CCP — Critical Control Point
Updated 2026-07-12 · Reviewed by: Redazione ce85204 — revisione editoriale assistita da AI (2026-07-12)
A CCP (critical control point) is a step at which control is essential to prevent or reduce a food hazard to an acceptable level. It is the second HACCP principle under Article 5(2) of Regulation (EC) 852/2004. Typical examples are cooking and chilling.
At a glance
- A CCP is the step at which control is essential to prevent, eliminate or reduce a hazard to acceptable levels Article 5(2) of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004.
- Identifying CCPs is the second of the seven HACCP principles and is done with the decision tree.
- Each CCP has a measurable critical limit, monitoring and defined corrective actions Article 5(2) of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004.
- Classic examples: cooking (kills pathogens) and chilling (halts their growth).
- A CCP differs from prerequisite programmes (PRPs) and from OPRPs, which control less stringent hazards.
Commentary
Definition
The Regulation does not use the abbreviation "CCP" but gives its substance: critical control points are "the step or steps at which control is essential to prevent or eliminate a hazard or to reduce it to acceptable levels" Article 5(2) of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004. Two features qualify a CCP: control must be possible at that step (a measure acts on the hazard) and essential (no later step eliminates it). A CCP is recognised because it admits a measurable critical limit — typically a time/temperature combination — continuous or scheduled monitoring, and corrective actions that bring the process back under control.
Concrete examples
Cooking. In a meat or poultry preparation, cooking is a CCP: the hazard is the survival of pathogens (e.g. Salmonella), the critical limit is reaching a core temperature for a set time, monitoring is probe measurement, the corrective action is extended cooking. It is a CCP because no later step eliminates the hazard if cooking is insufficient.
Chilling. For perishable foods, temperature-controlled storage is often a CCP: the hazard is microbial growth, the critical limit is the maximum temperature allowed along the cold chain, monitoring is temperature recording, and corrective actions concern products exposed to non-compliant temperatures. Temperature requirements derive from the foodstuffs provisions of Annex II Annex II, Chapter IX, point 5 of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004.
Difference between CCP, PRP and OPRP
The distinction is central and often confused in practice.
| Feature | PRP | OPRP | CCP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Function | basic hygiene conditions | targeted control of a significant hazard | essential control of a significant hazard |
| Measurable critical limit | no | not necessarily | yes, always |
| Monitoring | general/scheduled | planned | continuous or systematic |
| Example | cleaning, pest control | validated washing of vegetables | cooking, pasteurisation |
Prerequisite programmes (PRPs) are the environmental and operating conditions that make hygienic production possible; the OPRP — a category of the ISO 22000 standard — sits in between, controlling a significant hazard with a measure that lacks the numeric critical limit and full monitoring of a CCP. The CCP is the most stringent safeguard: without it the hazard would not be controlled. Confusing the three levels leads to two opposite errors — multiplying CCPs until they become unmanageable, or downgrading to mere practice a step that needs essential control. The choice must be justified in the hazard analysis, the first of the HACCP principles Article 5(2) of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004.
Common errors
- Treating every step as a CCP. A plan with dozens of CCPs is usually poorly built: many alleged CCPs are in fact prerequisites. Control must be essential, not merely useful Article 5(2) of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004.
- A CCP without a measurable critical limit. A CCP lacking a monitorable parameter is not a CCP: Article 5 requires critical limits and effective monitoring Article 5(2) of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004.
- Ignoring corrective actions. Identifying a CCP without defining what to do when it exceeds its limits breaches the fifth principle Article 5(2) of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004.
Frequently asked questions
What is a CCP?
A CCP (critical control point) is a process step at which control is essential to prevent, eliminate or reduce to an acceptable level a food-safety hazard Article 5(2) of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004. It is the second of the seven HACCP principles.
Is cooking a CCP?
In preparations where the hazard is pathogen survival, yes: cooking is a CCP because no later step eliminates the hazard if the core temperature is not reached. The critical limit is the time/temperature combination, monitored with a probe.
What is the difference between a CCP and a PRP?
A PRP is a basic hygiene condition (cleaning, maintenance, pest control) with no measurable critical limit tied to a specific hazard. A CCP controls a significant hazard with a measurable critical limit, monitoring and corrective actions Article 5(2) of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004.
What is the difference between a CCP and an OPRP?
The OPRP — a category of the ISO 22000 standard — is intermediate: it controls a significant hazard but without the numeric critical limit and systematic monitoring of a CCP. The CCP is the most stringent level of control.
How are CCPs identified?
Through hazard analysis and, typically, the decision tree: a sequence of questions that, applied to each step, indicates whether it is a critical control point. This is the second HACCP principle Article 5(2) of Regulation (EC) No 852/2004.
How many CCPs should a HACCP plan have?
There is no set number. In many catering activities CCPs are few or absent, and good hygiene practices control the hazards. A high number of CCPs often signals a poorly framed hazard analysis.
Sources
- EUR-Lex — Regulation (EC) No 852/2004, Article 5, consolidated text of 24 March 2021 (CELEX 02004R0852-20210324): https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:02004R0852-20210324 — accessed 2026-07-12.
- Codex Alimentarius — General Principles of Food Hygiene CXC 1-1969, rev. 2020: https://www.fao.org/fao-who-codexalimentarius/codex-texts/codes-of-practice/en/ — accessed 2026-07-12.
- ISO 22000:2018 — Food safety management systems (definitions of CCP and OPRP): https://www.iso.org/standard/65464.html — accessed 2026-07-12.
Drafting and review
ce85204 editorial team. Draft generated with AI from primary sources; editorial review AI-assisted (see methodology).