GHP and GMP are the prerequisite programmes (PRPs) that keep the whole food operation hygienic every day: cleaning, pest control, personal hygiene, maintenance, water and supplier control. HACCP sits on top of them and targets the specific hazards in a specific process, controlled at critical control points (CCPs) with critical limits, monitoring and corrective action.
So GHP and GMP are the foundation, and HACCP is the targeted risk-control system built on it. One never replaces the other. A HACCP plan written for a site with weak cleaning or uncontrolled pests will fail, however good the paperwork looks.
The distinction matters because auditors and inspectors look for different evidence for each. Knowing whether a control is a PRP or a CCP decides how you document it, how often you monitor it and what must happen when it fails.
What GHP, GMP and HACCP actually mean
Good Hygiene Practices (GHP) is the Codex term for the basic conditions and activities needed to produce safe and suitable food at every stage of the food chain. GHPs apply to every food business, from a farm to a staff cafeteria, whether or not a HACCP plan exists.
Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) is the term more common in manufacturing. In food, GMP and GHP overlap heavily and many companies simply write GMP/GHP, with GMP placing more emphasis on process, equipment and batch control. Pharmaceutical GMP is a separate, legally defined regime.
HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) is a systematic, preventive approach that identifies significant hazards in a defined process and applies controls where they are essential. It is built on seven principles, applied through a logical sequence of 12 steps.
How Codex CXC 1-1969 (rev. 2020) structures them
The clearest reference is the Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene, CXC 1-1969, revised in 2020. It places GHP and HACCP in one document, in two chapters, to show they work as a single system.
- Opening sections: general principles and management commitment, including food safety culture, which the 2020 revision made explicit.
- Chapter One, Good Hygiene Practices: primary production; establishment design and equipment; training and competence; maintenance, cleaning and disinfection, and pest control; personal hygiene; control of operation; product information and consumer awareness; transportation.
- Chapter Two, the HACCP system: the preliminary steps and the seven principles, set out as the 12-step logic sequence.
GHPs requiring greater attention
The 2020 revision recognised a middle ground. Some GHPs need greater attention because of their impact on food safety, even though they are not CCPs. A typical example is cleaning a slicer used for ready-to-eat cooked meats, where poor cleaning can spread Listeria monocytogenes. These controls justify more frequent monitoring, verification and records than routine GHPs.
Side-by-side comparison table
| Aspect | GHP | GMP | HACCP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Hygienic conditions across the operation | Consistent production under controlled conditions | Control significant hazards in a specific process |
| Focus | Environment, people, daily practices | Processes, equipment, materials | Specific hazards, including allergens, at specific steps |
| Scope | Whole site, all products | Production areas and processes | One product or process line per study |
| Documents | Cleaning schedules, pest reports, hygiene rules, training records | SOPs, maintenance and calibration plans, specifications, batch records | Flow diagram, hazard analysis, HACCP plan, validation records |
| Who owns it | Supervisors and department heads, with QA | Production and engineering, with QA | Multidisciplinary HACCP team and team leader |
| Example controls | Handwashing, cleaning, pest proofing | Preventive maintenance, glass control, segregation | Cooking core temperature, cooling, metal detection |
| Audit evidence | Completed checklists, clean site, pest trends | Maintenance logs, calibration certificates, batch records | CCP logs, corrective actions, verification and review records |
GHP and GMP together form the PRP layer. HACCP behaves differently: it is product-specific, hazard-driven and judged on whether critical limits were met every time.
Where ISO 22000 and ISO/TS 22002 fit
ISO 22000:2018 uses the same logic with different labels: PRPs for basic conditions, operational PRPs (OPRPs) for significant hazards where a measurable critical limit is not appropriate, and a HACCP plan for CCPs. Because ISO 22000 does not detail PRPs, sector documents such as the ISO/TS 22002 series (for example Part 1 for food manufacturing) are used alongside it, and schemes such as FSSC 22000 build on that combination.
Who requires what: food service vs manufacturing
Every food business needs GHP. The expectation for a fully documented HACCP system grows with risk and scale.
- Small food service: strong GHPs, supported by HACCP-based procedures such as cooking and cooling temperature records.
- Hotels, central kitchens and caterers: usually expected to run a documented HACCP-based system, given volume, cook-chill and vulnerable consumers.
- Manufacturers and exporters: full HACCP plans, often within ISO 22000 or FSSC 22000 where customers require it.
In the Gulf, authorities such as Dubai Municipality, ADAFSA, Sharjah Municipality and the SFDA generally expect food businesses, especially manufacturers, caterers and higher-risk operations, to run HACCP-based systems built on sound hygiene practices. In India, Schedule 4 of the FSS (Licensing and Registration of Food Businesses) Regulations, 2011 sets general hygienic and sanitary practices, and FSSAI generally expects licensed businesses to have a HACCP-based food safety management system. Rules vary by authority and business category, so confirm with the relevant authority.
Worked example: a ready-meal plant in Sharjah
Consider a Sharjah plant producing chilled ready meals such as chicken biryani and pasta salads for UAE supermarkets. Here is how the layers divide.
- PRPs: hand-wash controls at the high-care entrance; segregation of raw chicken from cooked packing; monthly pest control with trend review; blast chiller maintenance and thermometer calibration; approved suppliers with specifications.
- GHP requiring greater attention: cleaning of the cooked-chicken dicer in high-care, verified by ATP swabs before start-up and routine Listeria environmental monitoring.
- CCP 1, cooking: core temperature of each batch recorded against the validated critical limit.
- CCP 2, blast chilling: time and temperature controlled to limit spore-formers such as Clostridium perfringens and Bacillus cereus, a known risk with cooked rice and meat.
- CCP 3, metal detection: test pieces checked at set intervals; a failure means holding and re-screening everything since the last good check.
An auditor checks the PRP layer by walking the site and sampling records, then traces one batch through its CCP logs and corrective actions. A missing CCP record is serious, but a dirty hand-wash sink in high-care undermines confidence in everything else.
Common mistakes
- Making every hygiene control a CCP, which buries the genuinely critical steps.
- Writing the HACCP plan before PRPs actually work.
- Copying a generic plan that does not match the real flow diagram.
- Leaving allergens out of the hazard analysis and cleaning validation.
- Completing PRP records that nobody reviews or trends.
Key takeaway: GHP and GMP are the prerequisite programmes that keep the whole site hygienic; HACCP is the hazard-specific control system built on top. Get the foundation right, identify which GHPs need greater attention, and reserve CCPs for steps that genuinely need them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GMP the same as GHP?
In food, largely yes. Both describe the prerequisite conditions for producing safe food, and many organisations use the terms together. Codex uses Good Hygiene Practices, while GMP is more common in manufacturing and stresses process, equipment and batch controls. Pharmaceutical GMP is a separate regulated system and should not be confused with food GMP.
What are prerequisite programmes in HACCP?
They are the basic conditions and activities that keep the environment hygienic throughout the food chain: cleaning and disinfection, pest control, personal hygiene, water quality, waste, maintenance and calibration, supplier approval, allergen management, training and transport. Codex treats them as the foundation for HACCP. Unlike CCPs, they are not tied to one hazard at one process step.
Is HACCP mandatory in the UAE and India?
It depends on the authority and business type. Gulf authorities such as Dubai Municipality, ADAFSA and Sharjah Municipality generally expect HACCP-based systems, particularly for manufacturers, caterers and higher-risk operations. In India, FSSAI generally expects licensed businesses to run a HACCP-based food safety management system alongside Schedule 4 hygiene requirements. Confirm current rules for your category with the relevant authority.
What is the difference between a PRP, an OPRP and a CCP?
A PRP controls general hygiene conditions across the site. An OPRP, an ISO 22000 term, controls a significant hazard where a measurable critical limit is not appropriate, using an action criterion instead. A CCP controls a significant hazard at a step with a measurable critical limit and timely monitoring. See our guide to CCP vs OPRP for detail.
Next steps
The most valuable skill for a supervisor or QA executive is deciding where each control belongs and proving it works. The Highfield Level 3 International Award in HACCP builds that for supervisors and HACCP team members. If you are newer to the subject, HACCP Essentials: Practical Food Safety and Risk Control is a practical starting point.
For further reading, see how to build a HACCP plan step by step, the 7 HACCP principles explained with examples and ISO 22000 vs HACCP. Not sure which course fits your role? Speak to a counsellor.
Looking for structured certification?
Explore Innoryx courses or speak to a counsellor about the right program for you.