PART III PROCESS SAFETY
2. Prerequisite Programmes
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HACCP in the Cheese Manufacturing Process, a Case Study
ELEFTHERIOSH. DROSINOS ANDPANAGIOTASIANA*
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1. Introduction
HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) is a system that analyzes the potential hazards related to food production, identifies critical control points at which the potential hazard can be controlled and ensure the prevention of foodborne diseases. It is a management tool that dovetails with quality management systems (ISO 9000 and BRC Global Standard) and total quality management (TQM) strate- gies. The HACCP constitutes a preventive as well as a proactive intervention system in food production that changes according to the occurrence of emergent hazards. It is also dependent on prerequisite programmes or general hygienic rules without which it cannot be operational (Corlett, 1998; Mortimore and Wallace, 1998).
2.1. Building location and environment
The location of the dairy plant should be such that it has a constant and reliable supply of potable water. Moreover, it should ensure that the processing and removal of waste from the location is easily managed. Additionally, the climate of the area should be taken into consideration: strong winds or high temperatures, would undoubtedly affect the quality of the product. The surroundings of the facility should be clean and pleasant for the personnel. In general, the surround- ing space should be tidy, without useless accumulation of items such as boxes, equipment or machinery where it would be easy for pests to find shelter (Zerfiridis and Litopoulou-Tzanetaki, 1998).
2.2. Sanitary design and engineering
The interior of the plant should be designed to prevent contamination and assure the safety of food products. It should facilitate cleaning and sanitation procedures. The floors of the dairy processing plants should be made of acid tol- erant material without being slippery. The walls should be covered with tiles.
Equipment should not be in contact with the walls or the floor. Engineering and machinery should be made of stainless steel without sharp edges. It should be designed and located to provide easy and effective cleaning and sanitation.
Proper ventilation of the production plants provides a healthy environment for the personnel. Furthermore, it must be designed to prevent contamination. In pro- cessing areas, positive pressure should be used, to avoid airflow from raw mate- rial areas to finished products. Additionally, adequate lighting of processing, receiving and storage areas should be provided.
There must be rest rooms for the personnel while hand-washing stations should be adequate and accessible. Water taps should be foot or electronically acti- vated to prevent hand recontamination. Waste pipes of the manufacturing plants should be isolated from human sewerage. The processing plant floors should be inclined to allow the drainage of the waste and proper cleaning of the plants.
Finally, preventive maintenance of equipment should be performed, including those items of equipment used for thermal treatment of milk (pasteurization).
Production facilities should be designed to allow a thorough supervision of the whole process (Zerfiridis and Litopoulou-Tzanetaki, 1988).
2.3. Good manufacture practices
Good manufacturing practices are procedures designed to prevent contamination of food during processing. These prerequisites of safe food production impinge on the whole manufacturing process and involve all concerned.
Food handlers should be healthy, have received a certified medical examination and be dressed in a way that contamination of food is prevented (appropriate outer garments, gloves, hair restraints, limitations on jewellery, etc). Eating, drinking or smoking is forbidden in food processing plants.
All the incoming raw materials and ingredients as well as the finished products should be stored in areas segregated from processing and packaging ones. The containers should be cleaned thoroughly. Waste should be handled properly.
Finally, procedures that ensure the exclusion of extraneous to food material should be established.
Good manufacturing practices also include the maintenance of a water safety programme. Water used during food processing should be potable; hence, a water safety programme should be designed, installed and regularly maintained with all procedures performed kept on record.
2.4. Cleaning and sanitation
Cleaning and sanitation are of major concern to the dairy industry as milk can easily be contaminated. Effective cleaning can only be achieved through a specif- ically designed programme that should be implemented as part of the every day procedures. The personnel responsible for application and supervision of the cleaning and sanitation procedures should be trained. Furthermore, the pro- gramme and personnel should be regularly checked for efficacy and efficiency.
Finally, the cleaning procedures should be recorded.
2.5. Receiving, storage and shipping control
Food should be handled in a manner that promotes its safety not only during the reception but also during storage of raw materials and distribution of final prod- ucts as well. The reception of raw materials should be checked for high quality and hygiene and the enclosed documents should be recorded and filed. Recorded information about incoming material should include the date, supplier, tempera- ture, condition of product and certificates of analysis. Storage of raw materials as well as final products should take place in a thoroughly cleaned, pest-free and tidy area, the environmental conditions of which, such as temperature or humidity, should be controlled.
2.6. Pest control
A pest control programme should be included among the prerequisites of a food manufacturing process. Documentation referring to the capability and liability of the pest control operator, procedures and chemicals applied as well as the pesticides’ location are necessary.
2.7. Waste control
The dairy industry must implement a waste control programme. Waste control will eliminate environmental and water pollution caused by rubbish or dangerous chemical wastes.
2.8. Chemical control
The chemical control programme ensures the elimination of hazardous chemical substances from food. Chemical hazards, which can be found in a dairy industry, include sanitizers, pesticides, mycotoxins, allergens, refrigerants, solvents, and acids. These materials may interact with the raw materials and the ingredients or the additives and the equipment producing untoward effects. Certain chemicals are also used for food processing, cleaning, sanitation and pest control. Generally, chemical control procedures are related to receiving, storage, usage and disposal of chemicals.
2.9. Supplier control
The supplier control programme provides the company with a tool to evaluate the suppliers of raw materials, ingredients and services. Without an effective supplier control programme, the HACCP system can easily fail to provide safety assurance. The description of the industry requirements from the suppliers is of primary concern. These include the HACCP programme of the supplier, certifi- cates of analysis, and records of applied prerequisite programmes.
2.10. Trace and recall
The trace and recall programme is used to control the movement of food products from the reception of raw materials and ingredients to the distribution of final products. This programme provides the company with the ability to withdraw products defective or dangerous to human health. The establishment of an effective withdrawal programme includes recorded recall procedures, in which comprehen- sive information about the process and the responsible personnel are retained. This would include information regarding, raw materials, finished products coding, customer complaints and appropriate handling of recalled products.
2.11. Equipment calibration
Equipment used during food processing should be standardized and calibrated.
Equipment such as thermometers and pH meters, whose functionality affects food safety, must be calibrated on a regular basis. Certificates provided by national or international organizations are a means of ensuring reliability.