Develop a HACCP Plan for a Chicken Wrap

Introduction

30 Second Summary

Every time you pick up a pre-made chicken wrap from a store fridge, a food safety team has already mapped out every risk in that product's journey from raw ingredients to your hands. The document behind those decisions is the single most important artifact in any food production facility.

In this project, you will build a complete HACCP plan for a ready-to-eat chilled chicken wrap product. You will apply all 7 HACCP principles, from hazard analysis to record-keeping, and create a portfolio-ready Word document you can bring to job interviews.

What You'll Build

A multi-page HACCP plan document covering the full production chain of a chilled chicken wrap, from ingredient receiving through chilled distribution, with supporting Standard Operating Procedures and a verification schedule.

By the end of this project, you'll have:

• A product description, process flow diagram, and hazard analysis worksheet identifying biological, chemical, and physical hazards across 11 process steps.
• A CCP summary chart with science-based critical limits, monitoring procedures, corrective actions, and verification activities for 4 Critical Control Points.
• Two professional Standard Operating Procedures for cooking temperature monitoring and allergen control during assembly.
• A third SOP and a mock Corrective Action Report that prove you can handle real-world deviation scenarios.

Are there any prerequisites?

This project assumes you have coursework or a degree in Food Science, Food Innovation, or a related field with a basic understanding of food microbiology and food safety concepts. All you need to complete the project is Microsoft Word.

Before We Start

Before We Start...

Set Up Your Document and Write the Product Description

Every HACCP plan starts with a solid foundation. Before you can analyze hazards or set critical control points, you need a clear picture of the product you are working with.

In this step, you will create your HACCP plan document in Microsoft Word and write the product description for a ready-to-eat chilled chicken wrap. The product description defines exactly what you are making, who will consume it, and how it reaches the consumer.

In this step, get ready to:

• Create the Word document with a title page, section headings, and table of contents.
• Write the full product description for the chilled chicken wrap.
• Add a HACCP team section with realistic team roles.

Create the Word document structure

A professional HACCP plan follows a standard structure. Setting up the headings first gives you a skeleton to fill in as you work through the project.

• Press Cmd+Space (macOS) or the Windows key (Windows) to open your search bar.
• Type Microsoft Word and press Enter to open it.
• Click Blank document to create a new file.

Your title page is the first thing a reviewer sees. Type the following information at the top of the first page.

• Type the title: HACCP Plan: Ready-to-Eat Chilled Chicken Wrap.
• On the next line, type your full name.
• On the next line, type today's date.
• On the next line, type Document Version 1.0.

Now add the section headings that form the backbone of the plan.

• Press Cmd+Enter (macOS) or Ctrl+Enter (Windows) to insert a page break after the title page.
• Type each of the following section headings on its own line, pressing Enter between each one:

1. Product Description
2. Process Flow Diagram
3. Hazard Analysis
4. CCP Determination
5. HACCP Plan Summary (CCP Chart)
6. Standard Operating Procedures
7. Verification and Record-Keeping

• Select all seven headings.
• Click the Home tab in the ribbon.
• In the Styles group, click Heading 1 to format them as top-level headings.

Finally, add a Table of Contents so the plan is easy to navigate.

• Place your cursor on the blank page between the title page and Section 1.
• Click the References tab in the ribbon.
• Click Table of Contents on the left side of the ribbon.
• Select one of the automatic table of contents styles (e.g. Automatic Table 1).

Why these seven sections?

These seven sections map to the core components that every HACCP plan must contain. USDA FSIS regulations (9 CFR Part 417) require that a HACCP plan lists food safety hazards, CCPs, critical limits, monitoring procedures, corrective actions, a recordkeeping system, and verification procedures. Your document skeleton mirrors this structure.

• Save your document by pressing Cmd+S (macOS) or Ctrl+S (Windows).
• Name the file HACCP-Plan-Chicken-Wrap and save it to your Desktop.
• Scroll through your document. You should see a title page on page 1, a Table of Contents on page 2, and seven Heading 1 section titles listed on the following pages.

Table of Contents shows no entries?

Make sure you applied the Heading 1 style to each section heading. Simply making text bold or larger does not register it as a heading. Word's Table of Contents only picks up text formatted with heading styles.

If the Table of Contents was inserted before the headings, right-click the Table of Contents and select Update Field, then choose Update entire table.

Still stuck? Help me fix my Table of Contents in Word.

Complete the product description section

The product description is the starting point for every hazard analysis. It tells the HACCP team exactly what the product contains, how it will be handled, and who will eat it.

Knowing the intended consumer is especially critical. A product consumed by at-risk populations (the elderly, immunocompromised individuals) demands stricter controls than one consumed only by healthy adults.

• Scroll to the Product Description heading (Section 1) in your document.
• Below the heading, type each of the following fields. Bold the field name and follow it with the value on the same line.

• Product Name: Ready-to-Eat Chilled Chicken Wrap.
• Ingredients: Flour tortilla (wheat flour, water, vegetable oil, salt), cooked seasoned chicken breast (chicken breast, salt, black pepper, garlic powder, vegetable oil), iceberg lettuce, sliced tomato, cheddar cheese (milk), mayonnaise (soybean oil, egg, vinegar, salt).
• Important Product Characteristics: pH approximately 5.5 to 6.5. Water activity (Aw) approximately 0.97 to 0.99. Chilled product stored at 5C (41F) or below.
• Intended Use: Ready-to-eat without further cooking by the consumer.
• Intended Consumer: General public including at-risk populations (elderly, immunocompromised).
• Distribution: Chilled distribution at 0 to 5C (32 to 41F) to retail and food service.
• Shelf Life: 5 days at 5C (41F) or below.
• Packaging: Modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) or flow-wrapped.
• Allergens: Wheat (tortilla), Milk (cheese), Egg (mayonnaise), Soy (mayonnaise).

What do pH and water activity tell us?

pH and water activity (Aw) are the two most important intrinsic factors for predicting microbial growth in food. A high Aw of 0.97 to 0.99 means this product has plenty of available moisture for bacteria to thrive. Combined with a near-neutral pH of 5.5 to 6.5, this chicken wrap is an ideal environment for pathogens like Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes.

This is exactly why the product needs strict temperature control from cooking through distribution. You will define those controls in later steps.

Why list allergens in the product description?

Identifying allergens upfront ensures they are tracked through the entire hazard analysis. This product contains four major allergens: wheat, milk, egg, and soy. In Step 5, you will write a dedicated Allergen Control SOP to prevent cross-contact during assembly.

• Save your document.
• Review your Section 1. You should see nine clearly labeled fields covering the product name, ingredients, characteristics, intended use, consumer, distribution, shelf life, packaging, and allergens.

Identify the HACCP team

HACCP Principle 1 requires that a multidisciplinary team conducts the hazard analysis. In a real facility, this team includes people with direct knowledge of the production process, equipment, and quality systems.

For your portfolio document, listing realistic roles demonstrates to an interviewer that you understand who should be at the table when building a HACCP plan.

• Below your product description (still within Section 1), type a subheading: HACCP Team.
• Format it using the Heading 2 style from the Styles group on the Home tab.
• Below the subheading, list the following team members. Use your own name for the Team Leader and fictional names for the other roles:

• HACCP Team Leader: [Your Name], Food Technologist.
• Production Manager: James Carter, Production Manager.
• QA Manager: Sarah Patel, QA Manager.
• Maintenance Engineer: David Kim, Maintenance Engineer.

Why does the HACCP team need a Maintenance Engineer?

Equipment failures are a common root cause of food safety deviations. A Maintenance Engineer understands how cooking ovens, cooling units, and metal detectors actually work. They can identify hazards that someone without equipment knowledge would miss.

In interviews, mentioning that the HACCP team should include someone with equipment expertise signals that you think beyond just the food science.

• Save your document.
• Right-click your Table of Contents and select Update Field, then choose Update entire table. You should now see HACCP Team appear as a sub-entry under Section 1.

HACCP Team not showing in the Table of Contents?

Make sure you applied Heading 2 style to the HACCP Team subheading. Plain bold text does not appear in the Table of Contents.

Also confirm you chose Update entire table instead of Update page numbers only. The second option ignores new headings.

Need more help? Help me fix my Table of Contents entries.

Your document now has a professional structure, a complete product description, and a named HACCP team. Next up, you will build the process flow diagram and conduct the hazard analysis across all 11 production steps.

Build the Process Flow Diagram and Conduct the Hazard Analysis

Your HACCP document now has a title page, table of contents, product description, and HACCP team in place. Now it is time to map out the entire production process and examine every stage for food safety hazards.

How does Salmonella get into the finished product? Where could allergen cross-contact happen? The process flow diagram and hazard analysis answer these questions by systematically walking through every production step.

In this step, get ready to:

• Create a text-based process flow diagram covering all 11 production steps.
• Conduct a hazard analysis identifying biological, chemical, and physical hazards at every process step.
• Document specific control measures for each significant hazard.

Create the process flow diagram

A process flow diagram is a step-by-step map of how a product moves through the production facility. It is the foundation your hazard analysis builds on, because you need to know every stage before you can analyze what can go wrong at each one.

• Scroll to Section 2: Process Flow Diagram in your Word document.
• Type the following 11 process steps as a numbered list, with each step on its own line.
• Place a down arrow (↓) between each step to show the direction of flow.

Your flow diagram should look like this:

1. Receiving Raw Materials (chicken, vegetables, tortillas, cheese, mayonnaise)
    ↓
2. Cold Storage of Raw Materials (at 5°C / 41°F or below)
    ↓
3. Preparation of Chicken (trimming, seasoning)
    ↓
4. Cooking Chicken (to internal temperature of 75°C / 165°F)
    ↓
5. Cooling Cooked Chicken (from 60°C to 21°C within 2 hours, then from 21°C to 5°C within 4 additional hours)
    ↓
6. Preparation of Vegetables (washing, cutting lettuce and tomato)
    ↓
7. Assembly of Wrap (cooked chicken, lettuce, tomato, cheese, mayonnaise onto tortilla)
    ↓
8. Metal Detection
    ↓
9. Packaging (MAP or flow-wrap)
    ↓
10. Chilled Storage (at 5°C / 41°F or below)
    ↓
11. Chilled Distribution (at 0–5°C / 32–41°F)

Why include temperatures in the flow diagram?

Adding the key temperatures and time parameters directly on the flow diagram makes it immediately clear where thermal control matters. Auditors and interviewers look for this level of detail because it shows you understand the science behind each step, not just the sequence.

Pro tip: come back to mark CCPs

You will identify your Critical Control Points in the next step. Once you do, come back to this flow diagram and label them (for example, CCP 1 next to Step 4). This is standard practice in HACCP documentation.

• Save your document.
• Review the flow diagram and confirm it lists all 11 steps from Receiving Raw Materials through Chilled Distribution, with temperatures included at Steps 2, 4, 5, 10, and 11.

Conduct the hazard analysis

The hazard analysis is HACCP Principle 1. You will examine every process step and identify potential hazards in three categories: biological (B), chemical (C), and physical (P).

• Scroll to Section 3: Hazard Analysis in your Word document.
• Insert a table with 6 columns using Insert > Table in the Word ribbon.
• Label the columns: Process Step, Potential Hazard (B/C/P), Description of Hazard, Significant? (Y/N), Justification, Control Measure.

What do B, C, and P mean?

• B (Biological) covers bacteria, viruses, parasites, and toxins. Examples include Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and Campylobacter.
• C (Chemical) covers allergens, cleaning chemical residues, pesticides, and other chemical contaminants.
• P (Physical) covers foreign objects like metal fragments, bone, plastic, glass, and stones.

Now work through each of the 11 process steps and fill in the table. The following walkthrough covers the hazards you should identify at each step.

Steps 1 and 2: receiving and cold storage

Raw materials enter your facility with hazards already present. Your hazard analysis must capture what arrives on the ingredients and what can go wrong during initial storage.

• For Step 1 (Receiving Raw Materials), add the following rows to your table:

• B: Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes, and Campylobacter on raw chicken. Mark as significant (Y). Justification: raw poultry is a known reservoir for these pathogens.
• C: Undeclared allergens from supplier mislabeling. Mark as significant (Y). Justification: mislabeled ingredients could introduce undeclared wheat, milk, egg, or soy.
• P: Foreign objects such as metal, plastic, or bone fragments in raw materials. Mark as significant (Y). Justification: foreign material can cause injury to consumers.

• For Step 2 (Cold Storage of Raw Materials), add:

• B: Pathogen growth from temperature abuse if cold storage exceeds 5°C (41°F). Mark as significant (Y). Justification: temperature abuse allows rapid multiplication of existing pathogens on raw materials.
• C: Cross-contamination of allergens if raw materials are stored without separation. Mark as significant (Y).

Steps 3 and 4: chicken preparation and cooking

Preparation exposes the chicken to handling, and cooking is the critical thermal kill step that eliminates vegetative pathogens.

• For Step 3 (Preparation of Chicken), add:

• B: Cross-contamination from raw chicken to other surfaces or ingredients during trimming and seasoning. Mark as significant (Y).
• P: Bone fragments remaining in chicken during trimming. Mark as significant (Y).

• For Step 4 (Cooking Chicken), add:

• B: Survival of Salmonella, Campylobacter, and Listeria monocytogenes if cooking is insufficient. Mark as significant (Y). Justification: poultry must reach a minimum internal temperature of 75°C (165°F) to achieve at least a 7-log reduction of Salmonella per USDA FSIS requirements.

Why is Step 4 so important?

Cooking is the only step specifically designed to eliminate vegetative pathogens in the chicken. If this step fails, no later step in the process can undo the damage. This is why cooking is almost always identified as a CCP for cooked poultry products.

Step 5: cooling cooked chicken

After cooking, the chicken enters the temperature danger zone where spore-forming bacteria can germinate and multiply. Rapid cooling is the control.

• For Step 5 (Cooling Cooked Chicken), add:

• B: Clostridium perfringens outgrowth during slow cooling. Mark as significant (Y). Justification: C. perfringens has an optimum growth range of 43°C to 47°C and multiplies rapidly if the product spends too long in this zone.
• B: Clostridium botulinum outgrowth and toxin production during slow cooling. Mark as significant (Y). Justification: C. botulinum spores can germinate and produce toxin in anaerobic conditions at temperatures above 10°C.

Where do the cooling time limits come from?

The cooling parameters in this plan (60°C to 21°C within 2 hours, then 21°C to 5°C within 4 additional hours, 6 hours total) are drawn from the FDA Food Code. They are designed to limit C. perfringens growth to 1.0-log or less during the cooling process.

Steps 6 and 7: vegetable preparation and assembly

• For Step 6 (Preparation of Vegetables), add:

• B: Pathogenic bacteria (such as E. coli, Salmonella) on raw lettuce and tomato. Mark as significant (Y). Justification: fresh produce can carry pathogens from growing and harvesting environments.
• P: Stones, soil, or insect fragments in raw vegetables. Mark as significant (Y).

• For Step 7 (Assembly of Wrap), add:

• B: Cross-contamination from raw vegetable contact surfaces to cooked chicken during assembly. Mark as significant (Y).
• C: Allergen cross-contact during assembly. The product contains wheat (tortilla), milk (cheese), egg (mayonnaise), and soy (mayonnaise). Mark as significant (Y). Justification: shared utensils or surfaces could transfer allergens between product lines.

Steps 8 through 11: metal detection, packaging, storage, and distribution

• For Step 8 (Metal Detection), add:

• P: Metal fragments from processing equipment (mixers, slicers, conveyors). Mark as significant (Y). Justification: metal contamination from equipment wear is a known hazard in food manufacturing.

• For Step 9 (Packaging), add:

• B: Recontamination from packaging materials or handling. Mark as not significant (N). Justification: controlled by prerequisite programs (GMP, supplier approval).
• C: Incorrect labeling leading to undeclared allergens on the finished product. Mark as significant (Y).

• For Step 10 (Chilled Storage), add:

• B: Pathogen growth (including Listeria monocytogenes, which can grow at refrigeration temperatures) from temperature abuse if storage exceeds 5°C (41°F). Mark as significant (Y).

• For Step 11 (Chilled Distribution), add:

• B: Pathogen growth from temperature abuse during transport if the cold chain is broken. Mark as significant (Y). Justification: distribution vehicles must maintain 0 to 5°C (32 to 41°F) to prevent microbial growth over the 5-day shelf life.

• Save your document after filling in the entire hazard analysis table.
• Review the table and confirm you have at least one hazard entry for each of the 11 process steps, with the Significant column marked Y or N for every row.

Not sure which hazards are significant?

A hazard is significant if it is reasonably likely to occur AND would cause illness or injury if not controlled. If a hazard is theoretical but extremely unlikely in your process (for example, radioactive contamination in a standard food facility), mark it as not significant. Focus on the hazards that regulators and auditors expect to see for a ready-to-eat chilled poultry product.

Help me decide which hazards to mark as significant for my chicken wrap product.

Document control measures for each significant hazard

A control measure is the action or activity that prevents, eliminates, or reduces a hazard to an acceptable level. Every hazard you marked as significant (Y) needs a control measure in the final column of your table.

• Go back to the Control Measure column in your hazard analysis table.
• For each row where you marked the hazard as significant (Y), write the specific control measure using the guidance below.

Fill in the following control measures for each significant hazard:

• Receiving (Step 1, Biological): Approved supplier program. Receiving temperature checks on chilled and frozen deliveries. Reject deliveries above 5°C (41°F) for chilled goods.
• Receiving (Step 1, Chemical): Approved supplier program with certificates of analysis. Incoming ingredient label verification against approved specifications.
• Receiving (Step 1, Physical): Visual inspection at receiving. Metal detection at Step 8 provides a subsequent control.
• Cold Storage (Step 2, Biological): Temperature monitoring of storage units. Maintain at 5°C (41°F) or below.
• Chicken Preparation (Step 3, Biological): GMP and personal hygiene. Dedicated raw preparation area separated from cooked/ready-to-eat areas.
• Cooking (Step 4, Biological): Cook to a minimum internal temperature of 75°C (165°F) to achieve at least a 7-log reduction of Salmonella.
• Cooling (Step 5, Biological): Rapid cooling from 60°C to 21°C within 2 hours, then from 21°C to 5°C within 4 additional hours (6 hours total from start of cooling).
• Vegetable Preparation (Step 6, Biological): Wash vegetables in potable water. Prerequisite programs (GMP, cleaning and sanitation) control this hazard.
• Assembly (Step 7, Biological): GMP. Separation of raw and cooked handling areas. Staff hygiene and handwashing procedures.
• Assembly (Step 7, Chemical/Allergen): Allergen management SOP. Color-coded utensils for allergen-containing ingredients. Allergen changeover cleaning between product runs.
• Metal Detection (Step 8, Physical): Calibrated metal detector with sensitivity set to ferrous 1.5mm, non-ferrous 2.0mm, stainless steel 2.5mm or better. Automatic reject mechanism.
• Packaging (Step 9, Chemical): Label verification procedure. QA sign-off on packaging artwork before each production run.
• Chilled Storage (Step 10, Biological): Continuous temperature monitoring with data loggers. Maintain product at 5°C (41°F) or below.
• Chilled Distribution (Step 11, Biological): Cold chain maintenance at 0 to 5°C (32 to 41°F). Temperature monitoring during transport. Approved distributor program.

What is the difference between a control measure and a CCP?

A control measure is any action that prevents or reduces a hazard. Some control measures operate at CCPs (like cooking temperature). Others operate through prerequisite programs (like GMP, cleaning schedules, or supplier approval). In the next step, you will use the Codex decision tree to determine which of these control measures operate at true CCPs.

• Save your document.
• Review the Control Measure column and confirm every row marked as significant (Y) has a specific, named control measure. No significant hazard should have a blank control measure.

Unsure what control measure to write?

Ask yourself: what stops this hazard from reaching the consumer? If the answer is a measurable action at a specific process step (like cooking to 75°C), that is your control measure. If the answer is a general program that applies across the facility (like staff training or cleaning schedules), the control measure is the relevant prerequisite program.

Help me write a control measure for a specific hazard in my HACCP plan.

Your hazard analysis is now complete. You have a process flow diagram showing every production step and a detailed table linking each step to its potential hazards and control measures. Next up, you will use the Codex decision tree to determine which of these steps are true Critical Control Points.

Determine CCPs Using the Codex Decision Tree

Your hazard analysis identified every significant biological, chemical, and physical hazard across all 11 process steps. That analysis is the foundation for the next question: which of those process steps are Critical Control Points?

In this step, you will apply the Codex decision tree to each significant hazard. The decision tree is a structured set of four questions that determines whether a process step qualifies as a CCP or is managed through prerequisite programs.

In this step, get ready to:

• Set up a CCP determination worksheet with the Codex decision tree questions.
• Apply the decision tree to each significant hazard from your hazard analysis.
• Mark identified CCPs on your process flow diagram.

Set up the CCP determination worksheet

The CCP determination worksheet is where you record the decision tree logic for every significant hazard. This reasoning is what hiring managers look for when reviewing a HACCP plan.

• Navigate to Section 4 (CCP Determination) in your Word document.
• Create a table with seven columns: Process Step, Significant Hazard, Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4, and CCP? (Y/N).
• In the header row, write out the full question for each Q column so the worksheet is self-explanatory.

What are the four Codex decision tree questions?

• Q1: Do preventive control measures exist?
• Q2: Is this step specifically designed to eliminate or reduce the hazard to an acceptable level?
• Q3: Could contamination occur or increase to unacceptable levels?
• Q4: Will a subsequent step eliminate or reduce the hazard?

If Q1 is No, you must modify the step or process before continuing. If Q2 is Yes, the step is a CCP. If Q2 is No, move to Q3. If Q3 is No, the step is not a CCP. If Q3 is Yes, move to Q4. If Q4 is Yes, the step is not a CCP because a later step handles the hazard. If Q4 is No, the step is a CCP.

• Add one row for each significant hazard you identified in Step 2.
• Leave the Q1 through Q4 and CCP columns blank for now.

Work through the decision tree for each significant hazard

Start with a process step that is not a CCP. This helps you practice the full decision tree logic before moving on to the CCPs.

• Find the row for Step 1 (Receiving Raw Materials) with the biological hazard (Salmonella on raw chicken).
• Fill in Q1: Yes. Control measures exist (approved supplier program and receiving temperature checks).
• Fill in Q2: No. Receiving is not designed to eliminate pathogens from raw chicken.
• Fill in Q3: Yes. Contaminated raw chicken could enter the facility.
• Fill in Q4: Yes. Cooking at Step 4 eliminates the biological hazard.
• Mark the CCP column as No.

Why is receiving not a CCP?

Even though Salmonella on raw chicken is a significant hazard, a subsequent step (cooking) eliminates it. When Q4 is Yes, the hazard is controlled later in the process, so the current step does not need to be a CCP.

The receiving step is still managed through prerequisite programs like an approved supplier program. Write this reasoning in your worksheet so it is clear why you made the decision.

Now apply the decision tree to the four process steps that are CCPs. For each one, document your Q1 through Q4 answers and the reasoning behind them.

CCP 1: Step 4 (Cooking Chicken)

• Significant hazard: Biological (Salmonella, Campylobacter, Listeria monocytogenes).
• Fill in Q1: Yes. Control measure exists (cooking to 75°C/165°F internal temperature).
• Fill in Q2: Yes. This step is specifically designed to achieve thermal lethality and eliminate vegetative pathogens.
• Mark the CCP column as Yes. Q2 answered Yes, so this is a CCP. No need to continue to Q3 and Q4.
• Write in your reasoning: cooking to 75°C/165°F achieves at least a 7-log reduction of Salmonella per USDA FSIS requirements (9 CFR 381.150).

CCP 2: Step 5 (Cooling Cooked Chicken)

• Significant hazard: Biological (C. perfringens and C. botulinum outgrowth).
• Fill in Q1: Yes. Control measure exists (rapid cooling per time/temperature guidelines).
• Fill in Q2: Yes. This step is specifically designed to prevent spore-forming pathogen outgrowth by moving the product quickly through the danger zone.
• Mark the CCP column as Yes.
• Write in your reasoning: C. perfringens grows optimally between 43°C and 47°C. Slow cooling allows spores to germinate and multiply to dangerous levels. The cooling step controls this by ensuring product moves from 60°C to 21°C within 2 hours and from 21°C to 5°C within an additional 4 hours.

CCP 3: Step 8 (Metal Detection)

• Significant hazard: Physical (metal fragments from processing equipment).
• Fill in Q1: Yes. Control measure exists (metal detector with automatic reject mechanism).
• Fill in Q2: Yes. This step is specifically designed to detect and reject product containing metal fragments.
• Mark the CCP column as Yes.
• Write in your reasoning: no subsequent step can remove metal fragments from a finished wrap. The metal detector is the last line of defense for physical hazards before the product is packaged.

CCP 4: Step 10 (Chilled Storage)

• Significant hazard: Biological (pathogen growth from temperature abuse).
• Fill in Q1: Yes. Control measure exists (refrigeration maintaining product at 5°C/41°F or below).
• Fill in Q2: Yes. This step is specifically designed to maintain product temperature at a level that prevents pathogen growth in the finished ready-to-eat product.
• Mark the CCP column as Yes.
• Write in your reasoning: this is a ready-to-eat product with no further cooking by the consumer. Temperature abuse during storage could allow Listeria monocytogenes to grow to unsafe levels. Cold chain maintenance is the only control at this stage.

Pro tip: reasoning is everything

The Yes/No answers alone do not make a strong HACCP plan. Write 1 to 2 sentences of justification for each answer, especially Q2.

In interviews, employers will ask you to explain why you determined something is a CCP. If your worksheet already contains that reasoning, you can walk through it confidently.

• Apply the same decision tree process to every remaining significant hazard in your worksheet (allergen cross-contact, biological hazards at other steps, and so on).
• For hazards managed by prerequisite programs (such as allergen management or personal hygiene), your Q4 answer or a PRP reference should make it clear why the step is not a CCP.
• Save your document.

Why does allergen control not show up as a CCP?

Allergen cross-contact is a significant hazard at the assembly step, but allergen control in this plan is managed through a dedicated Allergen Management SOP and prerequisite programs (GMPs, cleaning and sanitation, training).

The Codex decision tree focuses on hazards that can be measured and monitored in real time at a specific process step. Allergen controls rely on procedural compliance rather than a measurable critical limit at a single point.

Mark CCPs on your process flow diagram

Your process flow diagram in Section 2 currently lists all 11 process steps without CCP labels. Marking CCPs directly on the flow diagram gives anyone reading your plan an instant visual overview of where the critical controls sit in the production process.

• Scroll back to Section 2 (Process Flow Diagram) in your Word document.
• Next to Step 4 (Cooking Chicken), add the label CCP 1 in bold or highlighted text.
• Next to Step 5 (Cooling Cooked Chicken), add the label CCP 2.
• Next to Step 8 (Metal Detection), add the label CCP 3.
• Next to Step 10 (Chilled Storage), add the label CCP 4.
• Save your document.

What should my flow diagram look like now?

Your 11-step flow diagram should have four steps clearly marked with CCP labels. The remaining seven steps (Receiving, Cold Storage, Preparation of Chicken, Preparation of Vegetables, Assembly, Packaging, and Chilled Distribution) should appear without CCP labels.

You now have a CCP determination worksheet with documented reasoning and a flow diagram that shows exactly where the critical controls sit. Next up, you will set the critical limits, monitoring procedures, and corrective actions that bring each CCP to life.

Set Critical Limits, Monitoring, and Corrective Actions

You have identified four Critical Control Points across your production process using the Codex decision tree. Now it is time to define exactly what "safe" means at each one.

The HACCP Plan Summary chart is the core of your entire document. It brings together critical limits, monitoring procedures, corrective actions, and verification activities for every CCP in one place.

In this step, get ready to:

• Create the HACCP Plan Summary (CCP chart) with critical limits, monitoring, corrective actions, and verification for all four CCPs.
• Document the prerequisite programs that support your HACCP plan.

Create the HACCP Plan Summary (CCP chart)

This chart is often the first thing an auditor or interviewer reads. Every CCP needs a measurable critical limit, a clear monitoring procedure, and a defined corrective action if something goes wrong.

• Navigate to Section 5: HACCP Plan Summary in your Word document.
• Insert a table with the following columns: CCP Number, Significant Hazard, Critical Limit, Monitoring (What, How, Frequency, Who), Corrective Action, Verification, Records.
• Create four rows below the header, one for each CCP.

What makes a good critical limit?

Critical limits must be observable, measurable, and subject to real-time monitoring. A temperature reading, a time duration, or a detection threshold all qualify.

Vague statements like "cook until done" do not qualify. The critical limit must be a specific value that a production operator can measure and record during production.

Now fill in each row. The information below walks through every field for each CCP.

CCP 1: Cooking (Step 4 in your flow diagram)

• Enter Significant Hazard: Salmonella, Campylobacter, and Listeria monocytogenes survival in cooked chicken.
• Enter Critical Limit: Internal temperature of 75C (165F) minimum for poultry, achieving at least a 7-log reduction of Salmonella.
• Enter Monitoring: What: internal temperature of chicken. How: calibrated digital probe thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the chicken. Frequency: every batch. Who: production operator.
• Enter Corrective Action: Hold and re-cook product that does not meet the critical limit. Identify and eliminate the cause. Take measures to prevent recurrence.
• Enter Verification: Daily calibration of thermometers. Weekly review of cooking records by QA Manager.
• Enter Records: Cooking Temperature Log.

Where does the 75C (165F) critical limit come from?

USDA FSIS requires all poultry to reach a minimum internal temperature of 165F (73.9C). The 7-log Salmonella reduction requirement comes from 9 CFR 381.150(a)(1), which governs cooked poultry products.

UK FSA guidance sets the critical limit at 70C for 2 minutes, with a common target of 72C to 75C for extra assurance. Using 75C in your plan aligns with both US and UK regulatory frameworks.

CCP 2: Cooling cooked chicken (Step 5 in your flow diagram)

• Enter Significant Hazard: C. perfringens and C. botulinum outgrowth during slow cooling.
• Enter Critical Limit: Cool from 60C (140F) to 21C (70F) within 2 hours. Cool from 21C (70F) to 5C (41F) within a total of 6 hours from the start of cooling.
• Enter Monitoring: What: internal temperature of chicken during cooling. How: calibrated digital probe thermometer at regular intervals. Frequency: at 2 hours and at 6 hours from the start of cooling, for each cooling batch. Who: production operator.
• Enter Corrective Action: Hold affected product. Evaluate using cooling deviation procedures. Dispose of product if time and temperature limits are exceeded and safety cannot be assured. Identify and eliminate the cause.
• Enter Verification: Weekly review of cooling records by QA Manager. Weekly thermometer calibration.
• Enter Records: Cooling Temperature Log.

Why is the cooling step so critical?

C. perfringens grows rapidly between 43C and 47C (109F to 117F). If cooked chicken sits in this temperature zone for too long, spores that survived cooking can germinate and multiply to dangerous levels.

The 2-stage cooling approach is drawn from FDA Food Code guidance. It limits C. perfringens growth to 1.0-log10 or less by moving the product through the danger zone as quickly as possible.

CCP 3: Metal detection (Step 8 in your flow diagram)

• Enter Significant Hazard: Metal fragments from processing equipment.
• Enter Critical Limit: No detectable metal fragments. Detection sensitivity set to ferrous 1.5mm, non-ferrous 2.0mm, stainless steel 2.5mm or better.
• Enter Monitoring: What: every individual product unit. How: automatic metal detector with reject mechanism. Frequency: continuous during production. Who: production line operator.
• Enter Corrective Action: Hold and re-inspect rejected product. Investigate and identify the source of contamination. Recalibrate the metal detector if needed.
• Enter Verification: Test the metal detector with test pieces (ferrous, non-ferrous, stainless steel) at the start of production, every hour during production, and at the end of production.
• Enter Records: Metal Detector Log.

Where do the metal detection sensitivity values come from?

The ferrous 1.5mm, non-ferrous 2.0mm, and stainless steel 2.5mm thresholds are industry-standard sensitivity targets for ready-to-eat products. They are referenced in both BRC and SQF food safety standards.

CCP 4: Chilled storage (Step 10 in your flow diagram)

• Enter Significant Hazard: Pathogen growth from temperature abuse during storage.
• Enter Critical Limit: Product temperature at 5C (41F) or below at all times.
• Enter Monitoring: What: temperature of the chilled storage unit. How: continuous temperature monitoring using a data logger, with visual checks by the warehouse operator. Frequency: data logger runs continuously, visual checks every 4 hours. Who: warehouse operator.
• Enter Corrective Action: Investigate any temperature excursion. Assess product safety based on the duration and extent of temperature abuse. Dispose of product if safety is compromised. Repair or replace faulty refrigeration equipment.
• Enter Verification: Monthly calibration of temperature data loggers. Weekly review of temperature records by QA Manager.
• Enter Records: Chilled Storage Temperature Log.

Why does every corrective action follow the same structure?

USDA FSIS regulation 9 CFR 417.3(a) requires four elements in every corrective action: identify and eliminate the cause, bring the CCP under control, take measures to prevent recurrence, and ensure no product injurious to health enters commerce.

Notice how each CCP's corrective action above hits all four of those elements. This is the pattern auditors look for when reviewing your plan.

Review your completed CCP chart and make sure every cell is filled in. An empty cell is a gap in your plan that an auditor would flag immediately.

Not sure if your critical limits are specific enough?

Check that every critical limit in your chart contains a specific number or measurable threshold. Phrases like "cook thoroughly" or "cool quickly" are not critical limits.

Make sure your monitoring column answers all four questions: What is being measured? How is it measured? How often? Who does it? If any of those are missing, fill them in now.

Help me check if my CCP chart covers all required fields.

Add a prerequisite programs summary

Not every food safety control is a CCP. Many hazards are managed by prerequisite programs (PRPs) that operate across the entire facility, not just at specific process steps.

These programs support your HACCP plan by keeping baseline conditions under control. Without them, your CCPs would be overwhelmed.

• Below your CCP chart, add a new subsection titled Prerequisite Programs (PRPs).
• List the following programs in a numbered or bulleted list:

• Approved Supplier Program.
• GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices).
• Cleaning and Sanitation Program.
• Personal Hygiene Program.
• Pest Control Program.
• Allergen Management Program.
• Training Program.
• Equipment Maintenance and Calibration Program.
• Traceability and Recall Procedures.
• Water Safety Program.

• For each program, write one sentence describing its purpose. For example, "Approved Supplier Program: Ensures all incoming raw materials meet agreed food safety specifications and are sourced from audited suppliers."

What is the difference between a PRP and a CCP?

A CCP is a specific point in the process where monitoring and control are essential to prevent, eliminate, or reduce a hazard to an acceptable level. A PRP is a broad, facility-wide program that maintains the hygienic environment needed for the HACCP plan to work.

Think of PRPs as the foundation and CCPs as the targeted safety checks built on top. If your cleaning program fails, your allergen CCP is compromised before monitoring even begins.

Your CCP chart and prerequisite programs summary together cover HACCP Principles 3, 4, and 5. Next up, you will write two professional SOPs that bring this plan to life with step-by-step procedures.

Write Two Standard Operating Procedures

Your CCP chart from Step 4 defines the critical limits, monitoring procedures, and corrective actions for every Critical Control Point. That chart tells the HACCP team what needs to happen, but it does not tell a production operator exactly how to do it.

Standard Operating Procedures bridge that gap. An SOP translates high-level CCP requirements into step-by-step instructions that operators follow on the production floor. In this step, you will write two SOPs and complete the verification and record-keeping section of your HACCP plan.

In this step, get ready to:

• Write SOP 1 for cooking temperature monitoring.
• Write SOP 2 for allergen control during assembly.
• Create the verification schedule and record-keeping section.

Write SOP 1 for cooking temperature monitoring

CCP 1 (Cooking) is the most critical control point in your plan. If cooking fails, Salmonella, Campylobacter, and Listeria monocytogenes survive in the finished product. This SOP ensures every operator knows exactly how to monitor and record cooking temperatures.

What is the standard SOP format?

The format used here is based on the Iowa State University Food Product Development Lab Manual structure. It includes nine sections: Title, Purpose, Scope, Responsibility, Materials, Procedure, Monitoring, Corrective Action, and Verification/Documentation.

This format is widely recognized across food manufacturing and is what employers expect to see in QA/QC documentation.

• Under Section 6 (Standard Operating Procedures) in your Word document, add the heading SOP 1: Cooking Temperature Monitoring using Heading 2 style.
• Write the following sections underneath.

Start with the header information for the SOP:

• Title: Cooking Temperature Monitoring SOP.
• Purpose: To ensure all chicken used in the ready-to-eat chilled chicken wrap achieves a minimum internal temperature of 75°C (165°F) to eliminate Salmonella, Campylobacter, and Listeria monocytogenes.
• Scope: Applies to all cooking operations for chicken breast used in wrap production.
• Responsibility: Production Operator carries out the procedure. QA Manager ensures compliance.
• Materials: Calibrated digital probe thermometer, Cooking Temperature Log sheet, disposable gloves.

Next, write the Procedure section. Number each step so operators can follow them in order:

1. Before each production shift, verify that the probe thermometer is calibrated by checking against a known reference point (boiling water at 100°C or ice water at 0°C). Record the calibration check on the Cooking Temperature Log.
2. After the cooking cycle is complete, insert the probe thermometer into the thickest part of each chicken breast. If batch-cooking, check the thickest piece in the batch.
3. Record the internal temperature on the Cooking Temperature Log. The temperature must be 75°C (165°F) or above.
4. If the internal temperature is below 75°C, do not proceed to cooling. Continue cooking until 75°C is reached and re-check.
5. If the product still fails to reach 75°C after re-cooking, hold the product and notify the QA Manager immediately.

Finally, add the Monitoring, Corrective Action, and Verification sections to close out SOP 1:

• Monitoring: Temperature is checked and recorded for every batch of cooked chicken.
• Corrective Action: If the critical limit is not met, the product is held and re-cooked. If re-cooking fails, the product is disposed of. The QA Manager investigates the root cause (for example, oven malfunction or overloading) and implements corrective measures.
• Verification/Documentation: The QA Manager reviews the Cooking Temperature Log daily. Thermometer calibration records are maintained. Any deviations are documented on a Corrective Action Report form.

Why is 75°C (165°F) the critical limit for chicken?

USDA FSIS requires all poultry to reach a minimum internal temperature of 165°F (73.9°C). This temperature achieves at least a 7-log reduction of Salmonella, as specified in 9 CFR 381.150(a)(1).

The plan uses 75°C to provide a small safety margin above the regulatory minimum. UK FSA guidance also supports 70°C for 2 minutes with a common target of 75°C for extra assurance.

Pro tip: calibration is a verification activity

Notice that the procedure starts with a calibration check before any cooking begins. In interviews, employers often ask how you ensure monitoring equipment is reliable. Referencing the calibration step in your SOP demonstrates that you understand verification as part of the daily routine, not just an annual audit.

Write SOP 2 for allergen control during assembly

Your hazard analysis identified four allergens in this product: wheat (tortilla), milk (cheese), egg (mayonnaise), and soy (mayonnaise). Allergen cross-contact during assembly is a significant chemical hazard that can result in undeclared allergens on the finished product label.

• Below SOP 1 in your Word document, add the heading SOP 2: Allergen Control During Assembly using Heading 2 style.

Write the header sections for SOP 2:

• Title: Allergen Control During Assembly SOP.
• Purpose: To prevent allergen cross-contact during the assembly of chilled chicken wraps, ensuring the finished product label accurately declares all allergens present (wheat, milk, egg, soy).
• Scope: Applies to the assembly line where wraps are assembled from cooked chicken, vegetables, cheese, tortillas, and mayonnaise.
• Responsibility: Assembly line operators carry out the procedure. QA Manager ensures compliance.
• Materials: Color-coded utensils designated for allergen-containing ingredients, cleaning materials, Allergen Cleaning Verification Log.

Write the Procedure section with numbered steps:

1. Before starting assembly, verify that the assembly area and equipment have been cleaned and sanitized according to the Cleaning and Sanitation Program. Record completion on the Allergen Cleaning Verification Log.
2. Use only designated, color-coded utensils for handling each allergen-containing ingredient. For example, blue utensils for cheese (milk allergen) and red utensils for mayonnaise (egg and soy allergens).
3. Do not use the same utensils or gloves for different allergen-containing ingredients without cleaning and changing gloves first.
4. Verify that all ingredient packaging matches the approved ingredient list for the product. Check labels for any "may contain" warnings or reformulation alerts.
5. If a different product is to be assembled on the same line that does not contain one of the allergens (for example, a dairy-free wrap), a full allergen changeover clean must be completed and verified before switching production.
6. Report any suspected cross-contact incident to the QA Manager immediately.

Add the Monitoring, Corrective Action, and Verification sections:

• Monitoring: Visual checks at the start of each production run. QA Manager conducts a weekly allergen audit of the assembly area.
• Corrective Action: If cross-contact is suspected, hold the affected batch. QA Manager assesses the risk and decides whether the batch must be relabeled, reworked, or disposed of. Investigation into the root cause is documented.
• Verification/Documentation: Allergen Cleaning Verification Logs are reviewed weekly by the QA Manager. Allergen audit results are documented monthly.

Why color-coded utensils?

Color-coding is a widely recognized industry practice for allergen management. It creates a visual system that operators can follow without needing to memorize which utensils are safe for which ingredients.

BRC and SQF food safety standards both reference color-coded equipment as a best practice for preventing cross-contact. Mentioning this in your SOP shows an interviewer you understand practical controls, not just theory.

Add the verification and record-keeping section

Verification activities confirm that your HACCP system is working as intended. Record-keeping provides the evidence. Together, these are Principles 6 and 7 of the HACCP 7 Principles.

• Under Section 7 (Verification and Record-Keeping) in your Word document, create a table with three columns: Verification Activity, Frequency, and Responsible Person.

Fill in the table with the following verification activities:

• Daily review of CCP monitoring records. Frequency: Daily. Responsible: QA Manager.
• Thermometer and equipment calibration. Frequency: Weekly for thermometers, monthly for data loggers. Responsible: Maintenance Engineer.
• Metal detector testing with test pieces. Frequency: Start of production, every hour during production, and end of production. Responsible: Production Operator.
• HACCP plan review and reassessment. Frequency: Annually or when process changes occur. Responsible: HACCP Team.
• Internal audit of HACCP system. Frequency: Quarterly. Responsible: QA Manager.
• Microbiological testing of finished product. Frequency: Monthly. Responsible: External Lab.
• Supplier audit and verification. Frequency: Annually. Responsible: QA Manager.

Below the verification table, add a subsection titled Records. List all the records that must be maintained as part of your HACCP system:

• Cooking Temperature Log.
• Cooling Temperature Log.
• Metal Detector Test Log.
• Chilled Storage Temperature Log.
• Allergen Cleaning Verification Log.
• Corrective Action Reports.
• Thermometer Calibration Records.
• Supplier Certificates of Analysis.
• HACCP Team Meeting Minutes.
• Internal Audit Reports.

Why does record-keeping matter so much?

FSIS regulation 9 CFR Part 417 requires establishments to maintain records that document their HACCP system. During an audit or inspection, records are the proof that monitoring happened, corrective actions were taken, and the system is functioning.

A common interview question is "How do you demonstrate HACCP compliance?" The answer is always records. Every log on this list ties directly back to a CCP or a verification activity in your plan.

• Save your Word document.
• Update the Table of Contents by right-clicking it and selecting Update Field, then choosing Update entire table.
• Scroll through your document from start to finish. You should see all seven sections populated: Product Description, Process Flow Diagram, Hazard Analysis, CCP Determination, HACCP Plan Summary, Standard Operating Procedures, and Verification and Record-Keeping.

Table of Contents not updating?

Make sure your section headings use Word's built-in Heading styles (Heading 1, Heading 2) rather than manually formatted bold text. The Table of Contents only picks up text that uses Heading styles.

Help me fix my Table of Contents in Word.

Secret mission

Expand Your HACCP Portfolio

Your HACCP plan covers all 7 principles with four CCPs, two SOPs, and a full verification schedule. Can you take it further? Add a third SOP for chilled storage temperature monitoring and create a mock Corrective Action Report that demonstrates real-world deviation management.

Before you go

Clean Up Your Resources

Decide whether to keep your resources as they are, organize them for later, or start fresh. This project runs entirely in Microsoft Word, so there are no ongoing costs or cloud resources to worry about.

Resources you used:

• HACCP Plan Word document (containing product description, process flow diagram, hazard analysis, CCP determination, CCP summary chart, SOPs, and verification/record-keeping sections).
• Any reference materials or templates you downloaded during the project.

Keep everything running

No action needed. Choose this if you plan to continue refining your HACCP plan or want to add more SOPs and supporting documents.

• Keep your Word document open or saved in its current location.
• Consider saving a backup copy to a cloud drive (OneDrive, Google Drive) so you always have a second copy.

Pause - I'll come back to this later

Organize your files so you can pick up right where you left off.

• Save your HACCP Plan Word document with a clear file name such as HACCP_Plan_Chicken_Wrap_v1.docx.
• Move the file into a dedicated folder (e.g., a "Portfolio" or "HACCP Projects" folder) so it is easy to find later.
• Back up the folder to a cloud drive for safekeeping.

Delete - I don't want to use this again

Remove all project files from your computer.

• Delete the HACCP Plan Word document from your local drive.
• Delete any reference materials or templates you saved during the project.
• Empty your recycle bin (Windows) or trash (macOS) to fully remove the files.

Mission accomplished

That's a Wrap!

Congratulations! You have built a complete, professional HACCP plan from scratch for a ready-to-eat chilled chicken wrap. This is the single most valuable food safety document you can add to your portfolio for QA/QC, food technologist, and lab technician roles.

You've learned how to:

• Conduct a comprehensive hazard analysis identifying biological, chemical, and physical hazards across 11 process steps, then determine Critical Control Points using the Codex decision tree with documented reasoning.
• Set science-based critical limits sourced from USDA FSIS and Codex guidance, and define monitoring procedures, corrective actions, and verification activities for every CCP.
• Write professional Standard Operating Procedures following industry-standard format for cooking temperature monitoring and allergen control during assembly.
• Expand your HACCP portfolio with a third SOP for chilled storage temperature monitoring and a mock Corrective Action Report demonstrating real-world deviation management.

This HACCP plan is now a portfolio piece you can bring to interviews, attach to job applications, or reference when asked "Tell me about your HACCP experience." You built it. You can talk about every decision in it.

Ready to quiz yourself?