Home > Safety and suitability of food at appropriate stages in the operations

The food business operator shall develop a system to reduce the risk of unsafe food by taking preventive measures to assure the safety and suitability of food at appropriate stages in the operations.

Control of food hazards:

Food business operators should control food hazards through by adopting a HACCP based approach.

Process control:

Time and temperature control

Where time and temperature are critical to the safety and suitability of a food, the time and temperature combinations of heating, cooking, cooling, processing and storage shall be defined and systems shall be in place to ensure that temperature is controlled effectively.

Temperature control systems shall, as applicable, take into account:

• the nature of the food, e.g. its water activity, pH, and likely initial level and types of micro-organisms;
• the intended shelf-life of the product;
• the method of packaging and processing; and
• how the product is intended to be used, e.g. further cooking/ processing or ready-to-eat.

Such systems shall also specify tolerable limits for time and temperature variations.

Temperature recording devices shall be calibrated and checked at regular intervals and tested for accuracy.

Specific process steps

The food business operator shall have a system in place to establish controls over other steps that contribute to food safety. The process steps may include chilling, thermal processing, irradiation, drying, chemical preservation, vacuum or modified atmospheric packaging.

Specifications

The food business operator shall define specifications for incoming raw materials, packaging materials and finished products. Where microbiological, chemical or physical specifications are used in any food control system, such specifications shall be based on sound scientific principles and monitoring procedures, analytical methods and action limits shall be documented and records maintained. Where appropriate, specifications for raw materials should be identified and applied, including regulatory requirements. All the finished products shall meet the defined specifications or shall conform to the applicable legislation.

Microbiological cross-contamination

When processing food, adequate steps shall be taken to prevent the food from microbiological cross-contamination. Raw, unprocessed food shall be effectively separated, either physically or by time, from ready-to-eat foods, with effective intermediate cleaning and, where appropriate, with disinfection.

Access to processing areas shall be restricted or controlled. Where risks are particularly high, access to processing areas should be only via a changing facility or other similar means. Personnel shall be required to put on clean protective clothing including footwear and wash their hands before entering. Food business operators shall demonstrate that alternative measures, equivalent to the best practices, are capable of preventing food safety hazards/ effectively controlling the hazards.

Surfaces, utensils, equipment, fixtures and fittings shall be thoroughly cleaned and where necessary disinfected after raw food, particularly meat and poultry, has been handled or processed so as to prevent contamination.

Physical contamination

Systems shall be in place to prevent contamination of foods by foreign bodies such as glass or metal shards from machinery, plastics, and dust. In manufacturing and processing, suitable detection or screening devices (such as filters, sieves, magnets, metal detectors and metal separators) shall be used where necessary.

Where appropriate, foreign body controls should be in place to assist in achieving safe food.

Chemical contamination

Systems shall be in place to prevent contamination of foods from chemical contaminants such as harmful fumes, antibiotics, pesticide residues, cleaning agents. Supplier declaration, laboratory test results, etc should be used as methods of verification, where necessary.

Allergen contamination

Presence of allergens e.g. nuts, milk, eggs and cereal grains should be identified in raw materials, food ingredients and products. Systems shall be in place to manage and label allergenic material / food and prevent contamination of foods from allergens during receipt of raw materials, processing, and storage of food products Controls to prevent cross-contact of foods containing allergens with other foods should be implemented.

Incoming material requirements:

No raw material (including packing material) or ingredient shall be accepted by an establishment if it is known to contain parasites, undesirable micro-organisms, pesticides, veterinary drugs, radioactive substances or toxic, decomposed or extraneous substances that would not be reduced to an acceptable level by normal sorting and/or processing. Where appropriate, specifications for raw materials shall be identified and applied, including any regulatory requirements.

Raw materials or ingredients shall, where appropriate, be inspected and sorted before processing. To establish fitness for use, if required laboratory tests (in-house or externally conducted) may be carried out . Only sound, suitable incoming material such as raw materials, ingredients or semi-processed products shall be used. This may be ensured through supplier control, certificates of conformity, incoming inspection and testing etc. Imported foods/ raw materials, if used, shall be as per the applicable regulations.

Stocks of raw materials and ingredients shall be subject to effective stock rotation.

Where necessary, the processor should, as far as feasible, have systems in place to trace the raw materials to the primary production for ensuring implementation of good practices in activities such as harvesting, slaughtering, milking, fishing, etc.

Records of inspections of raw materials shall be maintained.

Packaging materials:

Packaging design and materials shall provide adequate protection for products to minimize contamination, prevent damage, and accommodate proper labelling. The materials should be appropriate for the food to be packed and sufficiently durable to withstand the conditions of processing, handling, storage and transportation. Packaging materials or gases, where used, shall be non-toxic and not pose a threat to the safety and suitability of food under the specified conditions of storage and use. Use of staple pins, strings, rubber bands, shall not be allowed. Glue, if used, shall not come in contact with the food product, and in case it comes in contact it shall be food grade. Reusable packaging, if used, shall be suitably durable, easy to clean and, where necessary, disinfect. It shall not have been used for packaging non-food products. Packaging materials shall be stored and handled under hygienic conditions away from raw materials and finished products.

Records of inspection of packaging materials shall be maintained.

Water:

In contact with food

Only potable water, shall be used in food handling and processing, with the following exceptions:

• for steam production, fire control and other similar purposes not connected with food; and
• in certain food processes, e.g. chilling, and in food handling areas, provided this does not constitute a hazard to the safety and suitability of food (e.g. the use of clean sea water).

Water recirculated for reuse should be treated and maintained in such a condition that no risk to the safety and suitability of food results from its use. The treatment process should be effectively monitored. Recirculated water which has received no further treatment and water recovered from processing of food by evaporation or drying may be used, provided its use does not constitute a risk to the safety and suitability of food.

As an ingredient

When added as an ingredient, only potable water shall be used.

Ice and steam

Ice shall be made from potable water. Ice and steam shall be produced, handled and stored to protect them from contamination.

Steam used in direct contact with food or food contact surfaces shall not constitute a threat to the safety and suitability of food.

Management and supervision:

The food business operator shall monitor and supervise all operations appropriately. The type of control and supervision needed is dependent on the size of the business, the nature of its activities and the types of food involved. Managers and supervisors shall have enough knowledge of food hygiene principles and practices to be able to judge potential risks, take appropriate preventive and corrective action, and ensure that effective monitoring and supervision take place.

Management commitment

The management shall demonstrate they are fully committed to the implementation of the requirements of the GHP.

Self-evaluation and review

The food business operator shall conduct a self-evaluation process to verify the effectiveness of the implemented system at periodic intervals, but at least once in a year. Necessary corrective actions based on self-evaluation results shall be taken.

The food business operator shall undertake a complete review of the system including self-evaluation results, customer feedback, complaints, new technologies and regulatory updates at periodic intervals, but at least once in a year, for continual improvement.

Records of self-evaluation, corrective actions and review shall be maintained.

Documentation and records:

The food business operator shall maintain an effective system of documentation (including procedures) of key processes and activities.

Appropriate records of processing, production and distribution shall be maintained. These shall be legible, retained in good condition and retrievable for a period that exceeds the shelf-life of the product. As applicable the records for the following should be maintained:

• incoming material checks – raw materials, ingredients, packaging materials, etc;
• inspection and testing;
• temperature and time;
• product recall and traceability;
• storage;
• cleaning and sanitation, as appropriate;
• pest control;
• medical examination and health status;
• training;
• calibration;
• complaint and customer feedback;
• corrective and preventive action;
• self-evaluation results; and
• review records.

Recall procedures:

Effective recall procedures where applicable, including a description of the responsibilities and actions to be taken, shall be in place to deal with any food safety hazard and to enable the complete, rapid recall of any implicated lot/batch of the finished food from the supply chain. Where a product has been withdrawn because of an immediate health hazard, other products which are produced under similar conditions and which may present a similar hazard to public health shall be evaluated for safety and if required, withdrawn. The need for public warnings shall be considered.

Recalled products shall be held under supervision until they are destroyed, used for purposes other than human consumption, determined to be safe for human consumption, or reprocessed in a manner to ensure their safety.

Records of recalled products shall be maintained. Records should demonstrate effective identification, traceability/ product tracing, recall, subsequent handling and disposal of recalled food.

Storage procedures:

Food products shall be stored under conditions that prevent spoilage, protect against contamination and minimize damage. Food shall be stored in clean areas and stacked in a manner that facilitates ease of movement. Food shall be stored away from the wall and not directly on the floor. Food shall be stored preferably either on pallets/ racks or any other manner to facilitate cleanliness, avoid ingress of moisture, etc. For foods that requires specific storage conditions e.g. temperature (such as hot, chilled and frozen) and humidity, air circulation etc, the same shall be maintained.

All products in storage shall be clearly identified. Stocks of raw materials (including packing material) and ingredients shall be subject to effective stock rotation.

Cleaning materials and hazardous chemical substances shall be clearly identified, stored at demarcated places away from raw materials, ingredients, packaging materials and shall have restricted access and only to authorized personnel.

Records of storage shall be maintained. 

Outsourced processes or services:

The food business operator shall ensure effective controls are in place for outsourced processes and services. If any processes are outsourced they shall be described and the requirements of this document as applicable, shall apply.

The outsourced processes or services shall be documented and monitored.

Quality control:

The food business operator shall have a quality control programme in place to include inspection and testing of incoming, in-process and finished products (for specifications, see section 5.2.3.). Adequate infrastructure shall be available for carrying out testing. In case adequate in-house test facilities are not available, a system shall be in place for testing this in external government approved or accredited laboratories.

Records of testing shall be maintained.

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