond to an inspection or a complaint.
What the standard requires
What HACCP demands and what it leaves to your judgement
Annex II to the Regulation requires premises, equipment and everything that comes into contact with food to be kept clean and, where necessary, disinfected, frequently enough to prevent contamination. Cleaning products must not be stored where food is handled.
The Regulation does not require any particular plan format, but without a written one you cannot show that cleaning is done systematically. Inspectors and private standards expect a plan with its record.
IFS Food and BRCGS add instrumental verification and validation of critical cleaning, especially cleaning that removes allergens; the IFS sheet develops this.
Structure
Fields the template should include
- Area, equipment or utensil
- Method: dismantling, cleaning, rinsing, disinfection
- Product, concentration and contact time
- Frequency
- Person responsible
- Record of completion: date and signature
- Check: visual, ATP or microbiological, and result
- Chemical product data sheets
Example
Example: preparation area of a fictitious kitchen
Company, people and figures are fictitious: the example only shows what a properly completed record looks like.
| Field | Content |
|---|---|
| Area | Steel worktable and chopping boards |
| Method | Removal of debris · detergent · rinse · disinfectant · rinse if the product requires it |
| Products | Neutral detergent at 1% · chlorine disinfectant at 200 ppm · 5 min contact |
| Frequency | After each use and at the end of the day |
| Responsible | Kitchen staff on shift |
| Record | 15 September · close 16:30 · signed |
| Check | Daily visual inspection by the supervisor · monthly surface swab |
At the audit
Mistakes auditors commonly flag
- A generic plan copied from another company, listing equipment that does not exist.
- The record signed in one go at the end of the month.
- Products without technical or safety data sheets, or diluted by eye.
- Chemicals stored next to food or packaging.
- Nobody checks the result of the cleaning.
In Kimobox
How this record is kept in Kimobox
- 1Cleaning plans are loaded by area and equipment, and each task appears on the shift it belongs to.
- 2Staff record the cleaning from a mobile or terminal at the time, not with a signature at the end of the month.
- 3A nonconforming check opens an incident with its follow-up.
- 4Chemical product data sheets are controlled in the supplier portal in their current version.
Frequently asked questions
What people ask us before getting started
Is a written cleaning plan mandatory?
The Regulation requires the outcome — clean premises and equipment — and records commensurate with the size of the business. In practice, without a written plan you cannot show that cleaning is systematic, and inspectors ask for one.
What is the difference between cleaning and disinfecting?
Cleaning removes visible dirt and residues; disinfecting reduces micro-organisms to a safe level. Disinfection only works on a clean surface.
How do you check that cleaning works?
With visual inspection and, at critical points, with measures such as ATP or microbiological swabs at a defined frequency.
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Sources
Where each figure comes from
References to the official text in force. If a standard is revised, this page is updated and the review date says so.
- Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs (Article 5 and Annex II) EUR-Lex · 29 April 2004
- General Principles of Food Hygiene, CXC 1-1969 Codex Alimentarius (FAO/WHO) · 2020 revision