HACCP and GMP in Agricultural Processing

Agricultural Processing Plant Safety

• Topic covers Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP), Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), and other standards

HACCP

• A systematic approach to identify, evaluate, and control food safety hazards
• HACCP identifies and monitors specific foodborne hazards, which include biological, chemical, and physical properties
• Food safety hazards include biological, chemical, or physical agents likely to cause illness or injury without their control
• It serves as a basis for establishing critical control points (CCPs)

Critical Control Points (CCPs)

• These identify points in the process that must be controlled to ensure food safety

Terminology Related to HACCP:

• Acceptable Level is when a hazard's presence is not likely to cause an unacceptable health risk
• Control Point refers to any point in a food system where loss of control does not lead to an unacceptable health risk
• Critical Control Point is a point where loss of control may result in an unacceptable health risk
• Critical Limit refers to the maximum or minimum value for physical, biological, or chemical parameters at a CCP to minimize food safety hazard risks
• Deviation is failure to meet a required critical limit for a CCP
• HACCP Plan constitutes a written document delineating formal procedures, following its principles developed by The National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria in Foods
• Hazard refers to a biological, chemical, or physical property that may cause an unacceptable consumer health risk
• Monitoring is a planned sequence of observations/measurements of critical limits intended to ensure product safety, where continuous monitoring requires an uninterrupted record of data
• Preventive Measure is an action to eliminate or reduce a hazard and prevent recontamination through practical means
• Risk involves an estimate of the likely occurrence of a hazard
• Sensitive Ingredient refers to any ingredient historically associated with a known microbiological hazard which causes or contributes to a potentially hazardous food
• Verification consists of methods, procedures, and tests to determine if the HACCP system complies with the HACCP plan

Scope of HACCP

• Includes aggressive competition requiring cost reduction while maintaining quality
• Encompasses increasing consumer awareness and legal liability
• Covers changes in processed technology, increased automation, complex packaging solutions, new ingredients, and improved formulations
• Includes a greater emphasis on sensory evaluations and complex distribution networks for reduced delivery times

Seven Principles of HACCP

• Principle 1: Conduct a hazard analysis to identify potential hazards at all stages of food production
• Identify potential hazards such as microbial contamination (e.g., Salmonella or E. coli), chemical residues (e.g., pesticides), and physical contaminants (e.g., dirt or debris)
• Principle 2: Determine the Critical Control Points (CCPs) to control hazards or minimize their occurrence
• Critical control points include harvesting, washing, and heat treatment
• Principle 3: Establish critical limits, which specify and validate optimal limits for each CCP; more than one critical limit may be elaborated at a particular step
• Define specific parameters for each CCP, such as minimum cooking temperatures, maximum pesticide residue levels, or acceptable levels of physical contaminants
• Principle 4: Establish monitoring procedures to schedule the measurement or observation of a CCP relative to its critical limits
• Monitoring provides information in time to adjust and ensure control of the process for preventing violation of critical limits
• Regularly monitor and measure the critical parameters at each CCP such as using temperature probes during heat treatment
• Principle 5: Establish corrective actions for each CCP in the HACCP system
• Deviation and product disposition procedures should be documented in the HACCP record keeping
• Develop procedures to address deviations from critical limits, such as adjusting cooking time or temperature
• Principle 6: Establish verification procedures including auditing methods, procedures, and tests
• Verification determines if the HACCP system is working correctly and involves independent testing for contaminants, reviewing processing records, and audits of the processing facility
• Principle 7: Establish record-keeping and documentation procedures
• Documentation and maintenance of efficient and accurate records is essential
• Documentation examples include hazard analysis, CCP determination, and critical limit determination
• Record examples include CCP monitoring activities, deviations/corrective reactions, and modifications to the HACCP system

Development of the HACCP Plan:

• It goes through four distinct stages, and critical tasks apply to any food processing operation

1. The Team

• Members are drawn from various disciplines in the food processing operation
• The team should represent all of the organization’s critical functions

2. Training

• It is the most cost-effective way to control hazards related to microbiological/physical/chemical contamination of foods
• Implementation involves a team exercise so training/education is essential

3. Product Description and Intended Use

• An understanding of the product, its intended use, ingredients, composition, and processing steps is needed
• It is necessary to have this information before analyzing for hazards
• The product description includes the product name, features, intended use, packaging details, shelf life, distribution outlets, labeling instructions, shipping conditions, and consumer group

4. Flow Diagram

• Food processing constitutes a continuous flow of food ingredients from farm to fork
• A flow diagram breaks up the process into sequential steps that assist further evaluation
• Flow diagrams begin when food is received at an operation
• The steps include entry of ingredients, processing steps, packaging, storage, distribution, and consumer handling

Hazards in Agricultural Processing Plant Safety

• Biological hazards include microbiological organisms like bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites
• They are commonly associated with humans and raw ingredients
• Most are killed or inactivated by cooking and numbers are minimized with good temperature and time control
• Sources include Bacteria (both spore-forming and non-spore-forming), viruses, protozoa, and parasites
• Chemical hazards are either naturally occurring or may be added during food processing
• Harmful chemicals at high levels include allergens, toxins, agricultural chemicals, toxic elements, food additives, and packaging materials
• Physical hazards can result from foreign objects in food and poor practices at any point in the food chain
• Sources include bottles, jars, light fixtures, utensils, gauge covers, packaging, pallets, equipment, improper processing, and employees

Hazard Analysis

• The first principle of the HACCP program, identifies hazards which must be eliminated or reduced to an acceptable level for producing safe food
• Purposes are to identify significant hazards to food safety, select critical hazards based on consumer risk, and identify potential hazards that warrant specific preventive measures

Sources of Hazards:

• Raw materials
• Processing steps
• Machinery
• Food Handling
• Environmental conditions

Benefits of Implementing HACCP System:

• For consumers it lowers risk of foodborne illnesses, increasing awareness and confidence in food supply, ultimately leading to better health and socioeconomic benefits
• For industry, there is greater consumer confidence, minimized legal and insurance costs, increased market access, lower wastage, a consistent product, enhanced staff commitment to food safety, and lower business risk
• Regulatory bodies experience improved health in the community; more efficient food control; lower public health costs; trade promotion; and greater community confidence in the food supply

Good Manufacturing Practices

• Also known as current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs), are a series of manufacturing and administrative procedures to ensure products consistently meet standards and customer expectations
• GMP results in quality and safe food through food safety, good practice, and quality
• GMP ensures vigilant measures at the source product design and process control
• GMP are sanitation guidelines (methods, habits & work) for ensuring a quality, safe, and wholesome food product and that handlers in food processing follow
• They are regulations enforced by law requiring manufacturers, processors, and packagers of food, drugs, and medical devices take proactive steps to ensure products are safe, pure, and effective

Importance of GMP

• GMP are key for global competitiveness
• GMP include customer & employee protection, legal requirements, good business practice, and pride in the workplace
• Lacking GMP results in rejects, detention, loss of customer satisfaction, loss of business, loss of goodwill, loss of morale, legal fees, and increasing insurance premiums

GMP Outline Includes:

• Program for personal hygiene
• Programs for proper construction of building & facilities
• Programs for equipment

Personal Hygiene

• Includes personal cleanliness, clean work habits, and safeguarding worker health

Programs for Proper Construction of Building & Facilities:

• Requires correct plant site with appropriate distance from industrial or garbage sites, odor avoidance, and an adequate supply of clean, potable water
• Calls for correct plant design consisting of considerations for hygienic handling of food products

Layout considerations:

• Need for adequate space
• Adequate separation of clean versus dirty areas
• Isolation of any toxic compounds

Structure considerations:

• Watertight roof with ceilings
• Screened and sealed roof vents
• Shielded and adequate lighting
• Ventilation that does not introduce air-borne contamination from less hygienic areas to more hygienic areas
• Plumbing adequate in size
• An adequate amount of water
• Backflow prevention
• Cross-contamination prevention
• Drains should be large enough to accommodate waste

Facilities considerations:

• Adequate number of toilets, accessible, sanitary, and in good repair, with self-closing doors which do not open directly to the processing area
• Requires appropriate location of hand washing facilities
• Provides adequate facilities for garbage collection & disposal

Plant Design

• Minimizes overhead piping and duct work
• Uses correct material for flooring, walls, and ceilings such as using concrete tile with synthetic resin finish over wood, to prevent bacteria/molds
• Prevents entry of pests with no open holes or broken windows and self-closing doors with no gaps at the bottom
• Adequate screening of doors, windows, drain exits, and exhaust fans
• A light finish on the ceiling
• Good ventilation, molds, and noxious odors

Plant Design Considerations

• Adequate lighting and safe fixtures
• 20-foot candles for general working areas
• 50-foot candles for examination of product
• Adequate floor space
• Having a place for meal consumption, changing, and adequate toilet facilities

Programs for Equipment:

• Equipment needs to be easy to clean without food accumulating in crevices
• Not made from toxic materials
• Stainless steel is best
• Galvanized are prone to corrosion
• Aluminum warps, and oxidizes
• Wood is unacceptable

Other Standards

• Codex Alimentarius is a collection of internationally adopted food standards, codes of practice, guidelines, and recommendations created for consumer health protection and ensuring fair practices in food trade
• Codex Alimentarius should follow the food chain, through primary production highlight critical hygiene controls while enhancing food safety with HACCP
• Recognized internationally for ensuring food safety, reliability, and suitability standards for human trade and consumption