A HACCP plan identifies the points in your process where a hazard must be controlled, such as pasteurisation in a dairy, metal detection on a snack line or chilled storage of cream cakes. For each critical control point (CCP), the plan sets a critical limit, how it is monitored, what happens when it is breached and how it is verified. The CCP record is the proof that all of this actually happened, batch after batch.
What a good CCP record contains
- The CCP and the batch, line or equipment it applies to
- The reading or observation, such as temperature and holding time, or a metal-detector test result
- The critical limit it is compared against
- The date, time and the person who made the check
- If the limit was breached: what was done with the product, the corrective action taken and who approved it
- Verification: who reviewed the record, and when
Where paper logs fall short
Paper CCP logs are simple and familiar, and many plants run them well. But they have weaknesses that show up under pressure:
- They are separate from the batch. A pasteuriser chart shows temperatures by time, but linking a reading to a specific batch of milk means matching clocks and production sheets.
- Breaches are easy to miss. A reading outside the limit is just a number on a page until someone notices it.
- Gaps are invisible. A missed check leaves an empty line that nobody sees until the audit.
- Finding records takes time. During a complaint or an audit, the right log has to be found in the right file.
What changes when CCP records live in ERP
In an ERP, the CCP is defined once with its limit and monitoring frequency, and each reading is recorded against the batch it belongs to. In Formezy's ISO & HACCP module:
- Readings are entered on the floor, or captured from equipment where sensors are connected, against the batch.
- A reading outside the limit is flagged at once, and the batch can be held until a corrective action is recorded.
- Missing checks show up as overdue, not as empty lines.
- The batch record shows its CCP readings next to its ingredients, tests and dispatches, so a trace includes the food safety evidence.
- Verification is recorded by the person who reviews the records.
Verification: the step that is often skipped
HACCP asks for more than monitoring. Someone other than the person who made the checks should review the records, confirm that limits were met or that deviations were handled, and sign them off. Instruments used for monitoring, such as thermometers and pasteuriser recorders, need calibration on schedule. On paper, verification is a signature at the bottom of a sheet that may or may not be there. In an ERP, the reviewer's name and the date are part of the record, and unreviewed records can be listed at any time.
Common CCP record mistakes
- Readings written up at the end of the shift instead of when the check was made
- Corrective actions described as "adjusted" without saying what happened to the product
- Records that do not say which batch or line they refer to
- Calibration of monitoring instruments that has lapsed
An example from a dairy
Take a milk pasteuriser. The CCP is the pasteurisation temperature and holding time, with limits set in your HACCP plan. Each batch records its temperature readings and any flow diversion. If the temperature drops below the limit, the batch is flagged, the diverted milk is recorded as reprocessed, and the corrective action is written against that batch. When a customer later asks about a specific use-by date, the batch record shows the pasteurisation evidence alongside everything else. The dairy ERP page shows this step in the milk processing flow.
Software does not replace the HACCP team
An ERP keeps records; it does not write your HACCP plan, set your limits or make your process safe. Those decisions belong to your food safety team and the standards you follow. What the system can do is make the records complete, linked and easy to find, so the team spends its time on control rather than paperwork. Read more on our HACCP and food safety records page.
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