During a DDPP inspection, the inspector will want to make sure that you are correctly applying the HACCP method in your establishment, and that you are able to guarantee food safety.
Some good hygiene practices seem obvious (not serving out-of-date products, washing your hands, etc.), but others require knowledge of current regulations. To be in order during a hygiene inspection, you need to prove that you are applying the HACCP method, either by using HACCP software on a tablet, or by completing your records on paper.
If you don't have a Sanitary Control Plan (SCP), you must still apply the HACCP method, and follow good hygiene practices.
In concrete terms, the HACCP method identifies 3 types of hazard:
By assessing these hazards, corrective action can be taken to minimize health risks. The HACCP method is based on 7 pillars:
Guaranteeing traceability is one of the keys to food safety. In fact, all restaurateurs are required to comply with HACCP traceability requirements. EC Regulation 178/2002 of January 28, 2002 lays down procedures for food safety. Food traceability is the 7th and final pillar of the Plan de Maitrise Sanitaire (PMS).
To ensure food traceability, you need to be able to "trace a food, feed, food-producing animal or a substance intended to be, or likely to be, incorporated into a food or feed through all stages of production, processing and distribution".
To control the goods you receive from your distributors, you need to check that they comply with :
- No product should go out of date
- Packaging must be intact (beware of punctured bags, damaged cans, etc.).
But you must also check that the delivery temperature is correct. Even in the heat of summer, the temperature of fresh produce must not exceed 4°C! If this is not the case, you must refuse the goods.
Primary traceability :
For example, to guarantee internal traceability, you need to keep the best-before or use-by dates of your products, as well as batch numbers .
Secondary traceability:
Secondary BBDs must be defined according to production and product conditions. The aim is to reduce bacteriological hazards. Establish appropriate secondary use-by dates for each product family, according to your production conditions.
Secondary use-by dates apply to all unpackaged or opened foodstuffs. These products must be stored away from external contamination (humidity, air, odors), either in film-covered bins or hermetically sealed.
Cool, fresh products must be stored at the correct temperature after unpacking. In most cases, this means refrigeration at a temperature below 5°C to prevent the development and proliferation of bacteria and micro-organisms.
At the very least, you need to take regular temperature readings in your positive and negative cold rooms, ideally before each service. The aim is to check that the cold is constant and that foodstuffs are well preserved. You can do this on paper, or via an application like Octopus HACCP.
Do you have a cooling cell? You need to note the start time and temperature, as well as the cooling time. For a hot product, this time must not exceed 2 hours to go from 63°C to 10°C.
If the regulations seem complex to you, and you'd like to find out more about the HACCP readings to be taken in your kitchen and benefit from a free audit? Contact an expert!
