HACCP in practice — from risk analysis to daily routine
How the nature of the material determines the method
All food companies in the EU – from the sausage cart to the hospital kitchen – must have self-control based on HACCP principles. The requirement is in the EU's hygiene regulation (852/2004), and in Denmark it is the Danish Food and Veterinary Administration that supervises and publishes the result in the smiley scheme. HACCP stands for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points. The idea is simple: instead of checking the finished food, you control the places in production where things can go wrong.
§The seven principles
- 011. Conduct a risk analysis: Where in your production can hazards arise — biological, chemical or physical?
- 022. Identify the critical control points (CCPs): the steps where the hazard must be controlled, e.g. heating and cooling.
- 033. Set critical limits, typically temperature and time.
- 044. Monitor control points — measure, record, every time.
- 055. Decide corrective actions in advance: What do we do if the limit is exceeded?
- 066. Verify that the system works, e.g. through audit and review of records.
- 077. Document: procedures and records must be available for inspection.
§Temperatures you should know by heart
The Food Authority's hygiene guidance sets the framework for temperature control, and the rules for hot holding and cooling were relaxed at the end of 2025 based on a new risk assessment. The main rule for heat treatment is still that food must be heated all the way through to at least 75 °C at the center — for whole fish, however, 60 °C for at least one minute applies. Hot holding must now be at a constant temperature of at least 56 °C (previously 65 °C), and there is no time limit as long as the temperature is maintained. Cooling must occur from 56 °C to 10 °C in no more than four hours — if one uses a different combination, one must be able to document that it is safe.
| Process | Krav/retningslinje | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Heat treatment | At least 75 °C at the centre (fish: 60 °C for at least 1 minute) | Food Authority hygiene guidance |
| Heat maintenance | Constant at least 56 °C — no time limit | Hygiene guide (updated 2025) |
| Cooling | From 56°C to 10°C in maximum 4 hours | Hygiene guide (updated 2025) |
| Reheating | At least 75 °C at the centre | Hygiene guide |
| Cold storage | Perishable foods normally at most 5 °C | Danish practice / storage labelling |
§Typical critical control points in the large kitchen
In a typical production kitchen, the critical control points are receipt of goods (is the cold chain maintained?), storage at cold and freezing temperatures, heat treatment, cooling, reheating and keeping warm until serving. At each point you measure and record — typically with a digital thermometer inserted into the food's core, not just a look at the oven's display. The records are at the same time the kitchen's evidence to the Food Authority, and the control result is displayed visibly in the form of a smiley.
§When something goes wrong
A good event briefing is the foundation under the entire event. It ensures you and the customer agree on what you will do why for whom and within which framework — before money is spent. Use it as a checklist for your first meetings.
For the nutrition assistant HACCP is not bureaucratic baggage but the backbone of the professional kitchen. The one who understands why the limits lie where they do can also act correctly in situations the schedules have not foreseen — and that is the difference that distinguishes a trained person from an untrained one in the kitchen.