HACCP plan
Vacuum-packed frozen fish
Prepared to FDA Food Code 2022, 8-201.14. Sample: your plan carries your business, your recipe and your equipment.
8-201.14(A) General information
- Business name
- ____________________
- Address
- ____________________
- Permit number
- __________
- Person in charge, title, phone
- ____________________
- Plan verified by (name, title)
- ____________________
8-201.14(B) Food categorization
- Food
- Fish fillets (salmon, cod, halibut)
- Category
- Fish packaged by reduced oxygen packaging, kept frozen
- Why it is controlled
- Unfrozen fish may not be vacuum packed in a restaurant because of the C. botulinum type E risk 3-502.12(C)
8-201.14(C) Flow diagram
Vacuum-packed frozen fish
- 01 Receive At 41°F or below
- 02 Portion
- 03 FreezeCCP Frozen solid before packing 3-502.12(C)
- 04 Vacuum seal frozen Fish stays frozen
- 05 Label keep frozenCCP Keep frozen until used 3-502.12(C)
- 06 Frozen storageCCP Frozen at all times
- 07 Open, then thawCCP Out of the bag before thawing at 41°F 3-501.13(E)
- 08 Cook 145°F for 15 s 3-401.11(A)(1)
8-201.14(D) Ingredients, equipment and procedures
Recipe (your amounts)
- Fish fillets: ____ portions of ____ g
- Nothing added to the bag
Equipment
- Freezer
- Chamber vacuum sealer
- Labels printed in bold type
- Walk-in for thawing
- Calibrated probe thermometer
Procedural controls
- Fish is frozen before, during and after packaging and labeled to be kept frozen until time of use. 3-502.12(C)
- Each bag is opened before the fish thaws under refrigeration. 3-501.13(E)
- Bare hands never touch ready-to-eat food. 3-301.11(B)
- Packaging is done in a designated area, apart from ready-to-eat food, or at a different time with the area cleaned and sanitized between. 3-502.12(B)(5)(b)
- The sealer and food-contact surfaces are cleaned and sanitized between raw and ready-to-eat products. 3-502.12(B)(5)(c)
- Only trained staff use the sealer; access is limited to them. 3-502.12(B)(5)(d)
8-201.14(E) Critical control points summary
| CCP | Significant hazard | Critical limit | Monitoring | If the limit is missed | Verification and records |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Frozen before, during and after packing | C. botulinum type E growth and toxin in sealed fish | Fish frozen solid before it is packed, and kept frozen while packed and stored3-502.12(C) | Packer checks each fillet is frozen solid before sealing; freezer logged twice a day | Fish not frozen: do not seal it; freeze first or use it fresh without vacuum packing. Freezer failed: evaluate and discard thawed sealed fish | Person in charge reviews the freezer log dailyCold holding log (freezer), corrective action log |
| Label | A bag thawed in the sealed package by mistake | Every bag labeled to be kept frozen until time of use3-502.12(C) | Packer labels at sealing | No label: open the bag and use or rewrap without vacuum | Weekly label checkROP label and discard log |
| Thaw | Toxin forming while fish thaws without oxygen | Removed from the bag before thawing under refrigeration (food at 41°F or less)3-501.13(E), 3-501.13(A) | Cook opens bags as they come out of the freezer; logs the batch | Found thawed in a sealed bag: discard | Person in charge spot checks the walk-inROP label and discard log |
8-201.14(F) Supporting documents
Training
- Each person who packs, labels or thaws fish is trained on this plan, and it is written down.
- Training covers why unfrozen fish must never be vacuum packed (C. botulinum type E grows at refrigerator temperatures).
Records (blank logs attached to the plan)
- ROP label and discard log
- Cold holding log
- Cooking log
- Thermometer calibration log
- Corrective action log
Label
IMPORTANT: Keep frozen until used.
Thaw under refrigeration immediately before use, out of this package.
Fish: ____ Packed: date ____
8-201.14(G) Other information your regulatory authority asks for
Some health departments add their own forms, a fee, a lab test or a site visit. See what your state lists, then ask your plan reviewer before you start.