HACCP prerequisite programs, explained one by one
The 18 programs that keep your site under control before a CCP ever comes into play: what each one covers, the records auditors expect, and how often to check them.
4 min read
Prerequisite programs (PRPs) are the basic conditions and activities that keep a food site hygienic and under control: supplier approval, cleaning, pest control, maintenance, training, allergen control and more. They come before HACCP. Your HACCP plan then deals with the specific hazards that PRPs alone can’t control, at critical control points. Auditors check PRPs at least as closely as CCPs, because most findings come from them.
How PRPs and CCPs fit together
Prerequisite programs
Site-wide controls that apply whatever you’re making. Monitored on a schedule: daily, weekly, monthly or yearly. If one slips, you correct it and check whether product was affected.
Critical control points
Specific steps where a hazard must be controlled, with a validated critical limit, such as a cook temperature or metal detection. Monitored every batch or continuously. A deviation means product is held.
There’s no single official list of PRPs. The Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene and the ISO 22002 series used by FSSC 22000 group them differently. The 18 below are the set EthicalHub uses, organised around what auditors check.
Each program, and the records behind it
Monitoring frequencies are typical starting points. Set yours by risk, and follow your scheme where it’s more specific.
| # | Program | What it controls | Records auditors expect | Typical check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Approved supplier program | Only approved suppliers, with current certificates | Approved supplier list, certificates, approval records | Monthly review, annual re-approval |
| 2 | Receiving and delivery | Goods-in checks and rejection | Delivery log, temperatures, rejections | Every delivery |
| 3 | Food storage | Storage conditions, labelling, stock rotation | Storage temperature logs, rotation records | Daily |
| 4 | Temperature control | Chilling, heating and holding outside CCPs | Temperature logs, probe calibration | Daily or per shift |
| 5 | Cleaning and sanitation | Clean food-contact surfaces and equipment | Schedule, signed records, sanitiser checks, verification swabs | Daily and weekly by schedule |
| 6 | Pest control | Keeping pests out of food areas | Contract, site map, service reports, actions | Monthly service |
| 7 | Personal hygiene | Handwashing, clothing, illness reporting | Hygiene policy, induction sign-offs, visitor declarations | Ongoing, reviewed yearly |
| 8 | Staff training and competency | Everyone trained for their role | Training matrix, certificates, inductions | New starters; yearly review |
| 9 | Allergen management | Allergen identification, segregation and labelling | Allergen matrix, changeover validation, label checks | Every run and recipe change |
| 10 | Cross-contamination prevention | Separation of raw and ready-to-eat, zoning | Procedure, colour-coding register | Daily |
| 11 | Equipment maintenance and calibration | Equipment fit for use, instruments accurate | Equipment register, maintenance log, calibration certificates | By schedule, often quarterly |
| 12 | Water quality | Safe water, ice and steam | Supply confirmation, test results where needed | Yearly or on supply change |
| 13 | Waste management | Waste removed without contaminating food | Procedure, disposal records | Daily |
| 14 | Chemical management | Safe storage and use of chemicals | Chemical register, safety data sheets | Yearly review |
| 15 | Glass and brittle materials | Breakage risks in food areas | Register, audits, breakage log | Monthly |
| 16 | Foreign matter control | Physical contaminants outside CCPs | Procedure, incident log | Daily |
| 17 | Traceability and recall | Tracing lots and recalling product | Procedure, batch records, mock recall reports | Yearly test, minimum |
| 18 | Corrective actions | Finding and fixing failures for good | Corrective action log, root cause, verification | As they occur; monthly review |
Where to start if your PRPs are patchy
- Start with the high-risk four: supplier approval, cleaning, allergens and traceability. They’re where auditors look hardest.
- Write down what you already do before inventing new procedures. Most sites do more than they record.
- Give each program an owner, a check frequency and one place its records live.
- Review them yearly, alongside your HACCP plan, and whenever something changes on site.
Supplier approval has its own guide: what a supplier approval program must contain.
All 18, ready to run
EthicalHub includes all 18 prerequisite programs as ready templates, with the records, check frequencies and corrective actions built in. Daily checks are logged on a phone, overdue ones are flagged, and everything goes into your audit pack.
See your PRPs in one place
A walkthrough built around your site and your scheme.
Prerequisite programs: common questions
What are prerequisite programs in HACCP?
How many prerequisite programs are there?
What is the difference between a PRP and a CCP?
Do auditors check prerequisite programs?
Run all 18, without the binders.
See how EthicalHub keeps every prerequisite program current and audit-ready.