HACCP Monitoring of CCPs Procedure
Part of Food Industry Hub’s FSQMS Policies and Procedures Suite.
The HACCP Monitoring of CCPs Procedure forms part of the Food Industry Hub FSQMS Policies and Procedures Suite.
It defines how monitoring activities are implemented, documented and reviewed for each Critical Control Point (CCP) identified within the HACCP plan.
The procedure provides the control framework needed to detect loss of control against established critical limits, record monitoring evidence at the time of measurement, escalate results that meet or exceed a critical limit, and support corrective action through the site’s wider FSQMS controls.
Define monitoring for each critical control point
The procedure requires the HACCP Food Safety Team to establish written CCP Monitoring Instructions for each critical control point. Those instructions define the critical limit, monitoring method, frequency, required equipment or instrumentation, authorised personnel, the record to be completed and the immediate action required when a result indicates that the critical limit has been met or exceeded.
That level of definition is important because CCP monitoring is only useful when personnel know exactly what must be measured or observed, when the check is required, how the result is recorded and what must happen when control is not demonstrated.
Carry out checks at the defined point and frequency
The procedure defines how monitoring is performed in practice. Personnel carrying out CCP monitoring are required to follow the approved instruction, conduct the check at the correct point in the process and at the defined frequency, and record the result at the time the measurement or observation is taken.
Monitoring records include the date, time, result and the signature or secure identity of the person performing the check. The procedure expressly prevents CCP monitoring from being pre-filled, estimated or completed after the fact, preserving the value of the record as evidence of what happened at the point of control.
Link loss of control with escalation and product control
Where monitoring shows that a critical limit has been met or exceeded, the procedure requires immediate reporting and escalation. Affected product is quarantined in accordance with the Non-Conforming Product Control Procedure until disposition is determined, and any product produced since the last acceptable check is treated as non-conforming.
This gives the monitoring activity a clear connection with containment, corrective action and product-status decision-making without treating the monitoring record as an isolated check.
Keep monitoring equipment suitable and controlled
The procedure requires monitoring equipment used for CCP verification to be appropriate for the measurement required, calibrated or verified at a frequency sufficient to support accuracy, maintained in suitable condition and protected from damage.
Where calibration or verification indicates out-of-tolerance performance, the equipment is taken out of use. That requirement keeps the reliability of CCP monitoring evidence connected to the condition and suitability of the instruments used to generate it.
Review records and verify monitoring remains suitable
Technical or quality management reviews CCP monitoring records at defined intervals to confirm completion, accuracy and compliance with the relevant monitoring instruction. The review also confirms that corrective actions have been implemented where deviations are identified.
The procedure goes beyond record completion by requiring verification that monitoring frequencies and methods remain effective and suitable. Monitoring instructions are updated where required, including when changes occur to processes, equipment, hazards or critical limits. Electronic CCP monitoring records must also show that records have been checked and verified, supported by secure user identification, audit trails or another approved method.
Assign responsibility for CCP monitoring control
Responsibility is allocated across the functions that make CCP monitoring work. Senior management provides the resources, equipment and technical support needed for monitoring activities and supports corrective action when monitoring indicates loss of control.
Technical or quality management establishes and maintains the monitoring instructions, ensures personnel are trained and competent, confirms equipment availability and maintenance, reviews monitoring records, verifies corrective-action implementation and keeps monitoring aligned with the HACCP plan. Operational and production teams perform the monitoring, use equipment correctly, complete records at the time of measurement and escalate results that meet or exceed the critical limit.
Maintain evidence within the HACCP system
The procedure identifies the evidence needed to demonstrate that CCP monitoring has been implemented and reviewed. This may include CCP Monitoring Instructions, completed monitoring records, verification evidence showing that records have been checked, calibration and verification records for monitoring equipment, and training records for personnel involved in monitoring.
Within the Food Industry Hub FSQMS Policies and Procedures Suite, this procedure connects the HACCP plan with documented monitoring instructions, record control, non-conforming product control, calibration and personnel competence. For technical and operational teams, it provides a controlled framework for showing how critical limits are monitored, how deviations are escalated and how monitoring evidence is reviewed.