Which Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) do I need for my Restaurant HACCP Plan?

"When beginning work on making a HACCP plan, one of the more common questions asked is “what procedures or protocols should be included?”

To answer this question, we must first define and understand what is a Procedure in Food Safety and more specifically, a Standard Operating Procedure.

A procedure is described as the specified way of carrying out an activity or process. A set of procedures would describe how to carry out the different activities within a facility, providing clear communications to all staff members, helping to ensure process uniformity at the facility.

A procedure gives instructions that describe specific activities that when executed properly, will help guarantee the product's safety. The acronym SOP is an abbreviation for Standard Operating Procedure.

In the food sector, the objective of an SOP is to provide uniformity in the execution of steps and activities in a process involving the production/handling of food products, adhering to controls based on standardized food safety requirements.

This is accomplished by following written instructions that describe the step-by-step activities that must be adhered to in order to properly execute the procedure, providing a record to demonstrate all controls are being implemented in the process of production and/or handling of food products. Following the SOP will help reduce or eliminate the probability of risk of food contamination.

With an SOP, it is possible to ensure that the tasks previously identified as risky can be performed safely, as well as evaluated and monitored.

It is important to remember that an SOP:

• must establish the frequency of its execution, corrective actions to be applied in case of any deviation from the procedure and those responsible for steps/oversight in the procedure.
• must be established by the safety team leader and identify everyone involved in that procedure.
• must be written with all personnel involved in the procedure required to be familiar with and fully understand the procedure; a good reason for developing a quality training program to better establish uniformity in the proper execution of the defined steps in the procedure.
• must be continuously updated with a frequency established for evaluating and updating the procedure with the reasons noted to explain its modification.
  

So, what SOPs do I need for my Restaurant HACCP Plan?

To answer that question, a hazard analysis must be performed where the required controls that will need to be implemented can be identified. It is important to remember that a hazard analysis collects information about the conditions of food handling and production and evaluates any potential hazards that could alter the food product. These hazards can be physical, chemical or biological. This analysis shall assess the severity of the hazards, their potential health effects and the conditions in which they may originate and/or be maintained.

Some examples of procedures that we can include in our Restaurant HACCP plan are:

1. Cleaning and sanitizing direct food contact surfaces and equipment
2. Personnel health and hygiene
3. Product handling requirements
4. General storage
5. Time control requirements
6. Training and documentation

When describing a procedure, it is important for the HACCP leader to answer the question: why is this task being performed?

Based on the answer to that question, we can establish which SOPs should be included in the plan. That is, which tasks or steps may pose a potential risk of contamination in food production and/or handling according to the hazard analysis and applicable regulations.

Rebeca Macazaga Álvarez, Master in Biological Sciences.
“I collaborate in the Restaurants team in the development operating procedures for companies that want to implement HACCP systems. I have experience in the food safety area since 2008, in hazard analysis, training, implementation, and second-party audits.”