As an owner you set food safety rules, but your team mainly looks at what you do yourself. Skip temperatures or forget to fill in the HACCP checklist? They'll do the same. Your actions speak louder than any procedure you hang on the wall.
Why your behavior is decisive
You can hang the most beautiful HACCP procedures on the wall, but if you don't measure the fridge temperature yourself, your team won't either. Staff learn more from what they see than from what they hear.
⚠️ Note:
During an NVWA inspection, they don't just look at the records, but also at the culture in your kitchen. If your team is careless with food safety, it'll be immediately obvious.
Daily actions your team sees
Start each day with the same routine so your team knows food safety is a priority:
- Measure the fridge temperatures first and record them
- Check deliveries together with your team
- Verify that yesterday's cleaning tasks have been signed off
- Actively ask about allergens during dish prep
💡 Example:
Owner Marco starts every morning at 9:00 with his HACCP round:
- Fridge temperature: 3°C ✓
- Freezer temperature: -18°C ✓
- Yesterday's cleaning: all tasks signed off ✓
- New vegetable delivery: temperature 4°C ✓
His team sees this every day and automatically follows suit.
Be consistent with violations
If you skip rules yourself but get angry at your team for doing it, you lose all credibility. Consistency only works if you set the example yourself. One of the most common blind spots in kitchen management is expecting staff to maintain standards you don't follow personally.
Make clear agreements and stick to them yourself:
- Temperatures are measured every day, including by you
- Nobody works without a hairnet, not even you
- Allergens are always communicated, even if you're making the dish
- Cleaning tasks are always signed off, including by you
Digital registration as a tool
Many owners use apps to keep their HACCP records. The advantage: your team can immediately see what you've filled in and when.
💡 Example:
In the app your team sees:
- Owner entered fridge temperature at 09:15
- Sous-chef did delivery check at 11:30
- Dishwasher signed off cleaning at 22:00
Transparency ensures everyone takes their responsibility seriously.
Admit and correct mistakes
If you make a mistake, admit it and correct it immediately. This shows that food safety is more important than your ego.
⚠️ Note:
Forget to measure the fridge temperature? Do it anyway and note the time. Show your team that mistakes can be corrected, but not ignored.
Regular evaluation with your team
Discuss briefly each week how food safety went. What went well? What could be better? Involve your team in the solutions.
This shows that you take food safety seriously and are open to improvement. Your team will adopt the same behavior.
How do you set a good example? (step by step)
Start each day with HACCP check
Measure the fridge temperatures yourself first and record them. Do this visibly so your team sees it's a priority. Make it a fixed routine at the same time each day.
Record everything you ask your team to do
Fill in the HACCP checklists yourself, sign off cleaning tasks and note delivery checks. If you don't do it, why should your team?
Discuss weekly how things are going
Schedule 10 minutes each week to evaluate food safety. What went well? Were any temperatures off? What can we do better?
✨ Pro tip
Walk the kitchen floor every morning at 8:30 AM and visibly complete your HACCP checklist in front of your team for the first 30 days. Your consistent morning routine becomes their standard operating procedure.
Calculate this yourself?
In the KitchenNmbrs app you can do this in just a few clicks. 7 days free, no credit card.
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Frequently asked questions
What if I forget to measure the temperature once?
Do it as soon as you realize and note the correct time. Show your team that mistakes can be corrected, but set a good example by being consistent.
Do I as an owner also need to wear a hairnet?
Yes, if you work in the kitchen the same rules apply to everyone. Your team will only take rules seriously if you follow them too.
How do I make sure my team doesn't forget HACCP tasks?
By consistently doing it yourself and regularly asking about it. Make it part of the daily routine and evaluate it weekly together.
Is digital HACCP registration better than paper?
Digital has the advantage that everyone can see what has been filled in and when. This increases transparency and accountability in your team.
What if my team doesn't follow the rules despite my good example?
Address it directly and explain why it's important. With repeated violations, you need to enforce consequences for not following food safety rules.
How long should I maintain visible HACCP routines before my team adopts them?
Most teams need about 3-4 weeks of consistent daily examples before it becomes automatic. But you'll need to keep modeling the behavior permanently to maintain standards.
📚 Sources consulted
- EU Verordening 852/2004 — Levensmiddelenhygiëne (2004) — Official source
- EU Verordening 853/2004 — Hygiënevoorschriften voor levensmiddelen van dierlijke oorsprong (2004) — Official source
- EU Verordening 1169/2011 — Voedselinformatie aan consumenten (2011) — Official source
- NVWA — Hygiënecode voor de horeca (2024) — Official source
- NVWA — Allergenen in voedsel (2024) — Official source
- Codex Alimentarius — International Food Standards (2024) — Official source
- FSA — Safer food, better business (HACCP) (2024) — Official source
- BVL — Lebensmittelhygiene (HACCP) (2024) — Official source
- Warenwetbesluit Bereiding en behandeling van levensmiddelen (2024) — Official source
- WHO — Foodborne diseases estimates (2024) — Official source
Food Standards Agency (FSA) — https://www.food.gov.uk
The HACCP standards shown in this application are for informational purposes only. KitchenNmbrs does not guarantee that displayed values are current or complete. Always consult the FSA or your local authority for the latest regulations.
Written by
Jeffrey Smit
Founder & CEO of KitchenNmbrs
Jeffrey Smit built KitchenNmbrs from 8 years of hands-on experience as kitchen manager at 1NUL8 Group in Rotterdam. His mission: give every restaurant owner control over food cost.
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