HACCP Software for UK Food Businesses

No — software itself isn't a legal requirement. What is required, under Article 5 of assimilated Regulation (EC) 852/2004, is a documented food safety management system based on the HACCP principles. HACCP software is simply the easiest way to build that system and keep the records an Environmental Health Officer checks — and to maintain a high Food Hygiene Rating.

Safer Food, Better Business (SFBB) is the FSA's free, simplified HACCP-based pack for small caterers and retailers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland — CookSafe is the Scottish equivalent and Safe Catering the Northern Irish one. Both SFBB and a full bespoke HACCP plan satisfy the Article 5 duty; the law only requires the system to be proportionate to your size and risk. Higher-risk processes such as sous vide, cook-chill or a Regulation 853/2004 approved establishment need a full bespoke plan rather than SFBB.

An EHO checks that a documented HACCP-based system exists and that you follow it: your hazard analysis, CCP monitoring records (fridge, cooking, cooling and hot-hold temperature logs), corrective actions taken, cleaning schedules, verification activities and staff training. This evidence feeds the Confidence in Management element of your Food Hygiene Rating — a business with no records will struggle to score above a 1, however clean the kitchen looks on the day.

Yes. Forkto digitises the same records a paper system or SFBB pack covers — daily checks, temperature logs, corrective actions and your plan itself — with timestamps, sign-off and PDF or CSV export. The result is a complete, searchable audit trail instead of folders of paper. The only test that matters stays the same: the records must reflect what actually happens in your kitchen.

Not automatically. Forkto gives you a guided plan builder with starter templates that walks you through every section regulators expect — team, product descriptions, process flow, hazard analysis, critical control points, verification and records policy. You complete and own the content, then publish a signed, dated, versioned revision and export it as a PDF. It removes the blank page and locks in an audit trail, but the plan reflects your business, not a generic template.

No. There is no UK government-issued HACCP certificate for food businesses — the operative public badge is your Food Hygiene Rating, awarded by your local authority. Individual staff can hold RQF HACCP qualifications from bodies like CIEH, RSPH or Highfield, and sites can hold voluntary BRCGS or SALSA certification, but none of these is required to use HACCP software.

Forkto starts at £13/month per location with unlimited users. See the pricing page for full details.