Cleaning and disinfection plan for the food industry: how to draw it up, with a template
The cleaning and disinfection plan (C&D plan) is one of the prerequisites of the HACCP system. It sets out what is cleaned, how, with which product and at what dose, how often, who does it and how you check that it has worked. Here you will find the structure, an example with the doses from our technical data sheets and a template to download.
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What the C&D plan is and why the regulations require it
Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs requires premises and equipment to be kept clean and procedures based on HACCP principles to be applied. In practice, cleaning and disinfection are organised into a prerequisite plan, alongside others such as pest control, water, training and traceability. It is one of the documents reviewed by health inspectors and required by certification standards such as IFS Food and BRCGS.
A C&D plan is not a list of products: it is a written, applied and checked procedure, with records that prove it is being followed. The level of detail depends on the size of the business and on what your competent food-safety authority requires.
The seven sections of a C&D plan
1. Inventory
Areas, equipment and surfaces, separating food-contact surfaces from non-contact ones.
2. Method
Manual, foam, recirculation (CIP), immersion or washing tunnel, depending on the equipment and the soil.
3. Product and dose
Detergent, disinfectant, concentration, temperature and contact time, exactly as shown on the technical data sheet.
4. Frequency
After each shift, at each product changeover, daily or weekly: it is set by each plant's risk analysis.
5. Person responsible
Who cleans, who supervises and who signs the record.
6. Verification
Visual inspection, biofilm detection, ATP tests or microbiological analysis of surfaces.
7. Records
What has been done, when, with which product and concentration, incidents and corrective actions.
Review
The plan is reviewed when equipment, products, processes or verification results change.
Clean first, then disinfect
- Remove coarse debris and protect electrical equipment.
- Pre-rinse with water to flush away loose soil.
- Detergent: alkaline for fat and protein, acid for limescale and mineral residues. It is applied at the dose and temperature on its data sheet.
- Rinse to remove the detergent and the loosened soil.
- Disinfectant with a registration number for the food industry, observing the dose and contact time on the data sheet.
- Final rinse when the data sheet says so, drain and verify.
Example C&D plan with products and data sheet doses
| Area or equipment | Method | Product and dose | Time and rinsing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Heavily greased floors, walls and surfaces | Foam | Gras Foam 2–6% at 20–60 ºC | Rinse with water. Do not use on aluminium |
| Surfaces and equipment: cleaning and disinfection | Foam, immersion or manual | Bacter Clor 2–5% at room temperature | 5–15 min; rinse with water under pressure |
| Disinfection of surfaces and equipment | Spraying, immersion or foam | Bacter Alcalino 1% (bactericidal) | 5 min; rinse with water under pressure |
| Limescale on walls, floors and machinery | Foam | Acid Foam 2–5% at 20–60 ºC | A few minutes; rinse with water under pressure |
| Tanks and circuits: alkaline stage | Recirculation (CIP) | Alcalino Pro 1 0.5–5% at 45–70 ºC | 20–45 min; rinse with water |
| Tanks and circuits: acid stage | Recirculation (CIP) | Nitracip Pro 0.5–1% at 40–60 ºC | 15–20 min; rinse with water |
| Tanks and circuits: disinfection | Recirculation (CIP) | Oxa Per 1% at 20–50 ºC | 15 min; rinse with water |
| Clean surfaces between uses | Spraying | InstaBact® DS Plus undiluted | 5 min (15 min for fungicidal effect); single-use paper |
| Biofilm (shock treatment) | Foam | Enzi Foam Pro 1–3% at 40–55 ºC, alone or with Enzim Pro at 0.2% | A few minutes; rinse with water |
| Food handlers' hands | Washing | Hand Bact Pro undiluted | Rub for about 30 s; rinse with water |
| Biofilm verification | Spraying | Insta Check Pro | Approx. 1 min: effervescence indicates biofilm |
Verification and records
Visual verification
Every clean
- Surfaces free of residue, greasy film and odour when finished.
- Carried out by whoever cleans and reviewed by the person responsible.
Biofilm detection
Accessible surfaces
- Insta Check Pro: spray it on, wait about a minute and effervescence indicates biofilm.
- If there is biofilm: treatment with Enzi Foam or Enzi Foam Pro followed by disinfection.
Analysis
According to your sampling plan
- ATP tests or microbiological analysis of surfaces by a laboratory.
- The results feed into the review of the plan.
Daily log
What to record
- Date, area, product and concentration, temperature and time.
- Operator, signature of the person responsible, incidents and corrective action.
Cleaning and disinfection plan template
The base document for your C&D plan: inventory of areas, method, product, dose and frequency, plus the log and verification sheets.
- Table of areas and equipment to fill in
- Examples with technical data sheet doses
- Daily log and verification sheet
- Disinfectants with HA registration number
Frequently asked questions
Is a cleaning and disinfection plan mandatory?
Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 requires premises and equipment to be kept clean and procedures based on HACCP to be applied; cleaning and disinfection are documented as a prerequisite plan. The level of detail depends on the size of the business and on the competent food-safety authority.
What should a C&D plan include?
The areas and equipment, the method, the product with its dose, temperature and time, the frequency, the person responsible, how it is verified and what is recorded, as well as the corrective actions when something goes wrong.
How often should cleaning and disinfection be carried out?
The frequency is set by each plant's risk analysis according to the product, production time and verification results. It is common to clean food-contact surfaces at the end of each shift and at each product changeover.
Which disinfectant can I use in the food industry?
One with a registration number for use in the food industry (with the HA suffix), at the dose and contact time on its data sheet. On the IFS and BRC page you will find the table of our nine HA-registered disinfectants.
What is the difference between cleaning and disinfecting?
Cleaning removes visible soil (fat, protein, limescale) with a detergent. Disinfecting reduces microorganisms with a registered disinfectant. Cleaning always comes first, because soil reduces the effectiveness of the disinfectant.
How do I verify that cleaning has worked?
With visual inspection after each clean and, depending on your plan, with biofilm detection (for example, Insta Check Pro), ATP tests or microbiological analysis of surfaces.
Would you like us to review your C&D plan?
Tell us what you produce, which surfaces and equipment you clean (floors, belts, tanks, circuits), the water hardness and whether there are aluminium parts: we will propose a product, dose and factory price.
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Process guides for the food industry
- Cleaning and disinfection in the food industry
- CIP cleaning: detergents and disinfectants
- Foam cleaning (COP)
- Biofilm: detection and removal
- Step-by-step CIP protocol
- COP protocol for surfaces and utensils
- What CIP cleaning is and how it works
- IFS and BRC standards
- HACCP
- Listeria control
- IFS and BRC: cleaning requirements
- Peracetic acid
- Listeria: where it hides and how to control it
- Meat industry and abattoirs
- Dairy industry
- Beverages and bottling plants
- Conveyor belt lubricants
- Cold room cleaning
- Dosing calculator