HACCP for small hospitality businesses made simple

A small hospitality business is required to follow HACCP too, but that does not need to be complicated or expensive: with the official hygiene code as a base and a few simple daily records, it stays manageable, even without a dedicated quality department.

Does a small hospitality business also need to comply with HACCP?

Yes, the size of a business makes no difference: every hospitality business that prepares food and drinks for consumption on site must work according to the latest hygiene code or its own food safety plan based on HACCP. A one person business with a small terrace has the same obligation as a large kitchen, only the practical way of meeting it is usually much simpler.

What is the hygiene code and why does it make things simpler?

The Dutch hospitality hygiene code is a pre-approved HACCP system, recognised by the ministry of health, that according to the Dutch food safety authority's guidance on food safety plans and hygiene codes describes how to meet the legal requirements without writing a full HACCP plan from scratch. Instead of starting a hazard analysis from zero, you follow the ready-made guidelines in the code, which saves a small business a lot of time and hassle.

Which basic records do you actually need?

For most small hospitality businesses, it comes down to a few recurring records in practice:

• Temperature of fridges and freezers, usually checked once or a few times a day.
• Receiving checks for incoming deliveries, so you know products arrived at the right temperature.
• Cleaning of the kitchen and equipment, logged on a fixed schedule.

What does it cost to be HACCP compliant as a small business?

The hygiene code itself is an affordable one time purchase, and the biggest cost usually is not the document, it is the time it takes to keep records up daily. A food safety fine for a missing or incomplete record starts from 525 euros, which is exactly why a simple system you can actually keep up with ends up cheaper than an elaborate one that stops being used after a few weeks. The hygiene code itself usually costs a few tens of euros, with a discount for trade association members, and that small investment does not outweigh the risk of a fine or a breakdown that gets noticed too late.

How do you keep HACCP simple with only a few people on staff?

With a small team there is often no one whose job is food safety alone, so the system itself needs to take as much work off your hands as possible. Automatic temperature monitoring helps with that: instead of someone manually filling in a temperature logbook several times a day, Coolwatcher measures the temperature continuously and sends a WhatsApp alert the moment something deviates, with an actual phone call if that alert goes unacknowledged or happens during a closed night or weekend. Through the Coolwatcher app for iOS and Android you can also check in at any time, even when you are not on site yourself.

Is going digital easier than paper for a small business?

For most small businesses, yes, since a digital system automatically generates an overview you can show right away during an inspection, instead of having to gather loose paper lists first. Read more about the difference between digital and paper HACCP registration if you are unsure which approach fits your business best.

Frequently asked questions

Am I required to buy the hygiene code book?

You are legally required to have a food safety plan based on HACCP, but not specifically to buy the hygiene code book. In practice, most small businesses choose to anyway, since it is the fastest and cheapest route to meeting the requirements.

Does the food safety authority check small businesses less strictly?

No, the requirements are the same regardless of the size of the business. A small terrace or a food truck needs the same basic records in order as a large kitchen, only the amount of work is usually smaller.

How much time does HACCP take daily for a small business?

With a few fixed, short moments each day for temperature and cleaning, you are usually done within minutes. Automatic temperature monitoring cuts that down even further, since the measurement no longer has to be done by hand.

Want to keep HACCP for your small business as simple as possible, without temperature checks being a daily chore? Coolwatcher offers automatic temperature monitoring from 50 euros a month, including a free demo. Take a look at the Coolwatcher product page to get started.