HACCP Flow Diagrams

How to Create a HACCP Flow Diagram: Step by Step

Building an Accurate HACCP Process Flow Diagram From Scratch

A process flow diagram is one of the 12 preliminary steps of HACCP and a requirement before you can conduct a meaningful hazard analysis. Under EC Regulation 852/2004 (retained in UK law), your HACCP plan must describe the steps in your food operation in enough detail to identify where hazards could be introduced, increase, or be controlled. The flow diagram is how you do that. It is a visual map of your entire process from receiving raw materials through to the point the food reaches the customer. This guide walks you through creating one from scratch, with practical advice for hospitality businesses of all sizes.

Key takeaways

Group products by process route - you need a separate flow diagram for each distinct path food takes through your operation.

Physically walk through your kitchen and map every step, including movements between areas that are easy to overlook.

Include inputs (ingredients, water, packaging), outputs (waste, trimmings), and decision points in your diagram.

Number every step so your hazard analysis worksheet can reference specific points in the flow.

Define the Scope and Product Groups

Before drawing a single box, decide what your flow diagram covers. Most hospitality businesses need more than one diagram. A restaurant might have separate flows for raw meat dishes (received raw, stored chilled, cooked from raw), pre-prepared salads (received ready-to-eat, stored chilled, served without cooking), and desserts (some cooked, some assembled from bought-in components). The Codex Alimentarius Commission recommends grouping products that follow similar processing steps. You do not need a separate diagram for every menu item, but you do need enough diagrams to capture every distinct route food takes through your kitchen. Start by listing all your product groups and the key steps each one passes through. If two groups diverge at any point (e.g. one is cooked and the other is served raw), they need separate diagrams. For each diagram, clearly state the product group it covers and the start and end points of the process.

Map Every Step From Receiving to Service

Walk through your operation physically. Start at the delivery point and follow the food through every step: receiving and checking, moving to storage, any intermediate storage, preparation (washing, cutting, portioning), cooking, cooling (if applicable), reheating (if applicable), assembly or plating, hot or cold holding, and service. Include steps that are easy to overlook: thawing frozen ingredients, marinating, resting cooked meat, garnishing, and transport between kitchen sections. For each step, note where the food goes physically and what happens to it. Does raw chicken move from the delivery area to a walk-in chiller, then to a separate prep area, then to the grill section? Each of those movements is a step. Pay particular attention to points where raw and ready-to-eat foods could come into proximity, where temperatures change, and where food is handled by staff. These are the points where hazards are most likely to be introduced. Record times where relevant, especially for processes where food sits at ambient temperature.

Add Inputs, Outputs, and Decision Points

A good flow diagram is more than a list of steps in boxes. It should also show inputs entering the process (ingredients, packaging materials, water, ice) and outputs leaving it (waste, trimmings sent to waste or stock production, packaging removed). Decision points are particularly important. These are steps where the process could go in different directions depending on a measurement or observation. For example: after cooking, does the food go straight to hot holding, or does it need to cool first? After cooling, is it stored for next-day service or frozen? Mark these decision points with a diamond symbol and label each branch. If your business reheats food that was previously cooked and cooled, that reheat step must appear on the diagram. If you receive some ingredients pre-cooked from suppliers and others raw, show the point where they enter the process. The goal is that someone unfamiliar with your kitchen could look at the diagram and understand exactly how food moves through your operation.

HACCP Flow Diagrams

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Practical Layout and Formatting Tips

Your flow diagram should read from top to bottom or left to right. Use consistent shapes: rectangles for process steps, diamonds for decisions, parallelograms for inputs and outputs, and ovals for start and end points. Keep text inside shapes brief - one or two words per box is ideal (e.g. "Cook", "Chill", "Plate"), with fuller descriptions in a supporting document if needed. Number each step so you can reference them in your hazard analysis worksheet. Use arrows to show the direction of flow, and label arrows at decision points (e.g. "Yes - temp OK" and "No - continue cooking"). Keep the diagram on a single page if possible. If your process is complex, break it into linked diagrams rather than cramming everything onto one sheet. For multi-site businesses, create a master template and annotate site-specific variations. Digital tools make updating easier, but a hand-drawn diagram that is accurate and up to date is far better than a beautifully designed one that no longer reflects your actual process.

What to do next

List all product groups on your current menu

Categorise every dish by its processing route (cooked from raw, assembled from ready-to-eat, reheated from frozen, etc.) and identify how many distinct flow diagrams you need.

Walk the process physically with a clipboard

Follow a delivery from the back door through every step to the pass. Record every movement, temperature change, and handoff point. Do this during actual service, not when the kitchen is empty.

Cross-reference your diagram against your hazard analysis

Every step in the flow diagram should appear as a row in your hazard analysis worksheet. If you have steps in one document that do not appear in the other, something is missing.

Common mistakes to avoid

Mistake

Creating one generic flow diagram for the entire menu

Instead

Different product groups follow different routes. A raw chicken dish and a pre-made sandwich have fundamentally different hazard profiles. Create separate diagrams for each distinct process.

Mistake

Drawing the diagram from memory rather than observation

Instead

What you think happens and what actually happens in a busy kitchen are often different. Walk the process during a live service to capture reality.

Frequently asked questions

How many flow diagrams does a typical restaurant need?

Most restaurants need between three and six. Common groupings are: raw meat/poultry cooked to order, raw fish, ready-to-eat items (salads, cold starters), cook-chill items (soups, sauces made in advance), desserts, and beverages. The exact number depends on how many distinct processing routes your menu involves.

Do I need flow diagrams if I use SFBB instead of full HACCP?

The Safer Food Better Business pack does not explicitly require a formal flow diagram, as the safe methods approach incorporates process thinking differently. However, if your operation is complex (multiple process routes, cook-chill, reheating), adding flow diagrams strengthens your food safety management system and helps identify gaps the SFBB pack alone might not cover.

Can I use software to create my HACCP flow diagram?

Yes, and digital tools make it much easier to update diagrams when processes change. Dedicated HACCP software, diagramming tools like Lucidchart or draw.io, or even PowerPoint all work. The format matters less than accuracy and keeping it current.

What level of detail should each step have?

Each step should be specific enough to identify hazards but not so detailed that the diagram becomes unreadable. "Cook chicken" is sufficient on the diagram; the detailed parameters (75C core, probe thickest part, calibrated thermometer) belong in your hazard analysis and CCP documentation.

HACCP Flow Diagrams