Documentation is the evidence that the HACCP system exists, and that it works. Without it, a business cannot show an inspector, a customer or a court that food safety is under control.

In this module you will learn what must be documented, what records must be kept, and what makes a good record.

The HACCP documents set out how the system works. They include:

• The scope, the HACCP team and their training.
• The product descriptions and intended uses.
• The confirmed flow diagrams.
• The hazard analysis, and the reasons for each decision.
• The HACCP plan for each CCP: the critical limits, monitoring, corrective actions and verification.
• The prerequisite programmes.

Records show what actually happened, day by day. They include:

• Monitoring records, such as cooking, cooling and fridge temperatures.
• Corrective action records.
• Verification records, such as audits, record reviews and calibration.
• Prerequisite records, such as deliveries, cleaning, pest control and maintenance.
• Training records, and records of changes to the HACCP plan.

Good records are:

• Accurate, and completed at the time of the check.
• Clear and legible, signed or initialled, and dated.
• Never altered without explanation. Mistakes should be crossed through with a single line, not erased.
• Kept for an appropriate period, longer than the shelf life of the product, and in line with legal and customer requirements.
• Easy to find, for inspections and investigations.
• Proportionate to the size of the business. Electronic records are acceptable, if they are secure.

Records are essential for demonstrating due diligence. If a customer becomes ill, or an inspector raises a concern, records can show that:

• The food was cooked, cooled and stored correctly.
• Problems were spotted, and dealt with properly.
• Staff were trained, and the system was checked.

Without records, a business may be unable to defend itself, even if it did everything right.