HACCP vs GMP vs GHP: Key Differences

HACCP vs GMP vs GHP: Key Differences — Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Good Hygiene Practices (GHP) establish the operating conditions needed for hygienic production. HACCP then systematically identifies and controls significant food safety hazards.

Why it matters: The three are complementary, not competing certificates or interchangeable checklists. Weak personal hygiene or pest control can overwhelm even a well-documented HACCP plan.

Step 1 — Understand the process: List foundational controls such as sanitation, employee hygiene, water quality, maintenance, pest prevention, supplier management and training.

Step 2 — Apply the right control: Confirm each programme has an owner, frequency, acceptance criteria and records rather than relying on policy statements.

Step 3 — Review and improve: Build the HACCP hazard analysis on top of these working programmes and explain which significant hazards require additional control.

Worked example: If raw chicken and ready-to-eat salad share equipment, hygiene zoning and validated cleaning are prerequisite controls. The team must still assess whether any specific processing step needs tighter hazard control.

Mistakes to avoid: Treating GMP as only a manufacturing issue, calling every hygiene check a CCP, or assuming an audit certificate proves daily effectiveness. The lesson is to examine how the system behaves during real operations, not only how it appears in a policy document.

Evidence and records: Cleaning verification, hygiene observations, supplier approvals, pest trend data, staff competency and documented hazard analysis. Records should be legible, contemporaneous and retrievable for the defined retention period.

Practical next step: Audit the prerequisite programmes on the factory floor before increasing the number of CCPs in the plan. Discuss the results with the people doing the work and turn gaps into assigned, measurable improvements.

Further reading: Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene; current customer and regulatory requirements. Check the current requirements and scope with the relevant authority or standard owner before applying this guidance.