What this is
What is HACCP training?
What is HACCP training?
Training in the seven Codex HACCP principles and their application, delivered at two levels: working level for people who monitor critical control points and act on deviations, and team level for those who develop, validate and reassess the plan. The two have different content and different assessment, and running one course for both leaves one group under-served.
Is HACCP training the same as PCQI qualification?
No. A Preventive Controls Qualified Individual under the FSMA preventive controls rule must have completed training at least equivalent to the FDA-recognised standardised curriculum, or be otherwise qualified through job experience. The FDA has been explicit that training from HACCP, GFSI, SQF or BRCGS programmes may not be equivalent, because the CGMP and preventive controls rule contains requirements those programmes do not cover.
Scope
When is a haccp training required?
This record covers HACCP training delivery and assessment. Regulatory qualification requirements sit alongside it and are not the same thing.
Use this template when
- Working level training for people monitoring critical control points and applying reaction plans
- Team level training for those developing, validating and reassessing the plan
- Refresher training on plan revision, new products or new processes
- Training for new team members joining the HACCP team
- Recording the basis on which someone is considered competent for their role in the system
Do not use it for
- PCQI qualification, which has its own requirement and may not be satisfied by HACCP training
- The HACCP plan itself, including hazard analysis and CCP determination
- Validation of critical limits, which is a technical exercise rather than a training activity
- Prerequisite programme training such as sanitation and allergen handling, which are separate courses
- The competency matrix, which reports currency and draws on this record
Compliance mapping
Which Codex requirements does this satisfy?
HACCP training obligations come from scheme requirements and Codex principles, while the qualified individual requirement comes from the FSMA preventive controls rule and is distinct.
| Clause | Requirement | Where it lands |
|---|---|---|
| Codex CXC 1-1969 | Seven HACCP principles and the twelve steps of application, as the international reference | Theory content |
| 21 CFR 117.4 | Qualified individual requirements, including training in the principles of food hygiene and food safety | Working level content |
| 21 CFR 117.180 | Preventive controls qualified individual: training at least equivalent to the standardised curriculum, or job experience | Team level content |
| SQF Edition 9 cl.2.4 | Food safety plan developed by qualified personnel, with HACCP training requirements defined | Team level content |
| BRCGS Issue 9 cl.2 | HACCP team with a trained team leader and members with relevant knowledge | Team level content |
| 9 CFR 417.7 | HACCP plan development and reassessment by an individual trained in accordance with the standard | Team level content |
| ISO 22000 cl.7.2 | Competence of persons affecting food safety performance, with effectiveness evaluated | Knowledge check |
| EU Reg 852/2004 | Training in HACCP principles proportionate to the role, for those responsible for the procedures | Header |
What it does not cover
- PCQI qualification, which has its own requirement and may not be met by HACCP training alone.
- The HACCP plan, including hazard analysis, CCP determination and critical limits.
- Validation of critical limits, which requires scientific justification rather than training.
- Prerequisite programme training covering sanitation, allergens, pest control and personal hygiene.
- The competency matrix, which reports currency across roles and draws on this record.
How to complete it
How to complete a haccp training, step by step
Two levels, two sets of content, and one distinction that determines whether the regulatory requirement is actually met.
Working level covers what the CCP is, what the limit is, how to monitor it, what a deviation looks like and exactly what to do when one occurs. Team level covers hazard analysis, CCP determination, validation, verification and reassessment. Combining them produces a course that is too abstract for the operator and too shallow for the team, and the working level content is the one that matters at 3am.
A knowledge check asking someone to name the seven principles tests recall. A check asking what they would do if the metal detector failed a test piece check, and how far back product would be held, tests whether the training will function under pressure. The second is harder to write and considerably more useful.
Record who the PCQI is, on what basis they qualify, and whether that basis is the FDA-recognised curriculum or documented job experience. Do not assume a HACCP certificate covers it. Where the qualification rests on experience, record what that experience is, because self-qualifying is permitted and needs to be evidenced.
When the plan changes, a CCP moves, a limit is revised or a new product is introduced, the people monitoring it need to know before the change takes effect. That trigger is the one most often missed, because plan revision belongs to the HACCP team and training belongs to somebody else.
What auditors find
Most common haccp training findings
Findings here divide between training design and the qualification position.
| Finding | Clause | What fixes it |
|---|---|---|
| Single course delivered for working and team levels. | SQF 2.4 | Separate delivery and assessment; the levels need different content and depth. |
| PCQI position assumed to be covered by HACCP or GFSI training. | 21 CFR 117.180 | Assess against the rule; FDA guidance states such training may not be equivalent. |
| PCQI qualification basis not recorded. | 21 CFR 117.180 | Record whether qualification rests on the standardised curriculum or documented experience. |
| Knowledge check tests recall of principles rather than reaction to deviation. | ISO 22000 cl.7.2 | Assess the reaction plan response; that is what the training exists to produce. |
| No retraining after plan revision or CCP change. | 9 CFR 417.7 | Trigger training on plan revision; the change is the point at which knowledge becomes wrong. |
| Training records lacking trainer identity or content covered. | SQF 2.4 | Record trainer, date, content and outcome; attendance alone evidences little. |
| HACCP team members without documented relevant knowledge. | BRCGS cl.2 | Record the basis for each member's inclusion; a team is not a list of departments. |
| Agency and night shift staff monitoring CCPs without working level training. | 21 CFR 117.4 | Cover everyone who monitors, whoever employs them. |
| Certificate of attendance presented as PCQI certification. | FSPCA guidance | Correct the language; FSPCA does not certify, and the distinction matters in an inspection. |
| Food safety plan deficiencies with no reassessment of PCQI competence. | 21 CFR 117.180 | Plan deficiencies indicate the PCQI may need additional training regardless of certificates held. |
Case in point
Case in point: the certificate on the wall
A processor received an FDA inspection. The quality manager produced a framed PCQI certificate from a twenty-hour course completed three years earlier, along with HACCP training certificates for the team and a GFSI scheme certificate for the site. The documentation was in order.
The inspection focused on the food safety plan. The hazard analysis had not been revisited after a new supplier introduced an ingredient with a different allergen profile, the sanitation preventive control had no verification procedure, and the recall plan named a person who had left. None of that was a training records question.
FDA's position is that it assesses the adequacy of the facility's food safety plan rather than an individual's documented qualifications, and that deficiencies in the plan indicate the PCQI may need additional training irrespective of what training is documented. The certificates were accurate and irrelevant.
The template
The template, field by field
The form exactly as it installs. Every field, option, score and conditional rule is editable, and the links to other templates come with it.
7 sections
- Reference
- TRN-052
- Archetype
- Training
- Record ID
- TRN-2026-000
- Scoring
- Certification achieved
- Direction
- High is good
- Singleton
- No
- Basis
- Codex, SQF 2.4
- Links
- Links Worker, HACCP Plan
- Tags
- Training, Food safety
- Sections
- 7
- Fields
- 57
- Follow up fields
- 11
- Repeating sections
- 1
- Links out
- 7
Header
13 fieldsTraining ID*
Auto sequence. Format TRN-2026-00000.
The record's own ID. Other templates point at this value.
Status*
Drives who this goes to next.
- Planned2 pts
- In progress2 pts
- Complete3 pts
- Deferred0 pts
- Open0 pts
- Closed3 pts
- Overdue0 pts
Date and Time*
Delivered By*
Site*
Site ID*
Format SITE-000.
Links to FDN-001 Site ID
Course
Course ID
Format CRS-000.
Links to FDN-007 Course ID
Delivery Method*
Duration Minutes*
Trainer Qualified*
- Yes3 pts
- Subject expert, not trainer trained1 pt
- No0 pts
Audience Level*
Awareness for all workers, working level for those monitoring CCPs, or team level for plan authors.
HACCP Plan ID
Links to QUA-046 HACCP ID
Theory content
4 fieldsWhy We Have CCPs
Video explaining a real outbreak caused by a missed control step, and how a CCP would have prevented it.
Our CCPs
Each critical control point on this site, what it controls, its critical limit, and who monitors it.
Out Of Limits Means Stop
What happens the moment a reading falls outside the limit. Hold product back to the last good reading, then act.
Records Are Evidence
A record filled in later is not a record. Photographs showing what a properly completed CCP log looks like.
Knowledge check
7 fieldsWhat is a critical control point*
- Correct3 pts
- Partly correct1 pt
- Incorrect0 pts
Name one CCP on this site and its critical limit*
- Correct3 pts
- Partly correct1 pt
- Incorrect0 pts
A reading is outside the limit. What are your first two actions*
- Correct3 pts
- Partly correct1 pt
- Incorrect0 pts
Why can you not complete a CCP log at the end of the shift*
- Correct3 pts
- Partly correct1 pt
- Incorrect0 pts
Score Percent*
Pass Mark Percent*
Passed*
- Yes3 pts
- No0 pts
Attendance
Repeats8 fieldsAttendee*
Person ID*
Format PER-0000.
Links to FDN-003 Person ID
Attended Full Session*
- Yes3 pts
- Partly1 pt
- No0 pts
Language Understood*
A session delivered in a language somebody does not follow is attendance, not training.
- Yes3 pts
- Partly1 pt
- No0 pts
Participated
- Actively3 pts
- Some2 pts
- None1 pt
Understood The Content*
- Yes3 pts
- Partly1 pt
- No0 pts
Follow Up Needed
Attendee Signature*
Working level content
6 fieldsWorking Level Content Delivered*
Repeats the header audience level so these items sit with their own gate.
Monitoring Procedure Trained
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Corrective Action Trained
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Record Completion Trained
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Instrument Use Trained
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Verification Versus Monitoring Explained
- Yes3 pts
- Partly1 pt
- No0 pts
Team level content
4 fieldsTeam Level Content Delivered*
Repeats the header audience level so these items sit with their own gate.
Hazard Analysis Method Covered
- Yes3 pts
- Partly1 pt
- No0 pts
Decision Tree Covered
- Yes3 pts
- Partly1 pt
- No0 pts
Validation And Verification Covered
- Yes3 pts
- Partly1 pt
- No0 pts
Record
15 fieldsAttendees Expected*
Attendees Present*
Attendance Percent*
Absentees Listed*
Who missed it matters more than who attended. Catch up sessions start here.
- Yes3 pts
- No0 pts
Catch Up Session Scheduled
- Yes3 pts
- Not needed3 pts
- No0 pts
Training Record ID
Links to TRN-064 Record ID
Competency Matrix Updated*
- Yes3 pts
- No0 pts
Matrix ID
Links to TRN-020 Matrix ID
Next Refresher Due
Follow Up Action Required*
Raise the action record, then enter its reference here.
- Yes2 pts
- No0 pts
- N/Aexcluded from denominator
Priority
- High0 pts
- Medium1 pt
- Low3 pts
CAPA ID
Format CAPA-2026-00000.
Links to FDN-014 CAPA ID
Action Owner
Food Safety Lead*
Signature*
TRN-052 · record IDs look like TRN-2026-000 · Links Worker, HACCP Plan
Open in KnowellaRun it with agents
From a document you fill in to a programme that runs itself
The record is a training certificate at two levels. What fails is the PCQI position nobody assessed against the rule, and the plan revision that never reached the people monitoring it.
Records working and team level separately with the assessment used, and tracks the PCQI qualification basis explicitly rather than inferring it from a certificate.
Links plan revisions to the people monitoring the affected CCPs, so a changed limit raises a training requirement before it takes effect.
Flags where plan deficiencies have been found, since FDA treats those as an indicator that the PCQI may need further training regardless of documentation.
Covers agency and contractor staff who monitor CCPs, who are frequently outside the site training matrix.
This template lives in KnowTrain — training and credentials. Induction, competency, toolbox talks, refreshers and expiry tracking.
Meet KnowTrain→Glossary
HACCP Training definitions and key terms
- HACCP
- Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point, the seven-principle system defined by Codex for controlling food safety hazards.
- PCQI
- Preventive Controls Qualified Individual under the FSMA preventive controls rule, qualified by standardised training or equivalent job experience.
- Qualified individual
- Under 21 CFR 117.4, a person with the education, training or experience to perform their assigned duties. A broader category than PCQI.
- FSPCA
- Food Safety Preventive Controls Alliance, developer of the FDA-recognised standardised curriculum. It does not certify individuals.
- Working level training
- Content for those monitoring CCPs: what the limit is, how to monitor, what a deviation is and what to do about it.
- Team level training
- Content for those developing and maintaining the plan: hazard analysis, CCP determination, validation, verification, reassessment.
- Self-qualifying
- Meeting the PCQI requirement through documented equivalent job experience rather than through the standardised curriculum.
- Reassessment
- Review of the plan, required at least annually under most regimes and on any change affecting the hazard analysis.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about haccp training
Is there such a thing as PCQI certification?+
No. The FSPCA, which develops the FDA-recognised curriculum, states specifically that it does not certify anyone, including its own lead instructors, and that firms advertising FSMA or PCQI certification are misleading. Courses issue a certificate of attendance or completion. There is no exam and no recertification requirement attached to the role.
Does our HACCP training make someone a PCQI?+
Not necessarily. FDA guidance is explicit that the CGMP and preventive controls rule contains requirements that HACCP, GFSI, SQF and BRCGS training may not cover, and that an individual with such training may need additional training specific to the rule. The requirement is training at least equivalent to the standardised curriculum, or qualification through job experience.
How does FDA assess whether we have a competent PCQI?+
By assessing the adequacy of the food safety plan rather than the individual's documented qualifications. Deficiencies in the plan indicate that the PCQI may need additional training regardless of what certificates are held. This is worth internalising, because it means the plan is the evidence and the certificate is context.
Can someone qualify without taking a course?+
Yes. The rule permits qualification through job experience sufficient to develop and apply a food safety system, sometimes called self-qualifying. Where that route is used it should be documented, because the qualification then rests on evidence of experience rather than on a certificate, and that evidence needs to exist before it is asked for.
What should working level training cover?+
What the CCP is, what the critical limit is, how monitoring is performed and recorded, what a deviation looks like, and exactly what to do when one occurs including how far back to hold product and who to inform. It should be assessed by asking what someone would do in a specific deviation scenario rather than by asking them to list the seven principles.
When is retraining required?+
On plan revision, when a CCP or critical limit changes, when a new product or process is introduced, and when monitoring or verification suggests understanding is inadequate. The plan revision trigger fails most often, because the revision belongs to the HACCP team and the training obligation belongs elsewhere.
Keep going
Related templates and programmes
Industries this is written for
Programmes this belongs to
Used together in HACCP and Food Safety
Unannounced Audit Readiness Check
Checks whether the site would pass an audit arriving today, covering records, standards and area condition
Product Nonconformance Report
Records product that does not meet specification
Hold and Release Record
Places suspect product on hold and records the decision to release, rework or scrap it
HACCP Plan
The hazard analysis and critical control point plan for a product or process
HACCP Verification Record
Confirms the HACCP plan is being followed and still works
CCP Monitoring Log
Records readings at a critical control point, such as cook temperature, chill time or metal detection
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Written and reviewed by
Siddarth Singh
Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Knowella
Certified Safety Professional and industrial and systems engineer with more than a decade inside food supply chain, freight and manufacturing operations. This page was written against the current text of the standards it cites, not against secondary summaries of them.
- Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Board of Certified Safety Professionals
- MBA, University of Chicago Booth School of Business
- MS and BS, The Ohio State University, Industrial and Systems Engineering
- Six Sigma Black Belt
Sources and last review. Reviewed 16 August 2026 against:
- 21 CFR 117.4 and 117.180, qualified individual and preventive controls qualified individual, FDA
- FSPCA Preventive Controls for Human Food curriculum, version 2.0
- Codex Alimentarius CXC 1-1969, General Principles of Food Hygiene including HACCP
- SQF Edition 9 clause 2.4 and BRCGS Food Safety Issue 9 section 2
- 9 CFR 417.7, training requirements for HACCP plan development, USDA FSIS
This page is general guidance, not legal advice. Confirm requirements with your jurisdiction’s regulator.