Food & Beverage Safety Compliance Checklist: FSMA, HACCP, and SQF Requirements

The Food Safety Compliance Landscape

Food and beverage manufacturers in the United States operate under one of the most complex regulatory frameworks of any industry. The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act fundamentally shifted the regulatory paradigm from reactive response to proactive prevention, requiring food facilities to identify and prevent hazards before they cause harm. Layered on top of FSMA are industry-specific HACCP requirements, customer-mandated GFSI certification standards (SQF, BRC, FSSC 22000), and state-level regulations that vary by jurisdiction.

Non-compliance carries severe consequences. A single food safety incident can trigger product recalls costing millions of dollars, FDA warning letters that become public record, import alerts that block products from market, and brand damage that takes years to repair. This checklist is designed to ensure your facility meets all applicable requirements comprehensively.

FSMA Preventive Controls for Human Food

The FSMA Preventive Controls for Human Food rule (21 CFR Part 117) requires food facilities to develop and implement a Food Safety Plan that includes hazard analysis, preventive controls, monitoring procedures, corrective actions, and verification activities. The following checklist items cover the core requirements.

HACCP: The Seven Principles

While FSMA has modernized the food safety regulatory framework, HACCP remains the foundational food safety management methodology and is specifically mandated for certain product categories including seafood, juice, and meat/poultry products.

HACCP Checklist Items