HACCP and food safety management self-check
Test whether the main parts of your kitchen's food-safety management system are understood, monitored, recorded and kept current — not merely written down.
Have you identified the food-safety hazards that are reasonably likely in your operation?
Consider biological, chemical, physical and allergen hazards across purchasing, storage, preparation, cooking, cooling, service and other relevant steps.
Have you identified the controls needed to prevent, eliminate or reduce those hazards to an acceptable level?
Controls should match the hazards and the way your business actually works rather than relying on a generic document.
Where a step is critical to food safety, have you defined clear limits or safe criteria?
Critical limits or other defined safe criteria make it clear when a control is working and when corrective action is required.
Do you monitor important food-safety controls often enough to know they are working?
Monitoring may include temperatures, visual checks, time controls, cleaning checks or other observations appropriate to your system.
Do staff know what corrective action to take when a control or limit is not met?
The system should say what happens to affected food, how control is restored and what is recorded when something goes wrong.
Do you check or verify that the food-safety system works in practice?
Review records, observe procedures, investigate recurring failures and confirm that controls remain suitable for the hazards.
Do you keep records that are appropriate to the nature and size of the business?
Records should provide useful evidence that procedures are followed and that problems are identified and acted on.
Are prerequisite controls such as cleaning, pest control, personal hygiene, suppliers and maintenance managed effectively?
HACCP-based systems depend on strong basic hygiene and operational controls as their foundation.
Are staff instructed, supervised and trained for the food-safety responsibilities in their role?
People need enough knowledge to follow the controls, recognise problems, complete relevant records and escalate when unsure.
Is your food-safety management system reviewed when menus, ingredients, equipment, processes or risks change?
A system can become inaccurate when the operation changes. Significant changes should trigger review and updates.
Can managers explain how the documented system matches what staff actually do in the kitchen?
Inspection readiness is stronger when procedures, records and day-to-day practice tell the same story.
Answer all 11 checks to see your result
0 of 11 answered. This is a TKEG planning score, not validation, certification, an inspection result or legal advice.
Hazards, controls, monitoring and action need to connect
UK food businesses need food-safety management procedures based on HACCP principles. The detail should be appropriate to the nature and size of the business, and simpler systems such as Safer Food Better Business can help many smaller catering operations apply those principles practically.
Know the hazards
Identify the significant hazards in your own food operation and the controls needed to manage them.
Know when control fails
Monitoring and defined safe criteria should make problems visible, with clear corrective action when something goes wrong.
Keep useful evidence
Records, reviews and staff understanding help demonstrate that the documented system is actually being followed.
This tool does not validate or certify your HACCP system
It is a practical TKEG gap-finding tool. Your food-safety management procedures must reflect your menu, processes, premises, hazards and applicable requirements. Official guidance and local authority advice take precedence.