Templates and records · HACCP
HACCP product description and flow diagram
Before looking for hazards you need to know what is made, for whom and how. The five Codex preliminary steps put this in writing.
In one sentence
The HACCP product description and flow diagram document the five Codex preliminary steps — team and scope, product description, intended use and consumers, process flow diagram and its on-site confirmation — which are the basis for the hazard analysis required by Article 5(2)(a) of Regulation (EC) 852/2004.
- Type of information
- Mandatory document Steps 1 to 5 of Codex CXC 1-1969; basis of the hazard analysis (Article 5(2)(a) of Regulation 852/2004)
- Who fills it in
- HACCP team With knowledge of production, quality and maintenance; in a small business it can be one person with external advice
- When
- When designing the plan and at every change New recipe, new equipment, change of packaging or process
- How long it is kept
- Current version and history It is kept up to date; earlier versions are retained so past decisions can be explained to an inspector.
What the standard requires
What HACCP demands and what it leaves to your judgement
The Regulation does not list these steps, but without them it is impossible to carry out the hazard analysis it does require. The Codex describes them as preliminary: assembling a team with knowledge of the product and process, defining the scope, describing the product — composition, treatments, packaging, shelf life, storage — and identifying its intended use and the consumers it is meant for, including vulnerable groups.
The flow diagram covers every step, from receipt to dispatch, including inputs of water, packaging, rework and by-products. The team then confirms it on site, across different shifts if there are any, and corrects it if it does not match reality.
A flow diagram that does not match the plant invalidates the hazard analysis built on it.
Structure
Fields the template should include
- HACCP team, roles and scope of the plan
- Product name and composition
- Relevant characteristics: pH, water activity, treatments
- Packaging, storage and shelf life
- Intended use and consumers, including vulnerable groups
- Flow diagram with every step, input and output
- On-site confirmation: date, shift and who did it
- Version and approval
Example
Example: frozen croquettes from a fictitious kitchen
Company, people and figures are fictitious: the example only shows what a properly completed record looks like.
| Field | Content |
|---|---|
| Team | Managing director, production supervisor and external quality technician |
| Product | Frozen ham croquettes · milk, wheat flour, egg, cured ham, breadcrumbs |
| Characteristics | Cooked, breaded product frozen at -18 °C |
| Shelf life | 12 months at -18 °C · fry from frozen |
| Consumers | General public · contains gluten, milk and egg |
| Diagram | Receipt → storage → béchamel preparation → cooling → forming → breading → freezing → packing → dispatch |
| Confirmation | 14 January 2026 · morning shift · the trim rework step, which was missing, is added |
At the audit
Mistakes auditors commonly flag
- A flow diagram copied from a guide that does not reflect the real plant.
- Non-production steps are missing: water intake, packaging, rework.
- Intended use without mention of vulnerable groups where there are any.
- No record of the on-site confirmation.
- Process changes that do not update the diagram.
In Kimobox
How this record is kept in Kimobox
- 1The HACCP plan lives on the platform with its version, approval and distribution with read receipts.
- 2Each product has its own record with composition and allergens, fed by the current technical data sheets of the raw materials.
- 3A process or recipe change opens a review of the diagram and the hazard analysis.
- 4Withdrawn versions remain retrievable but cannot be used by mistake.
Frequently asked questions
What people ask us before getting started
Is the flow diagram mandatory?
The Regulation does not name it, but it requires a hazard analysis that in practice cannot be done without one. The Codex treats it as a necessary step and health inspectors ask for it.
Who makes up the HACCP team in a small business?
It can be a single person with knowledge of the process and external support. The Codex accepts that expertise may come from outside when it does not exist in-house, provided the plan reflects the reality of the business.
How often is the diagram confirmed?
When it is drawn up and every time the process changes. It is also worth going over it during periodic verification of the plan.
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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.
- General Principles of Food Hygiene, CXC 1-1969 Codex Alimentarius (FAO/WHO) · 2020 revision
- Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs (Article 5 and Annex II) EUR-Lex · 29 April 2004