The HACCP Kitchen: What It Means for You

HACCP stands for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points. It is an internationally recognized food safety management system. Our Al Mina kitchen is fully HACCP certified. But what does that actually mean for the food you eat?

It means every step of our process has been analyzed for potential hazards and has controls in place to prevent them:

Ingredient Receiving: Every delivery is checked for temperature, packaging integrity, and expiry dates. Ingredients that do not meet our standards are rejected immediately.

Storage: Dry ingredients are stored at controlled humidity. Dairy and eggs are refrigerated within specific temperature ranges. Chocolate is stored at 16-18C to prevent blooming.

Preparation: Work surfaces are sanitized between batches. Bakers wear gloves and hairnets. Allergens are handled in designated areas to minimize cross-contamination.

Baking: Oven temperatures are calibrated weekly. Internal product temperatures are spot-checked with digital thermometers.

Cooling and Packaging: Products cool in a controlled environment. Packaging is done in a separate clean area. Each batch is labeled with production date, ingredients, and allergens.

Delivery: Temperature-controlled packaging for items that require it. Delivery times are tracked to ensure products arrive within the safe window.

We undergo regular audits from our certifying body. These are not scheduled in advance. An auditor can arrive at any time and inspect our kitchen, records, and procedures.

This level of food safety is not required for a small bakery. But we chose to pursue it because we believe the standards you cannot see matter as much as the ones you can taste.