What Is HACCP?
HACCP stands for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points. It is a systematic, science-based approach to food safety that identifies, evaluates, and controls hazards that are significant to food safety throughout the production process. Originally developed in the 1960s by NASA and Pillsbury to ensure food safety for space missions, HACCP has since become the international standard for food safety management in the food processing industry.
For the seafood industry specifically, HACCP is not optional — it is a regulatory requirement in virtually every major import market. The United States, European Union, Japan, Canada, Australia, and most other developed markets require that seafood processors operate under a validated HACCP plan.
Why HACCP Matters for Seafood Buyers
As a seafood importer or distributor, you may not be processing the product yourself, but HACCP directly impacts your business in several critical ways:
- Regulatory compliance — If your supplier does not have a valid HACCP plan, your import may be rejected at the border. In the US, FDA requires importers to verify that foreign suppliers operate under HACCP (21 CFR Part 123).
- Product safety — Seafood carries specific hazards including histamine (in tuna and mackerel), pathogens (Vibrio, Salmonella, Listeria), parasites, heavy metals, and chemical residues. A proper HACCP system controls these hazards at critical points in production.
- Liability protection — If a food safety incident occurs, your due diligence in verifying supplier HACCP compliance is a critical part of your legal defense.
- Customer requirements — Most retail chains and food service distributors require that their suppliers and their suppliers' suppliers operate under HACCP as a baseline food safety requirement.
The 7 Principles of HACCP
Every HACCP plan is built on seven core principles established by the Codex Alimentarius Commission:
Principle 1: Conduct a Hazard Analysis
Identify all potential biological, chemical, and physical hazards associated with each step of the production process. For a frozen shrimp processing plant, this might include:
- Biological — Salmonella, Vibrio, E. coli, parasites
- Chemical — Antibiotic residues, sulfite residues, heavy metals, allergens
- Physical — Shell fragments, metal pieces, foreign objects
Each hazard is evaluated for severity and likelihood to determine which hazards are significant and must be controlled.
Principle 2: Determine Critical Control Points (CCPs)
A Critical Control Point is a step in the process where a control can be applied to prevent, eliminate, or reduce a food safety hazard to an acceptable level. Common CCPs in seafood processing include:
- Receiving raw material (checking temperature, supplier documentation, visual inspection)
- Metal detection (controlling physical hazards)
- Cooking/thermal processing (for cooked products — eliminating pathogens)
- Freezing (achieving core temperature of -18°C or below)
Principle 3: Establish Critical Limits
For each CCP, establish measurable critical limits that separate acceptable from unacceptable. Examples:
- Raw material receiving temperature: must not exceed 4°C for fresh raw material
- Metal detector sensitivity: ferrous 1.5mm, non-ferrous 2.0mm, stainless steel 2.5mm
- Cooking temperature: internal temperature must reach 74°C for minimum 15 seconds
- Blast freezer: product core must reach -18°C within 4 hours
Principle 4: Establish Monitoring Procedures
Define how each CCP will be monitored to ensure critical limits are met. Monitoring includes specifying what is measured, how it is measured, how often, and who is responsible. All monitoring must be documented in real time.
Principle 5: Establish Corrective Actions
Define what happens when monitoring shows that a CCP has deviated from its critical limit. Corrective actions must address both the immediate product (hold, evaluate, dispose) and the cause of the deviation (repair equipment, retrain staff, modify procedure).
Principle 6: Establish Verification Procedures
Verification confirms that the HACCP system is working correctly. This includes activities such as reviewing monitoring records, calibrating measuring instruments, conducting microbial testing of finished products, and performing internal audits of the HACCP system.
Principle 7: Establish Record-Keeping Procedures
Maintain accurate records of the hazard analysis, CCP determination, critical limits, monitoring activities, corrective actions, verification activities, and any modifications to the HACCP plan. These records are reviewed during regulatory inspections and third-party audits.
How to Verify Your Supplier's HACCP Compliance
As an importer, you should not simply take a supplier's word that they have HACCP. Here are practical steps to verify compliance:
- Request the HACCP certificate — A legitimate HACCP certificate will be issued by a recognized certification body (e.g., SGS, Bureau Veritas, TUV, Intertek) and will have a validity period and scope of certification.
- Check the scope — Ensure the certificate covers the specific product you are buying and the specific facility producing it. A company may have HACCP for one product line but not another.
- Verify the certifying body — Check that the certification body is accredited. You can verify this through national accreditation bodies or the IAF (International Accreditation Forum) database.
- Request lab test results — Ask for recent third-party lab test results for microbiological, chemical, and heavy metal parameters relevant to your product.
- Conduct or commission an audit — For significant supply relationships, conduct a physical audit of the supplier's facility. This is the gold standard for supplier verification.
- Check government approval lists — For EU imports, check the TRACES database for approved establishments. For US imports, check the FDA Import Alert list to see if the supplier has any outstanding issues.
HACCP vs. Other Certifications
HACCP is the foundation, but it sits within a broader ecosystem of food safety and quality certifications. Here is how they relate:
BRC Global Standard for Food Safety
BRC (now part of BRCGS) is a GFSI-benchmarked standard that goes beyond HACCP to cover quality management, site standards, product control, and process control. BRC certification implies a valid HACCP system plus comprehensive quality management. Learn more about our certifications.
ISO 22000
An international standard that combines HACCP principles with ISO management system requirements. ISO 22000 provides a framework for managing food safety across the entire food chain.
FSSC 22000
Builds on ISO 22000 with additional prerequisite programs (PRPs) and is recognized by GFSI. Widely adopted in the food processing industry.
SQF (Safe Quality Food)
A GFSI-recognized scheme that covers food safety and quality management. Particularly common in the US and Australian markets.
GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices)
GMP covers the basic operational and environmental conditions for food production. GMP is a prerequisite for HACCP — you need GMP as the foundation before you can build a HACCP system on top of it.
Halal Certification
Halal certification covers the religious permissibility of food products and the slaughter/processing methods used. It is a separate requirement from food safety certifications but equally important for Muslim-majority markets.
HACCP in Thailand's Seafood Industry
Thailand's Department of Fisheries (DOF) mandates HACCP for all seafood processing establishments that export. The Thai government has aligned its food safety regulations with international standards, and Thai seafood processing plants are regularly inspected by both national authorities and international auditors.
Hanuman Seafood's processing facilities in Thailand maintain HACCP certification alongside BRC, GMP, EU approval, FDA registration, and Halal certification. Our HACCP plans are product-specific and are reviewed and updated annually or whenever there are significant process changes.
Key Takeaways for Buyers
- HACCP is the minimum food safety requirement — not an optional nice-to-have.
- Always verify the scope, validity, and accreditation of your supplier's HACCP certificate.
- Look for GFSI-benchmarked certifications (BRC, FSSC 22000, SQF) for a higher level of assurance.
- Request lab test results for every shipment and maintain your own verification records.
- A supplier's willingness to share documentation and welcome audits is itself a quality indicator.
Need a certified seafood supplier you can trust? Contact Hanuman Seafood to discuss your requirements and request our full certification package.
