KEY ASPECTS OF HYGIENE CONTROL SYSTEMS in HACCP
KEY ASPECTS OF HYGIENE CONTROL SYSTEMS in HACCP
Clause 5.2
1. Time and temperature control
Inadequate food temperature control is one of the most common causes of foodborne illness or food spoilage. Such controls include time and temperature of cooking, cooling, processing and storage. Systems should be in place to ensure that temperature is controlled effectively where it is critical to the safety and suitability of food.
Temperature control systems should 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 should also specify tolerable limits for time and temperature variations. Temperature recording devices should be checked at regular intervals and tested for accuracy.
2. Specific process steps
Other steps which contribute to food hygiene may include, for example:
• chilling
• thermal processing
• irradiation
• drying
• chemical preservation
• vacuum or modified atmospheric packaging
3. Microbiological and other specifications
Management systems described in paragraph 5.1 offer an effective way of ensuring the safety and suitability of food. Where microbiological, chemical or physical specifications are used in any food control system, such specifications should be based on sound scientific principles and state, where appropriate, monitoring procedures, analytical methods and action limits.
4. Microbiological cross-contamination
Pathogens can be transferred from one food to another, either by direct contact or by food handlers, contact surfaces or the air. Raw, unprocessed food should be effectively separated, either physically or by time, from ready-to-eat foods, with effective intermediate cleaning and where appropriate disinfection.
Access to processing areas may need to be restricted or controlled. Where risks are particularly high, access to processing areas should be only via a changing facility. Personnel may need to be required to put on clean protective clothing including footwear and wash their hands before entering.
Surfaces, utensils, equipment, fixtures and fittings should be thoroughly cleaned and where necessary disinfected after raw food, particularly meat and poultry, has been handled or processed.
5. Physical and chemical contamination
Systems should be in place to prevent contamination of foods by foreign bodies such as glass or metal shards from machinery, dust, harmful fumes and unwanted chemicals. In manufacturing and processing, suitable detection or screening devices should be used where necessary.
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