Food Safety Management Systems Guide

ABC Guide on Food Safety Management Systems

• Booklet 2 was produced by the Quality Programme to explain food safety and quality challenges.
• Information was created as part of the MEDA Project to improve infrastructure and quality management in Lebanon.
• The QUALEB programme hosts the Ministry of Economy & Trade.

List of Abbreviations

• BRC stands for British Retail Consortium.
• CIES stands for Global Food Business Forum.
• EHEDG stands for European Hygienic & Engineering Design Group.
• Eurepgap is the European Retailer Produce working group for Good Agricultural Practice.
• FAO stands for Food & Agriculture Organisation.
• GAP stands for Good Agriculture Practices.
• GMP stands for Good Manufacturing Practices.
• GFSI stands for Global Food Safety Initiative.
• HACCP stands for Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points.
• IFS stands for International Food Standard.
• IFIC stands for International Food Information Council.
• RASFF stands for Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (European Union).
• WHO stands for World Health Organisation.
• WTO stands for World Trade Organisation.
• IAF stands for International Accreditation Forum.
• ISO stands for International Organisation for Standardisation.
• PRP’s stand for Pre-Requisite Programmes.
• OPRP’s stand for Operational Pre-Requisite Programmes.
• SPS stands for Sanitary and Phytosanitary Measures.
• SQF stands for Safe Quality Food.
• UNIDO stands for United Nations Industrial Development Organisation.
• WFSO stands for World Food Safety Organisation.

References to Terminology

• 3-A Allergens are food safety hazards that are considered during Hazard Analysis.
• Sanitary Standards, Inc. (3-A SSI) is an equipment manufacturers, processors, sanitarians, and public health group that is US based.
• The non-profit has a comprehensive inventory of 3-A Sanitary Standards and 3-A Accepted Practices for dairy and food processing equipment and systems.
• CIES benchmarked food safety standards including BRC, IFS, the Dutch Standard, and SQF 2000.
• The British Retail Consortium has developed the Technical Standard checklist for companies supplying Retailer branded food products.
• The BRC Standard helps retailers meet obligations and protect consumers by giving a basis for inspecting retailer branded food product suppliers.
• CE is Conformité Européenne, a marking that indicates products comply with European Directives.
• CBI is the Centre for the Promotion of Imports from developing countries into the EU.
• The CBI provides the most recent EU information regarding imports into the EU through its access guide.
• CIAA is the Confederation of the food and drinks industries in the EU
• Codex Alimentarius is a code of food standards for all nations, it was developed by the FAO and WHO.
• The Codex Alimentarius Commission, created in 1963, develops food standards, guidelines and codes of practice as part of the Joint FAO/WHO Food Standards Programme.
• This program aims to protect consumer health, ensure fair trade, and promote coordination among organizations.
• CIES serves CEOs and senior managers in the food business. It has 175 retail and 175 supplier member companies in over 150 countries.
• ISO definition of certification is when a company gives notice, with justified confidence, that a system or product complies with a standard or specification
• Certification is when accredited certification bodies provide written assurance that food control systems conform to requirements based on an audit.
• EUREPGAP aims to raise standards for producing fresh fruit and vegetables via a document laying out a framework for Good Agricultural Practice (GAP) on farms.
• EFSA is the keystone of EU risk assessment of food and feed safety, it provides independent scientific advice through national authorities and stakeholders.
• EHEDG provides guidance on hygienic engineering aspects of manufacturing safe and wholesome food.
• EHEDG deals with equipment and building design and clean ability.
• EU Guidance document explains the implementation of HACCP procedures, as required by EU regulation 852/2004 which concerns food hygiene.
• The EU is made of 27 democratic countries with 490 million people, is commited to working together for peace and prosperity
• FMI's SQF Programme was acquired by the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) of Washington, DC, USA, so retail members could use the same program.
• SQF conforms to recognized international standards and uses protocols recognized by the International Accreditation Forum after being recognized by the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI).
• GFSI enhances food safety, ensures consumer protection, strengthens consumer confidence and improves cost efficiency throughout the food supply chain.
• The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) was launched in May 2000 upon the principle that food safety is a non-competitive issue.
• HACCP refers to Hazard Analysis & Critical Control Points.
• HACCP identifies biological, physical and chemical food safety hazards.
• GMP is a set of regulations, codes, and guidelines for the control and management of manufacturing and quality control testing specifically of food, pharmaceutical and medical devices.
• IFS is the International Food Standard system making uniform food product evaluations.
• The IFS standard is based on the ISO 9001:2000 standard and is primarily concerned with the setting up of the HACCP system.
• IFIC communicates science-based information on food safety and nutrition with health professionals, educators, journalists, government officials, and consumers.
• IFIC is supported by the food, beverage and agricultural industries.
• ITC is the technical agency of UNCTAD and WTO for operational, enterprise-oriented aspects of trade
• IQNet - The International Certification Network is an Association composed of 38 certification bodies.
• https://ec.europa.eu/comm/food/food/rapidalert contains Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed information.
• Rapid Alert (EU) is a system supporting the work of RASFF, to give control authorities a tool for information exchange on measures to ensure food safety. Information can be classified as alerts or notifications.
• Risk is the probability of adverse health effects and its severity, meaning from discomfort to death.
• Traceability identifies incoming material from the supplier, and the initial distribution of the end product to the final consumer.
• PORTAL is a website to support food and agriculture trade.
• SQF 1000 code is for primary producers.
• SQF 2000 code is for the food sector (primary producers, food manufacturers, retailers, agents and exporters).
• Validation concerns evidence to obtain that proves the HACCP system is effective.
• Validation ensures that information supporting the HACCP system is correct and is helpful at the design stage.
• Verification consists of methods, procedures, tests, reviews and assessments to determine how compliant a company is to the HACCP system.

ABC Guide on Food Safety Management Systems Part 1

• Summary of HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points), HACCP is a general background, reference guide and practical information document.
• HACCP was made from the space programme of NASA, to prevent hazards inflight.
• In 1971, the system was first publically presented to the public and deployed into the food industry.
• In the 70's and early 80's, a number of companies adopted HACCP, which prevents microbiological, chemical and physical hazards.
• The Codex Alimentarius recommends using HACCP.
• The EC-council established the EC-Directive 93/43/EC in 1993 where implementing Food Regulations obligated HACCP systems.
• Regulations were made obligatory in European Countries, in compliance with the EC Directive 93/43/EC, replaced by regulation 852/2004 of the European Parliament and Council on the Hygiene of Foodstuffs.
• Now all European companies within the food industry must have a quality system based on the HACCP principles.
• The objective of the HACCP system is to guarantee safety of food through implementing a quality system that covers the food production chain from producer to consumer.
• The food manufacturer is responsible for Good Manufacturing Practices within the organisation, possible hazards and how the raw material supplier manages these hazards.
• The manufacturer must give enough information about handling the product to avoid hazards during preparation and storage.
• HACCP focuses on food safety, it can also monitor aspects like finances or financials of the product.
• Food safety hazards are microbiological, chemical, and physical.
• Food can be infected by infectious micro-organisms.
• Micro-organism contamination depends upon production circumstances.
• Micro-organism production contamination depends upon hygiene and killing-steps during production, conditions, and other biological hazards.
• Other biological factors are insects, rodents and vermin, which may contaminate raw material and product.
• Chemical hazards are in 3 categories: intrinsic, added, technical faults.
• Intrinsic chemicals already occur.
• Added materials might cause hazards for the consumer due to overdoses or reactions, can include coloring agents, preservatives, pesticides and fungicides, sodium nitrite
• Technical faults during cultivation, harvesting, transportation and processing may contaminate food with poisonous packaging and cleaning products.
• Physical Hazards are intrinsic hazards inherent to the product, and technical faults during processes which is when foreign entities contaminate raw materials or packaging.
• Allergens, such as nuts, milk, and soy, must be considered in the study.
• In the EU, implementing HACCP is mandatory.
• Other considerations for implementation are continuous quality improvement, Total Commitment, and customer requirements.
• It guarantees product liability, cost reduction and efficient management from the preventive approach.
• HACCP is a more of a tool than a goal.
• Implement the Pre Requisites Programmes (PRP's), hygiene measures and Good Manufacturing Practice, prior to HACCP.
• The Pre Requisite programme covers the following: personnel hygiene, workspace, construction, utilities, waste management, suitability and preventive maintenance of equipment.
• Management of purchasing raw materials and ingredients, also cross contamination, cleaning and sanitation.
• Company wide participation and personnel training are required for HACCP to be effective.
• Company management must establish a policy supporting the implementation and maintenance of HACCP.
• Management must emphasise the system's importance and draw up a 'Declaration of Intent', inserted in the HACCP manual and communicated to the employees.
• Management allocates tasks related to HACCP for available people, funding and resources.
• Employees must be trained on hygiene, GMP, and HACCP.
• Companies must have training programmes and appoint trainers, who ensure the participation of Human Resources.

Codex Alimentarius

• Implement Codex, which consists of 12 steps: assemble the HACCP team, describe product, identify intended use, construct the flow chart, verification, conduct Hazard Analysis, hazard assessment and apply the decision tree.
• Next, establish target levels, tolerances, critical limits for each control point, create a monitoring system and corrective actions, finish verification of the system, set up record keeping and documentation.
• There are so called 7 principles of the HACCP system. Steps 1 to 5 are the preliminary steps of the Hazard Analysis.
• The Codex Alimentarius recommends multi disciplinary teams to implement HACCP effectively, creating commitment from members.
• The HACCP team is responsible for processing implementation, coordinate between groups, implement an maintain the system, maintain records and give information.
• Production management, supervisors and operators get involved in HACCP.
• Step 1 includes Reference and the Scope of the System.
• To start with a simple HACCP and expand it rather than starting complex is better, and the terms of reference should be laid out.
• Company A is producing dairy products, receiving raw milk, then uses HAACP to implement the plan to Pasteurise then place into cold storage.
• Describing the product requires composition processing, packaging and technological details details pH, Aw, salt % etc.
• This shows the method of distribution storage and shelf life, as it relates to the preparation of technical information.
• Assess any consumer abuses of how consumers are using the product, and if the product is for vulnerable consumer.
• A flow chart and floor plan will make the production process more transparent.
• The flow chart must include every processing step from raw to consumption, show conditions in relation to hazards.
• Every processing step with in the organisations control gets checked practically, so non-conformances are determined regarding materials and inputs.
• Each process step requires a small description, control measures and applied parameters to inform the HACCP team.
• Reasonable hazards need listing, and a brainstorming.
• The HACCP team conducts a Hazard Analysis which has a Hazard Assessment to identify reduce hazards, control measures are identified to eliminate them.
• Operational Pre Requisite Programs (OPRP’s), come from the ISO 22000, using time and temperature methods and microbiological results are effective elements of a HACCP system.
• To identify the CCP's of the so-called CCP Decision Tree after evaluation should make sure arguments are reported.
• Identifying CCP, it values targets and norms, target levels, tolerances and critical limits to eliminate hazards effectively and must be established and specified, may require many investigations.
• The HACCP plan includes monitoring, corrections and action.

HACCP

• Critical limits are not infringed, ensure that targets are being maintained by making observation that measurements are made at each CCP,.
• This process should be monitored in most likely points of infringement.
• Corrective actions must be identified for each CCP and correction systems to deal with the affected product if critical limits are broken.
• Corrective actions should be adjustments through tolerance limits, that take place prior before limits are reached, and state who how, when.
• Verify that HACPP processes will lead to the the wished results, otherwise take the necessary actions in these verification activities in reviewing data and tests, and sanitisation..
• Must be done periodically to ensure the effectiveness of the system.
• The manual is used to determine if the system is still appropriate, and modifications gets adapted to the HACCP system.
• All documentation is organized in a manual.
• This requires documentation and procedure control to ensure data and subjects are up to date.

Problems

• Introduce the HACCP system before the pre requisite are in place.
• Also a lack of management and training, with a chairman of the HACPP team.
• Hazards get underestimate and are missing from the HACPP plan.
• Changes in processing and unimportant hazards are not identified.

Conclusion

• Implement control and corrective measures are necessary to visualise the process of the product and identify hazards,.

Recommendations

• Must commit, train on the pre requisite , certain effects can be put in place.
• Also pay specific attention to work instructions and be accountable, include more hazards and apply the correct time for the schedule.

Literature

• Codex Alimentarius CAC/RCP 1-1969, Rev. 4-2003.
• Food Hygiene Basic Texts. ISBN 92-5-104619-0 FAO and WHO 2001.
• EC Regulation No 852/2004 of 29 April 2004 on the Hygiene of Foodstuffs.
• ISO 22000 Food safety management systems - Requirements for any organisation in the Food Chain.

Summary of ISO 22000

• This applies to organisations in the food chain to have standards.
• There is also 11 chapters: Introduction, Why, requirements, 22000 clauses, Pre- requisite programmes, procedures and developing.
• The over the years ,many countries have developed the HACCP , which this helps to combine together to be in line for a new safety.

Introduction to ISO 22000

• The ISO technical committee ISOfTC 34 has been formally launched for over 23 countries, with leaders which has experts for assessment.
• The The standard is for HACCP and includes different components for pre-requisites ,implementing management and communication system.

Why ISO 22000

• This is followed world wide and can be used in many of the different HACCP to improve food safety for organisations.
• It requires the ability for an organisation , with standards and guidelines that are consistent and safe to consume.

Requirements of ISO 22000

• Is to enable an organisation to plan, implement, and update a management system .
• To also demonstrate compliance and the requirements that will provide issues for customers in the food chain.

ISO 22000 Delivery

• Is used as the basis of any programme to any new concern and used safely , as it assesses the Hygiene of Management from HACCP in food with interaction.

Pre-Requisite Programme

• It is the pre -requisites ,which are considered at layout with constructions for utilities ,services and equipment. -Also management will implement the cross contamination , cleaning, and pest control of sizes.

ISO 22000 Clauses

• . It requires clauses for responsibilities with documenting requirements to maintain safe resources with verification and management system.

MANDATORY PROCEDURES ISO 22000

• Must document procedures and recalls with tracing internal audits.

Details of the Clauses and Mandatory

The food safety system must be controlled and reviewed prior ,where the processes needed for safety must be maintained with resources under planning.

• The documentation must provide evidence on communications that has management to the clauses.
• There are key communications that require action, responsibilities and leadership. Also the organisation must provide adequate resources for maintenance such as training with management for safe food product. There are key aspects for critical limits which are included in the HACCP planning with pre-requisite systems. The organization has to be in order with its maintenance from contamination and hazards.

Validation of the Food Safety the Clauses

• The team is in place to verify and validate safety . There are audits and processes and management responsibilities with validation. -The Food system provides required documents along with characteristics and diagrams with analysis and controls so is necessary for all communication.

Other ISO documents Required

• The ISO has standards related to good management and implementation, The single system provides enough certificates.
• There are guidelines to provide the tool for combination.

Development of ISO

• This standard has documents for development that assists with managing traceability