Templates and records · HACCP · Clause 5.2 e)
HACCP corrective actions record
What is done when a critical point loses control: with the process, with the product made in the meantime, and why it happened.
In one sentence
The HACCP corrective actions record documents each deviation from a critical limit, the product affected, the decision on that product — rework, divert to another use or destroy — the cause, how control was restored and who decided, because Article 5(2)(e) of Regulation (EC) 852/2004 requires corrective actions to be established when monitoring indicates that a CCP is not under control.
- Where the standard requires it
- HACCP · Clause 5.2 e) Clause references cite the points of Article 5(2) of Regulation (EC) 852/2004, which lists the HACCP principles; they are applied following Codex CXC 1-1969, revised in 2020.
- Type of information
- Mandatory record Mandatory record (Article 5(2)(e) and (g) of Regulation 852/2004)
- Who fills it in
- Whoever monitors and the designated person responsible The decision on the product is taken by someone whose authority is defined in the plan
- When
- At the time of the deviation The review of the cause can be completed later, but without releasing the product
- 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
Corrective actions must be set out in the plan for each CCP, so that whoever monitors knows what to do without improvising. They have two parts: bringing the process back under control, and deciding what happens to the product made while it was outside the limit.
The Codex also asks you to identify the cause to prevent recurrence, and to record the deviation, the product affected and the decision along with who made it. If the same CCP deviates often, the plan needs reviewing.
In IFS Food and BRCGS this record links into the general corrective action system, which also requires the effectiveness of what was done to be verified.
Structure
Fields the template should include
- CCP, date and time of the deviation
- Value recorded against the critical limit
- Product and quantity affected
- Action on the process
- Decision on the product and who took it
- Cause of the deviation
- Check that control has been restored
- Review of the plan, if applicable
Example
Example: cooking deviation in a fictitious kitchen
Company, people and figures are fictitious: the example only shows what a properly completed record looks like.
| Field | Content |
|---|---|
| Deviation | CA-2026-018 · CCP-1 cooking · 15 September · 12:50 · 72 °C against ≥ 75 °C |
| Product | Batch EP-26-0915 · 12 kg from the current run |
| Process | Cooking extended by 10 min · new reading 77 °C |
| Decision | Run recooked and conforming · released by the production supervisor |
| Cause | Oven loaded beyond its usual capacity |
| Prevention | Maximum load marked on the oven and in the cooking instruction |
| Plan | No change needed; the week's record is reviewed with no further deviations |
At the audit
Mistakes auditors commonly flag
- The process is corrected and nobody decides what happens to the product affected.
- No record of who made the decision.
- The cause is not recorded.
- Repeated deviations at the same CCP without reviewing the plan.
- The corrective action was not planned and is improvised each time.
In Kimobox
How this record is kept in Kimobox
- 1An out-of-limit reading opens the corrective action automatically, with the affected batch already identified.
- 2The batch stays blocked until someone with authority records the decision.
- 3The cause is mandatory to close; repeated deviations are shown grouped by CCP.
- 4If needed, the deviation moves into the nonconformity workflow with action and verification of effectiveness.
Frequently asked questions
What people ask us before getting started
What options are there for the product affected?
Whatever the plan provides for: rework it if its safety can be guaranteed, divert it to another permitted use or destroy it. What you cannot do is release it without evaluating it.
Do we have to notify the health authority of every deviation?
Not those handled within the business without the product leaving. You do when a food that may not be safe has already left the operator's control, under Article 19 of Regulation (EC) 178/2002.
Is a HACCP corrective action the same as a management-system corrective action?
The Regulation speaks of corrective actions when a CCP deviates. Management system standards use the term for the action that eliminates the cause. In practice, the HACCP record should capture both.
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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
- Regulation (EC) No 178/2002 laying down the general principles and requirements of food law (Articles 18 and 19) EUR-Lex · 28 January 2002