Food product safety program

A list of all raw material and packaging specifications including finished product labels should be kept, including a version number and date so that there is proof that specifications are updated as needed. All raw and packaging materials should be validated to ensure hazards and risks to finished product safety and quality are identified and controlled.

Validation testing is over and above daily monitoring to ensure that established food safety and quality limits are effective, i. Validation methods will vary depending on the risk to finished product safety. Validation for low risk materials may include certificates of analysis or certificates of conformance, provided by an approved vendor.

For high-risk materials, testing and analysis is required for validation, and should be carried out at least annually. For food-contact packaging material, this may include testing or assurances for potential chemical migration to the food product. A quality manual should be documented, maintained, made available to relevant staff and include or reference the written procedures, standard operating practices, work instructions, and quality plans.

The manual should provide a sampling plan, including size of sample and frequency, specifications, test procedures and off-specification actions for ingredients, in-process testing, and finished products. Inspections, test or analysis of finished product should be finalized before delivery to a customer. The types of testing that are conducted on finished product should be determined by the finished product specification.

Examples are varied and can include sensory analysis e. If an external laboratory analysis is used, the facility should demonstrate that such analysis is completed by a recognized laboratory that is accredited to a national standard and one that uses recognized industry standard methods. The supplier should ensure that staff is qualified, trained and competent to complete sampling inspection and analyses.

Records should be maintained of all inspections, tests and analyses. A product recall applies when a product is found to be unsafe or otherwise in breach of regulatory requirements and is withdrawn from public sale and the consumer market is advised not to use or consume that product. Recalls may be mandatory i.

A product withdrawal applies when a dispatched product is found not to meet safety or quality requirements, is deemed not suitable for sale and is withdrawn from the distribution chain before it has reached the consumer. The plan should include details of how all raw materials, packaging materials and processing aids are linked through to the finished product; and should outline how the supplier accounts for the reuse of reworked product. The product trace procedure should outline how the supplier traces product to a customer and who is responsible for implementing and maintaining the product trace system.

A product recall and withdrawal procedure should be prepared, implemented and regularly reviewed to ensure everyone involved in the recall process understands their role and their responsibility in the event of a recall or withdrawal. A Recall Team should be in place to coordinate and manage recalls. The facility should prepare a withdrawal and recall procedure describing the methods, responsibilities and procedures they implement in the event of a product withdrawal or recall.

The plan should include an up-to-date list of customers, regulators and other essential contacts that need to be notified in the event of a withdrawal or recall. Outline a communication plan to inform customers, consumers, authorities and other essential bodies in a timely manner appropriate to the nature of the incident.

It should also include an outline of the methods the supplier will implement to investigate the cause of a withdrawal or recall. These records may include production records, raw materials receiving records, rework records, product holds, and product storage and distribution records. The supplier should test product that has already been released so that full distribution traceability can be verified.

Visual inspection and documentation of all incoming shipments of raw materials should be required. The receiver should verify that all incoming carriers are in good repair, clean, no evidence of pests, proper temperatures and free of offensive odors. Proper securing of all shipments should be checked when delivered. All seal numbers should be recorded on shipping documents before the seal is broken.

The facility should record supplier codes for traceability purposes and inspect all incoming materials. The facility should verify all incoming shipments are from approved suppliers, or are being shipped under prior arrangements made by management. A procedure should be in place on how to identify, handle, store and segregate raw materials containing allergens. Training should be provided to staff responsible for receiving those target raw materials.

A good practice is to maintain a receiving log that includes the product, lot numbers, quantity received, and comments on the inspection of the shipment. The log should include a record of the temperatures if applicable. The training program should include a description of how the training needs of the organization are fulfilled.

It should include a current list of all employees and their job descriptions. Each job description should identify what training is necessary for that job. The employee training program covers all jobs performed at the facility.

Training materials and the delivery of training should be provided in language understood by staff. Refresher training should be performed at least annually or more often if necessary. A good practice is a short written test, to document the training and the learning achieved.

Training Records should include the trainee participant, the skill or knowledge applied, the type of training provided, the date of training, the training provider e. The training records should be signed and dated by the trainee.

Verification is a confirmation through the review of effective evidence that requirements have been fulfilled. The Codex definition, is verification applies to the entire Food Safety System and includes methods such as sampling, internal audit and revalidation to demonstrate that the System is working and is effective.

Examples of verification activities should include review of inspection records to ensure all monitoring tasks are completed at the frequency that is defined, ensuring that internal audits occur at the frequency defined, ensuring corrective and preventative actions are effectively implemented and product testing.

It is a good practice to establish a frequency schedule and methods for validating and verifying all parts of the Food Safety System. This would include all prerequisite programs and CCPs. Also any records that include check sheets for any SOPs. All verification records should be reviewed based on a schedule, that defines who, what, where and when. Verification records should be maintained and available for any outside auditor or inspector. When a document or program is verified, it should be signed and dated by the verifier.

Documentation of verifications is necessary to prove programs have been verified. Potable water, or drinking water, is water that is safe enough to be consumed by humans or used with low risk of harm. Potable water is used in washing of food product, as an ingredient, cleaning and the manufacture of ice or steam that comes into contact with food product or food contact surfaces. The supplier should ensure the availability of sufficient supplies of water both as a processing ingredient and for cleaning purposes.

The facility should ensure that water reticulation lines within the site are constructed of suitable material and in good condition, with no rust or corrosion. All water systems should be protected against backflow. Backflow prevention devices should be installed on all water and steam lines in the processing facility. If non-potable water is used on the premises, a map indicating potable and non-potable water lines should be maintained and updated as needed.

Descriptions of the mechanisms used to prevent cross-contamination should be fully described. Where in-plant chlorination of water is required for washing, rinsing or cleaning purposes, a free residual chlorine level of 0. In-line chlorination that provides higher levels of free residual chlorine at specific points is also acceptable.

Regular sampling and testing of residual chlorine should be implemented to ensure a safe water supply. Other methods of bactericidal treatment such as UV lighting may be used. In all cases, a program of regular microbiological testing of water is required to verify in-plant effectiveness of all water treatments.

Microbiological analysis of the water should be conducted to verify the cleanliness of the supply, the monitoring activities and the effectiveness of the treatment measures implemented. Even though the water supply may come from the town or regional water supply in which the water is treated, safety tested and maintained by the local authority, it is required that food processors implement their own testing to ensure the safety of the potable water used within the facility.

Water should be tested at least every 12 months for potability. When utilizing an outside laboratory, use a laboratory that is properly accredited to complete the desired tests. Main navigation Panels Back Education. Global Locations.

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From Farm to Fork Food safety is a primary concern across the entire supply chain. Not Detection. Product Name Clear and descriptive product name in English and Spanish, provides immediate recognition of use. QR Code Instant access to mobile-ready product detail page. Patty composition: e. Monitoring is a planned sequence of observations or measurements to assess whether a CCP is under control and to produce an accurate record for future use in verification.

Monitoring serves three main purposes. First, monitoring is essential to food safety management in that it facilitates tracking of the operation. If monitoring indicates that there is a trend towards loss of control, then action can be taken to bring the process back into control before a deviation from a critical limit occurs.

Second, monitoring is used to determine when there is loss of control and a deviation occurs at a CCP, i. When a deviation occurs, an appropriate corrective action must be taken.

Third, it provides written documentation for use in verification. An unsafe food may result if a process is not properly controlled and a deviation occurs. Because of the potentially serious consequences of a critical limit deviation, monitoring procedures must be effective. Ideally, monitoring should be continuous, which is possible with many types of physical and chemical methods. For example, the temperature and time for the scheduled thermal process of low-acid canned foods is recorded continuously on temperature recording charts.

If the temperature falls below the scheduled temperature or the time is insufficient, as recorded on the chart, the product from the retort is retained and the disposition determined as in Principle 5. Likewise, pH measurement may be performed continually in fluids or by testing each batch before processing.

There are many ways to monitor critical limits on a continuous or batch basis and record the data on charts. Continuous monitoring is always preferred when feasible. Monitoring equipment must be carefully calibrated for accuracy. Assignment of the responsibility for monitoring is an important consideration for each CCP. Specific assignments will depend on the number of CCPs and control measures and the complexity of monitoring.

Personnel who monitor CCPs are often associated with production e. Those individuals must be trained in the monitoring technique for which they are responsible, fully understand the purpose and importance of monitoring, be unbiased in monitoring and reporting, and accurately report the results of monitoring.

In addition, employees should be trained in procedures to follow when there is a trend towards loss of control so that adjustments can be made in a timely manner to assure that the process remains under control. The person responsible for monitoring must also immediately report a process or product that does not meet critical limits.

All records and documents associated with CCP monitoring should be dated and signed or initialed by the person doing the monitoring. When it is not possible to monitor a CCP on a continuous basis, it is necessary to establish a monitoring frequency and procedure that will be reliable enough to indicate that the CCP is under control. Statistically designed data collection or sampling systems lend themselves to this purpose. Most monitoring procedures need to be rapid because they relate to on-line, "real-time" processes and there will not be time for lengthy analytical testing.

Examples of monitoring activities include: visual observations and measurement of temperature, time, pH, and moisture level. Microbiological tests are seldom effective for monitoring due to their time-consuming nature and problems with assuring detection of contaminants.

Physical and chemical measurements are often preferred because they are rapid and usually more effective for assuring control of microbiological hazards. For example, the safety of pasteurized milk is based upon measurements of time and temperature of heating rather than testing the heated milk to assure the absence of surviving pathogens. With certain foods, processes, ingredients, or imports, there may be no alternative to microbiological testing. However, it is important to recognize that a sampling protocol that is adequate to reliably detect low levels of pathogens is seldom possible because of the large number of samples needed.

This sampling limitation could result in a false sense of security by those who use an inadequate sampling protocol. The HACCP system for food safety management is designed to identify health hazards and to establish strategies to prevent, eliminate, or reduce their occurrence.

However, ideal circumstances do not always prevail and deviations from established processes may occur. An important purpose of corrective actions is to prevent foods which may be hazardous from reaching consumers. Where there is a deviation from established critical limits, corrective actions are necessary. Therefore, corrective actions should include the following elements: a determine and correct the cause of non-compliance; b determine the disposition of non-compliant product and c record the corrective actions that have been taken.

As a minimum, the HACCP plan should specify what is done when a deviation occurs, who is responsible for implementing the corrective actions, and that a record will be developed and maintained of the actions taken. Individuals who have a thorough understanding of the process, product and HACCP plan should be assigned the responsibility for oversight of corrective actions.

As appropriate, experts may be consulted to review the information available and to assist in determining disposition of non-compliant product.

Verification is defined as those activities, other than monitoring, that determine the validity of the HACCP plan and that the system is operating according to the plan. The NAS 2 pointed out that the major infusion of science in a HACCP system centers on proper identification of the hazards, critical control points, critical limits, and instituting proper verification procedures. An example of a verification schedule is given in Figure 2. An effective HACCP system requires little end-product testing, since sufficient validated safeguards are built in early in the process.

Therefore, rather than relying on end-product testing, firms should rely on frequent reviews of their HACCP plan, verification that the HACCP plan is being correctly followed, and review of CCP monitoring and corrective action records. Another important aspect of verification is the initial validation of the HACCP plan to determine that the plan is scientifically and technically sound, that all hazards have been identified and that if the HACCP plan is properly implemented these hazards will be effectively controlled.

Information needed to validate the HACCP plan often include 1 expert advice and scientific studies and 2 in-plant observations, measurements, and evaluations. For example, validation of the cooking process for beef patties should include the scientific justification of the heating times and temperatures needed to obtain an appropriate destruction of pathogenic microorganisms i.

Subsequent validations are performed and documented by a HACCP team or an independent expert as needed. For example, validations are conducted when there is an unexplained system failure; a significant product, process or packaging change occurs; or new hazards are recognized. In addition, a periodic comprehensive verification of the HACCP system should be conducted by an unbiased, independent authority.

Such authorities can be internal or external to the food operation. This should include a technical evaluation of the hazard analysis and each element of the HACCP plan as well as on-site review of all flow diagrams and appropriate records from operation of the plan.

A comprehensive verification is independent of other verification procedures and must be performed to ensure that the HACCP plan is resulting in the control of the hazards. Verification activities are carried out by individuals within a company, third party experts, and regulatory agencies.

It is important that individuals doing verification have appropriate technical expertise to perform this function. Figure 2. May require additional technical expertise as well as laboratory and plant test studies. A summary of the hazard analysis, including the rationale for determining hazards and control measures.

The next step is to establish a plan that describes the individuals responsible for developing, implementing and maintaining the HACCP system. The team is then responsible for developing the initial plan and coordinating its implementation. An important aspect in developing these teams is to assure that they have appropriate training. The workers who will be responsible for monitoring need to be adequately trained. Upon completion of the HACCP plan, operator procedures, forms and procedures for monitoring and corrective action are developed.

Often it is a good idea to develop a timeline for the activities involved in the initial implementation of the HACCP plan. Implementation of the HACCP system involves the continual application of the monitoring, record-keeping, corrective action procedures and other activities as described in the HACCP plan.

Managing and influencing a company culture can often be a challenging task. Food Safety and Quality Services has created a new training program called developing a positive food safety culture that will assist attendees with designing an effective food safety culture program that meets individual organizational needs while also meeting the current GFSI requirements. Register for one of our upcoming classes or contact us today to schedule your in-house training.

Food Safety Culture Plan. For each individual food facility, a positive food safety culture can help with improving employee morale and retention, while increasing food safety awareness and best practices which ultimately reduces food safety risk. The short answer is no!