HACCP Certification for Food Businesses
HACCP is a system for finding the food safety hazards in your process and controlling them at the points that matter. Certification is voluntary in India, but buyers, exporters and FSSAI’s own licensing forms ask about it. We help you prepare the plan and records, and coordinate the audit with an accredited certification body.
What it is
HACCP stands for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point. You list every biological, chemical and physical hazard in your process, decide where it can be controlled, set limits at those points and keep records that prove the limits were met. HACCP certification is an independent audit confirming the system works on the shop floor.
The method comes from the Codex Alimentarius General Principles of Food Hygiene (CXC 1-1969), revised in 2020. In India, accredited certification bodies issue HACCP certificates. Under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, FSSAI’s licence application asks for a “Food Safety Management System plan or certificate if any”, and HACCP is the usual basis for that plan.
Who it applies to
Food manufacturers
Dairy units, bakeries, namkeen makers, spice grinders and packaged-food factories.
Caterers, hotels and cloud kitchens
Think of a Ballabgarh caterer running factory canteens across the industrial area. One slip there reaches hundreds of workers at lunch.
Exporters and suppliers to big brands
Overseas importers and large brand owners often make HACCP, or a scheme built on it, a condition of supply.
Why it matters
It fits FSSAI’s own approach
Schedule 4 of the FSSAI licensing regulations requires SOPs and periodic audits of GMP and GHP. A HACCP plan is a structured way to meet that, and FSSAI’s risk-based inspection considers third-party audits.
It wins and keeps buyers
A certificate from an accredited body answers the food safety section of a supplier questionnaire in one line.
It catches problems early
A low cooking temperature or a torn sieve is caught at the control point, before the batch leaves the gate.
Documents required
Business documents
- FSSAI licence or registration
- Company, firm or proprietorship proof and GST certificate
- Factory or kitchen layout with process areas marked
- List of products and their packaging
The HACCP file
- HACCP team list with roles
- Product descriptions and intended use
- Process flow diagrams, confirmed on site
- Hazard analysis, CCPs, critical limits and corrective actions
Records and prerequisites
- Cleaning, pest control and water testing records
- Staff training and medical fitness records
- Calibration records for thermometers and scales
- Supplier approvals and lab test reports
HACCP, ISO 22000 and FSSC 22000 compared
| HACCP | ISO 22000 | FSSC 22000 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What it is | Hazard control method from Codex | Full food safety management system standard | Certification scheme built on ISO 22000 |
| Scope | Hazards, CCPs, records | HACCP plus management, objectives, internal audit and review | ISO 22000 plus sector prerequisite programmes and scheme rules |
| Recognition | Codex-based method; certified by accredited bodies | International standard | GFSI-recognised |
| Good fit | Small and mid-size units starting out | Units that want a full system | Suppliers to large global retailers |
Many units start with HACCP and later move to ISO 22000 certification, because the HACCP plan becomes the core of the larger system.
How it works
Walk the floor and list the gaps
We walk through your premises and records against the Codex HACCP steps and list what is missing. Take a Faridabad namkeen unit that wants to supply a hotel chain: the frying is controlled, but nobody logs oil temperature and the metal detector is never test-checked. Those become the first fixes.
Write the HACCP plan with your team
With your team, we describe products, draw flow diagrams, analyse hazards and fix CCPs, critical limits, monitoring and corrective actions.
Run the plan and fill the logs
Here is the catch: an auditor wants to see records, not promises. So the plan runs for some weeks first. We check the logs and run an internal audit.
Book the certification audit
An accredited certification body audits your unit. We coordinate dates, documents and any non-conformity closures. The audit and the certificate are the certification body’s.
Review the plan when anything changes
A new recipe, supplier or machine can bring a new hazard. We review the plan then, and support surveillance audits and FSSAI filings.
Timelines
Get the plan running before the audit
A certification body needs to see the plan running, with records. In practice, a unit that already keeps cleaning and temperature logs gets there much faster.
Certification cycle
Validity and surveillance audits are set by the certification body’s scheme. Ask for the cycle in writing before you sign.
FSSAI audits for high-risk units
Since August 2019, central licence holders in six high-risk categories (dairy, meat and poultry, fish, eggs, infant nutrition and catering) must be audited by an FSSAI-recognised auditing agency.
What happens if your food safety controls fail
Improvement notice
Under Section 32 of the FSS Act, the Designated Officer can issue an improvement notice giving at least 14 days to comply. Failure can lead to suspension, then cancellation, of the licence.
Penalty for unhygienic processing
Section 56 allows a penalty of up to ₹1 lakh for making or processing food under unhygienic or unsanitary conditions.
Lost orders
A buyer who requires HACCP can drop a supplier whose certificate lapses.
Frequently asked questions
Is HACCP certification mandatory in India?
No, HACCP certification is voluntary for most food businesses. What FSSAI requires is a licence or registration and the hygiene conditions in Schedule 4 of the licensing regulations, including SOPs and periodic audits. The licence application also asks for a food safety management system plan or certificate, if any. Many buyers and export customers do insist on HACCP. One HACCP-based plan serves both.
What are the seven principles of HACCP?
The seven principles are: conduct a hazard analysis, determine critical control points, establish critical limits, establish monitoring, establish corrective actions, establish verification, and keep documentation and records. Codex sets them out in the General Principles of Food Hygiene (CXC 1-1969), revised in 2020. Before applying them you assemble a team, describe the product and its use, and draw and confirm a flow diagram. We guide your team through each step.
Who issues HACCP certificates in India?
Certification bodies issue them, not FSSAI. Check that the body is accredited, for example by NABCB, India’s accreditation board for certification bodies, so the certificate carries weight with buyers. We help you shortlist suitable bodies and compare their scope and audit cycle.
What is the difference between HACCP and ISO 22000?
HACCP is the method for controlling hazards; ISO 22000 is a full management system built around it. ISO 22000 adds management commitment, objectives, internal audits, management review and communication along the food chain. HACCP suits a small or mid-size unit starting out. If your buyers ask for ISO 22000 or FSSC 22000 later, your HACCP plan becomes the core of that system, so no work is wasted.
Does a small food business need HACCP?
Not by law. A small FSSAI-registered business must still follow basic hygiene and safety rules. If you supply hotels, institutions, modern retail or export buyers, they may ask for HACCP regardless of size. A small unit’s plan can be short: a few products, a clear flow diagram and two or three CCPs. We keep it as simple as your process allows.
Is HACCP certification the same as an FSSAI audit?
No. An FSSAI audit is done by an auditing agency recognised under the Food Safety and Standards (Food Safety Auditing) Regulations, 2018. Since August 2019, central licence holders in six high-risk categories must have it. HACCP certification is a separate, voluntary audit by a certification body. A unit with a working HACCP system usually finds the FSSAI audit easier, because the records already exist.
What is a critical control point?
A critical control point is a step where control is essential to prevent, remove or reduce a significant hazard to a safe level. Pasteurisation in a dairy, cooking temperature in a kitchen and metal detection in a snack line are common examples. Each CCP has a measurable critical limit, such as a temperature and time. We help you choose CCPs that are real, not every step in the process.
What does HACCP certification cost?
There is no government fee for HACCP certification. The cost is the certification body’s audit fee, which depends on the number of sites, products and staff, plus any testing. Our fee covers the plan, documents and audit coordination. We quote both before you commit, so you know the full amount upfront.
What it costs
Our fee plus the government fee that applies to your case, quoted before you commit. Tell us the situation and we will price it exactly.
HACCP certification itself carries no government fee. The certification body charges for the audit, and any FSSAI licence or modification fee applies separately.
Ready to begin?
Tell us what you make and who you sell to, and we will map the shortest path to a HACCP certificate.