What HACCP is
HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) is a system for analyzing hazards and managing critical control points. It was developed in the 1960s by NASA and Pillsbury to guarantee the safety of astronauts' food.
In Kazakhstan, HACCP is codified in ST RK ISO 22000:2019 (the national standard, harmonized with the international ISO 22000:2018) and has been mandatory for all food producers since 1 January 2022.
The 7 HACCP principles
1. Hazard analysis — biological (microorganisms), chemical (pesticides, allergens, cleaning agents), physical (metal, glass, plastic).
2. Identifying CCPs (critical control points) — the points in the process where control is essential to eliminate a hazard.
3. Establishing critical limits — measurable values for each CCP (temperature, time, pH, water activity).
4. CCP monitoring — who, when, how, and how often.
5. Corrective actions — what to do when a deviation occurs.
6. Verification — an independent check that the system works.
7. Documentation — logs, records, work instructions.
The 12 implementation steps
Per Codex Alimentarius (the international food code):
1. Assemble the HACCP team (3–7 people: technologist, hygienist, engineer, production manager).
2. Describe the product (composition, packaging, shelf life, storage conditions).
3. Identify the intended use (consumer, method of preparation).
4. Build a flow diagram of the production process.
5. Verify the flow diagram on site (gemba).
6. Conduct the hazard analysis (principle 1 of the 7).
7. Identify the CCPs (the Codex decision tree).
8. Establish critical limits.
9. Set up the monitoring system.
10. Define corrective actions.
11. Verification.
12. Documentation and records.
Typical costs and timelines
Micro facility (1–3 SKUs, up to 100 m²): 800 thousand – 1.5 million ₸ for implementation + 80–150 thousand ₸/year for maintenance. Timeline: 8–12 weeks.
Small facility (4–15 SKUs, 100–500 m²): 2.5 – 5 million ₸ + 250–500 thousand ₸/year. Timeline: 12–16 weeks.
Mid-sized facility (15+ SKUs, 500+ m²): 8 – 12 million ₸ + 800 thousand – 1.5 million ₸/year. Timeline: 16–20 weeks.
Most of the budget goes not to consulting but to infrastructure changes (zoning, additional sinks, labeling, metrology).
5 common mistakes
1. **Delegating everything to the consultant.** The team must know the system inside out; otherwise, at inspection time "only Serik knows everything, and he's on vacation" — a failure.
2. **Too many CCPs.** 4–8 CCPs is normal for a typical facility. If you have 20, the problem lies in facility design and prerequisite programs.
3. **Not keeping records every day.** In the eyes of the SES (sanitary-epidemiological service), the logs ARE the HACCP system.
4. **Forgetting about allergens.** Milk, nuts, gluten, eggs, fish, shellfish, soy, mustard, celery — the big ones. If they are in the recipe, they must appear on the packaging and get a dedicated control point in the HACCP plan.
5. **Skipping the annual re-audit.** HACCP is a living system; it must be updated at least once a year and after every process or product change.
- HACCP has been mandatory in Kazakhstan since 2022 (Law No. 301-III).
- Implementation timeline: 12–16 weeks for a typical facility.
- Budget: 800 thousand – 12 million ₸ depending on size.
- The key is training your own team, not "buying the paperwork".
- Without HACCP you will not get into Magnum / Galmart / METRO.