Prerequisite Program

A prerequisite program (PRP) is a set of basic operating conditions and practices that must be in place to support effective food-safety management. PRPs create the hygienic environment needed for a HACCP-based food-safety system to work. They address routine hazards and operating conditions that are not necessarily managed as individual critical control points.

Common prerequisite programs in foodservice

• Cleaning and sanitation: documented cleaning schedules, approved chemicals and verification.
• Personal hygiene: handwashing, illness reporting, protective clothing and staff training.
• Pest management: prevention, monitoring and corrective action for pest activity.
• Supplier approval and receiving: approved sources, delivery checks and traceability.
• Equipment and facility maintenance: hygienic design, repairs, calibration and maintenance sanitation.
• Storage and temperature control: appropriate refrigeration, segregation, labelling and stock rotation.
• Waste management and water safety: suitable disposal, drainage and potable water controls.

Prerequisite programs versus HACCP

Prerequisite programs establish the basic hygienic conditions of operation. HACCP identifies and controls significant food-safety hazards through a structured analysis of the process, including critical control points where appropriate. A HACCP plan relies on effective prerequisite programs; it does not replace them.

How to manage PRPs

Document procedures, assign responsibility, train staff, monitor performance and verify that controls are working. Review programs when the menu, equipment, facility, supplier or process changes. Keep records that demonstrate implementation and corrective action.

Chef’s tip: make prerequisite programs practical and specific to the operation. A cleaning schedule, for example, should state what is cleaned, how, when, by whom and how completion is checked.