Models, Templates, and Record Keeping Forms
A Food Safety Plan
Since the passage of the Food Safety Modernization Act, most food businesses are now required to develop a food safety plan of some sort—meat and poultry processors, processors of other human food (dairy, processed fruits, vegetables, seafood, baked goods, etc.), and processors of animal food, and some produce growers who may be required by third party auditors or customers to have a food safety plan. Some may call it a HACCP Plan (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point), others may call it a GAP plan or a simply a food safety plan.
No matter the title, the development and implementation of a food safety plan requires that the operator of the farm or processing plant think about all of the steps that their food product goes through from the time it shows up at the back door of the operation (as plants, seeds, or ingredients) until it leaves from the front door on its way to the buyer.
Food safety plans are optional under the Produce Safety Rule. However, while you may be using safe agricultural or food handling practices, writing a food safety plan makes those practices visible to your customer via written plans and practices and records that document your food safety practices. It will help to hold you accountable to the food safety policies, programs and practices you say you are following. It could be useful should their ever be an outbreak tied to your operation. Documentation that you are following food safety practices will work in your favor and may minimize any liability that you might incur.
Keep in mind that your plan is YOUR PLAN. Each operation is different. While you can look at models of food safety plans or use a template, be sure that what you end up with is appropriate and reflective of your operation….not a cut and pasted plan for some farm in New Jersey…. Don’t include things that you will not or cannot do.
Generally, a farm food safety plan should include the following:
Operational information
- Name of farm
- Business address
- Owner of farm
- Person in charge of food safety operations
- Contact information for owner and food safety manager (phone, email)
- Suppliers (seeds, compost, pesticides, sanitizer, packing materials, labels, etc.) This is helpful, but not essential.
- Contact information for lawyer, insurance company, appropriate Department of Agriculture personnel, well company, water company, laboratory where water tests are sent, plumber, electrician, etc. (helpful, but not essential)
- A list of customers you sell product to and/or farmers markets you participate in.
Description of your farm operation
- Size of farm (acreage)
- Number of employees
- Types of products
Sections relating to operations (helpful to use outline similar to PSA course organization)
- Employee hygiene and training
- Wildlife and domestic animals
- Biological soil amendments of animal origin
- Agricultural water: Pre-harvest and harvest/post-harvest water
- Harvest food safety practices
- Post-harvest food safety practices
- Trace-back practices
- Recall plan
There are many resources available to help you write your food safety plan.
Food Safety Plan Templates—fill in the blanks!
Be sure to personalize and make it reflect your operation. Include your own logo, adjust any forms or records to meet your needs.
UConn Food Safety Plan Templates (Reflects Harmonized GAP Standards)
Model Food Safety Plans—see how others have done this
Take a look—is this something you might want to try? You might like some things from one plan and something else from another.
Record keeping forms
The audit program you choose will determine which records you will need. You can determine how those forms are organized, written and used. Here are some sources of sample records that you may want to use or adapt for your use, depending on your operation needs.
The Produce Safety Alliance has sample forms that ensure that you meet the Produce Safety Rule records requirements.
On-Farm Food Safety has a variety of forms that can be downloaded and personalized for your use. These record keeping forms are based on the Harmonized Audit Standard.
Included are:
General Requirements
- Food Safety Plan Audit Log
- Standard Operating Procedure Worksheet
- Deviations and Corrective Action Log
- Example Traceback Log
- Recall Information
- Product Information
- Contact Information
- Recall Notification
- Product Retrieval
- Follow-Up Plan
- Employee Training Log
Worker Health and Hygiene
- Employee Training Log
- Accident/Injury Form
- Sewage & Septic Systems Equipment Inspection Log
- Personal Hygiene Facility Cleaning Log
- Break Area Cleaning Log
Previous Land Use and Site Selection
- Risk Assessment Form
- Agricultural Inputs Form
Agricultural Water
- Agricultural Water Inspection Log
- Risk Assessment Form
- Water Testing Result Log
- Employee Training Log
Agricultural Chemicals
- Employee Training Log
- Agricultural Chemical Inputs Form
Animals and Pest Control
- Risk Assessment Form
- Pest Control Log Form
- Employee Training Log
Soil Amendments and Manure
- Compost Time and Temperature Log
- Agricultural Inputs Form
Field Harvesting
- Employee Training Log
- Equipment Inspection, Cleaning, Maintenance and Calibration Form
- General Harvest Cleaning Log
- Water Temperature Control and Monitoring
- Water Treatment Log
- Equipment List
- Risk Assessment Form
Transportation (Field to Packinghouse)
- Employee Training Log
- Transportation Vehicle Inspection Log/Checklist
- Equipment Inspection, Cleaning, Maintenance and Calibration Form
Packinghouse Activities
- Approved Raw Materials List
- Equipment Inspection, Cleaning, Maintenance and Calibration Form
Preventative Cleaning/Maintenance Schedule
- Cleaning, Maintenance, and Repair of Buildings Checklist
- Water Treatment Log
- Water Temperature Control and Monitoring
- Risk Assessment Form
- Cooler Temperature Log
- Thermometer Calibration Log
- Employee Training Log
Final Product Transport
- Transport Vehicle Inspection Log/Checklist
- Equipment Inspection Form
- Refrigerated Vehicle Temperature Monitoring
- Employee Training Log