If you are in the food business industry in Bahrain, whether you are running a small restaurant or a food manufacturing or food packaging facility or even have plans of launching a food startup, getting food safety certification must be at the heart of your operations. One of the most trusted and internationally recognized systems for maintaining food safety is HACCP certification. But for many business owners, understanding how HACCP works, why it’s important, and how to become certified can feel difficult and challenging at times. Here we shall understand & walk you through what is HACCP certification & how this standard applies in Bahrain & other major cities such as Manama, Riffa, Muharraq, Isa Town, Sitra, Hamad Town, A’ali, Zallaq & the steps involved to get your facility certified, and get to know why HACCP certification in Bahrain matters for your food business.
HACCP stands for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point. It is an international standard for food safety & a system that is used to identify the food safety hazards, evaluate them, and put necessary controls to prevent them. The main aim of the HACCP standard is to make sure that the food we eat is safe and hygienic, whether it’s served fresh in a restaurant or comes in a sealed package.
So, what is HACCP in the food industry? It is a method that is used in the food industry for businesses to prevent contamination and reduce risks in the production or packaging it covers all types of risks related to physical, chemical and biological. Unlike traditional inspections, which focus on spotting issues during an audit, HACCP is proactive – it helps you identify risks before they impact the food in any way.
When your business becomes HACCP compliant, showing your customers, suppliers and the regulator that you are serious about food safety and maintaining hygiene throughout the entire food chain. A valid HACCP certificate helps your organisation stand out in the market and have a competitive advantage. Obtaining certification is not just about ticking a box it’s about building trust and providing quality products or services to your customers.
To get started with the HACCP standard and implement it into your system, you need to understand two core aspects: Which is hazard analysis and critical control points.
What is hazard analysis? It is the process of identifying possible risks in your food in the process of production or handling. The risk can be of various types such as biological risks which include (bacteria or viruses), chemical risks (like cleaning agents or pesticides) and physical related risks (like pieces of plastic or glass). So, the main aspect of hazard analysis is to identify these types of risks.
Once hazards are identified, you must pinpoint HACCP control points— these are the steps in your process where you can apply in order to eliminate or reduce these types of risks. These control points become critical control points if missing them could result in food being unsafe.
You might be wondering, what is the definition of a critical control point? In simple terms, it’s any step in the food process where failing to manage the risk could lead to illness or injury. Cooking, chilling, and packaging are some of the common examples.
To become HACCP compliant, your business must apply the 7 HACCP principles & implement them. These principles form the foundation of every HACCP system and are very important to achieving HACCP food safety certification for your business.
Here’s a detailed overview of the HACCP steps you need to take:
These steps ensure that your business follows a scientific, step-by-step method for ensuring food safety.
The food industry in Bahrain is evolving and growing day by day. From traditional family-owned eateries to modern packaged food production units, there’s a growing need for better food safety standards that everyone needs to follow. Whether you’re selling locally or aiming to export the products overseas, being HACCP certified makes your business more trustworthy and helps to comply with all the local & international food safety standards & regulations.
Restaurants, bakeries, food delivery platforms, and even small-scale food startups are now opting for HACCP certification for food startups to show that they care about quality and customer health. This kind of food quality assurance certification is no longer optional—it’s becoming a basic requirement if you own a food business.
Getting your organisation HACCP certified may seem difficult and time consuming, but with the help and support from an expert and with proper preparation it is very much manageable and easier. Let’s go through the HACCP certification process step-by-step so you know what to expect when you plan to implement.
Step 1: Hire a Food Safety Expert
The first step of the HACCP implementation process is to find a reliable & knowledgeable food safety consultant or a restaurant health and safety consultant for proper implementation. These experts help assess your existing processes and help you identify if there are any gaps in your process & help you implement standard best practices to get your system complaint. Many businesses in Bahrain also rely on food safety consulting services to build their entire food safety system from scratch.
Step 2: Conduct a Gap Analysis
Conducting gap analysis will help your organisation to understand the existing food safety practices and what are the things that need to be changed in order to meet HACCP certification requirements. You’ll find out what needs to be improved or added to meet the standards.
Step 3: HACCP Training
The organisation must provide proper training to the staff on HACCP principles and its requirements. This training can be provided in person or through HACCP certification online programs with the help of a certified trainer or and consultant. It is important for an organisation to provide this training to the employees because it helps them understand their roles and responsibilities in keeping the food safe and maintain hygiene
Step 4: HACCP Documentation
The organisation will need to create a detailed HACCP plan along with all the necessary documents which the standard demands. Let’s see what documents are required for HACCP certification? These documents include:
Step 5: Apply for HACCP Certification
You can apply through a local HACCP certification agency or an HACCP certification company in Bahrain, or even directly with a recognized HACCP certification body if you are able to find one. Many providers now allow you to apply for HACCP certificate online, which makes the certification process easier & more efficient.
Step 6: HACCP Audit and Assessment
The certification body will conduct a HACCP audit to check whether your system is being implemented correctly and suggest areas of improvement. If your organisation passes the audit, congratulations—your organisation is now officially HACCP certified.
The HACCP certification cost depends on a few factors:
For most small to mid-sized businesses in Bahrain, certification costs are reasonable, especially when considering the value it adds to your business. For more information regarding the cost please drop an email at contact@qcert360.com with the details of your requirement or fill an enquiry form on our official website www.qcert360.com to get more details.
The entire process of getting a HACCP certificate for your organisation may take anywhere between 4 to 8 weeks or even more in some cases. The process includes training, documentation, and the certification audit. If you’re well-prepared and work with experienced HACCP consultants, it could be even quicker. The timeline also depends upon how big & complex your operation or the organisation is and also your existing food safety practices. To get the exact timeline you can drop an enquiry on our website Qcert360.com & get a customized quote according to your requirements.
Implementing HACCP standard into a food business successfully requires commitment from top management as well as the staff that are involved in the food processing facility. It does not matter whether your small restaurant or a large manufacturing plant, these are some of the things that are commonly followed in order to implement HACCP into your system.
Following these above-mentioned steps can help an organisation develop a strong culture of food safety and maintain consistency in everyday activity. it’s always not about just obtaining certification; it’s about maintaining continuous improvement and consistency to get better results & improve brand’s identity.
The main aim and goal of both of these food safety standards HACCP and ISO 22000 is to make sure the food is safe starting from sourcing the raw material till consumption and making sure hygiene is maintained at every stage of the food chain. However, they differ in their scope and specific requirements.
The main aim of HACCP is to specifically focus on identifying and controlling hazards in the food product from raw material till the finished product & helps to set up critical control points. The standard is practical, hands-on, and important for all food businesses.
ISO 22000, on the other hand, is a full-fledged food safety management system standard that includes HACCP but also focuses on business processes, continual improvement, and customer communication. While HACCP is usually considered as the first step, many businesses choose to implement both the standards for maximum effectiveness of food safety.
Now you may be wondering, how can I find a reliable HACCP certification body near me? A quick online search can help you identify HACCP accredited bodies in Bahrain. Always make sure they’re recognized internationally & have proper reputation and offer full HACCP certification services, which includes audits, training, and documentation support.
While planning to implement HACCP into your system, choosing the right certification body is an important part of the HACCP certification process because they can make a lot of difference in the outcome of the project implementation. So just don’t just go for the service provider who is offering the cheap price. It is important to look for the consultants with experience in the food industry & with good reputation, and transparency in the service they offer.
The food industry is no longer about just taste and presentation it’s about having a food quality certification and getting proper food hygiene consulting to develop a culture of safety and hygiene food processing facility & now part of the recipe for success.
Getting HACCP certification in Bahrain helps your business:
Whether you are just starting out or you’re already a well-established food company, improving your operations and investing in Certification for HACCP is a long-term win for your business. And if you need help in developing food safety into your system, there are many trusted provides for HACCP services available across Bahrain that can guide you every step of the way to get your organisation certified.
If you are ready to implement food safety standards and get your process streamlined you can get in touch with a trusted HACCP consultant or a HACCP certification agency in Bahrain like Qcert360 who can get the process rolling. Food safety isn’t just about obtaining certification—it’s about developing a culture of safety and hygiene.
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At QCERT360, our skilled team of Management Consultants provides expert guidance throughout the certification process, covering the major standards mentioned above. We specialize in improving operational efficiency for both manufacturing and service-based organizations. With a comprehensive range of resources, including quality manuals, procedural documentation, and expert consulting, we ensure a smooth ISO implementation that is results-driven, cost-effective, and efficient. As ISO standards continuously evolve, our team stays updated with the latest revisions, ensuring your organization transitions seamlessly to the newest compliance requirements while maintaining operational excellence.
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