How can you identify and control food hazards and risks in manufacturing?

The purpose of a hazardous analysis is to develop a list of hazards which are likely to cause injury or illness if they are not controlled. Points to be considered in this analysis can include: skill level of employees; transport of food; serving elderly, sick, very young children, immune-compromised; volume cooling; thawing of potentially hazardous foods; high degree of food handling and contact; adequacy of preparation and holding equipment available; storage, and method of preparation. The next step is to determine if the factors may influence the likely occurrence and severity of the hazard being controlled. Finally, the hazards associated with each step in the flow of food should be listed along with the measures necessary to control t

Keep in mind with a hazard analysis this is not a single person effort. You need to have a multidisciplinary team assembled because the more sets of eyes with different knowledge bases and skill sets, the better. Having R&D present can alert you to possible issues with your ingredients. Having maintenance there can alert you to problem spots with the equipment. Quality and sanitation can both point out the areas that can impact product quality and consumer safety.

Based on my knowledge of the food manufacturing industry.For products to be safe, food safety must be recognized and controlled. To identify biological, chemical, and physical hazards such as pathogens, allergies,and additives, perform a hazard analysis. Use HACCP to monitor, correct deviations, preserve records, identify dangers at each process stage, and establish critical points and limitations. Observe GMPs when it comes to upkeep and hygiene. To avoid cross-contamination, keep allergenic products under control. Ensure the quality of your suppliers, keep your facilities clean, and give workers food safety training. Examine machinery, track down products, carry out audits, and draft a crisis plan. Update safety procedures often.

Un my experience Hazard Analysis starts in the New Product introduction assessing all the potential microbiological, chemical and physical risks. Afterwards an analysis of the potential risks that come of the distribution chain and customer and consumer handling is needed. I agree 100% that all is a team effort as here the diversity of the functions is a strength. Also, is a live document as other risks might appear in the future that were not spotted or developed overtime.

Conducting a hazard analysis involves systematically identifying, assessing, and managing potential hazards or risks in a given system, process, or environment. This process is commonly used in various industries such as engineering, healthcare, manufacturing, and more to ensure safety and prevent accidents.

A critical control point is any step in which hazards can be prevented, eliminated or reduced to acceptable levels. CCP’s are usually practices/procedures which, when not done correctly, are the leading causes of foodborne illness outbreaks. Examples of critical control points include: cooking, cooling, re-heating, holding. To determine CCP’s ask the following questions: At this step in preparation can food become contaminated and/or can contamination increase? Can this hazard be prevented through corrective action(s)? Can this hazard be prevented, eliminated or reduced by steps taken later in the preparation process? Can you monitor the CCP? How will you measure the CCP? Can you document the CCP

Not everything needs to be a CCP. Some hazards may already be controlled by a PRP, or a pre-requisite program. There are also OPRP’s, Operational Pre-Requisite Program, and these are meant to reduce the the risk. Examples would be cooking meat to kill salmonella bacteria would be a CCP. Using a metal detector on that same piece of meat to make sure there is no metal bigger than 3.0mm(check local regulations) is a OPRP. A robust pest control program would be considered a PRP

I will only add here that communication is important but clear periodical monitoring and assurance that all relevant staff is properly trained and understands the importance of those CCP is imperative for a good success of the program. In operations that hold seasonal personnel this point is of most importance

Validation should not just be done periodically but also whenever a major change is done to whatever the process is. If you are installing a different metal detector you should be conducting a validation as slight variations in each machine can lead to different results. If you are introducing a new product to that line a validation to that metal detector should also be performed with the new product to ensure it is able to properly reject your test pieces. If you install a new thermal unit on the oven used to cook product, you guessed it, new validation study!

If the criteria for a CCP is not being met, some type of corrective action must be taken. They must meet the standards established in Step 3, must be based on facts for normal working conditions and be measurable. Corrective actions may range, for example, from “continue cooking until the established temperature is reached” to “throw out the product,” depending on the severity of the situation. HACCP plans should include the following: who is responsible for implementing the corrective action and what corrective action was taken. They should be established in advance as part of the HACCP plan.

Validation is key! Lack of proper validation of Critical Limits (CLs) at a CCP or Process Preventive Control (PPC) has led to food recalls. In my experience, critical limits validated through peer-reviewed journal articles can be a problem if they are not compared to the processing variables at the site. If you take a critical limit from a peer-reviewed journal article, you must ensure that your processing variables are the same as the ones used in the scientific study. If you don't understand those variables, hire someone that is a subject matter expert that can do the comparison for you. I find that the best method for validating CLs in in-plant studies is guided by processing authorities.

I my experience validation as said before, is key, but also I will include a robust change management protocol that makes very strict emphasis that any change done to a line needs to be properly validated and assessed to prevent any mistake. This will prevent any issues with the maintenance of the line that could end affecting critical processes.

Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP, also referred to as 'cGMP' or 'current Good Manufacturing Practice') is the aspect of quality assurance that ensures that medicinal products are consistently produced and controlled to the quality standards appropriate to their intended use and as required by the product specification. GMP defines quality measures for both production and quality control and defines general measures to ensure that processes necessary for production and testing are clearly defined, validated, reviewed, and documented, and that the personnel, premises and materials are suitable for the production of pharmaceuticals and biologicals including vaccines. GMP also has legal components, covering responsibilities for distribution,

Pre-Requisite Programs, including GMPs, are the foundation of food safety plans. I have seen businesses centering their attention to the food safety plan and forgetting the foundational programs. If you take a look at the 483 resulting from the inspections of the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) plants, the majority of the findings were related to the failure of Pre-Requisite Programs. An oversight on these programs, make your food safety plan vulnerable.

Identification and control of food safety hazards is the basis of HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points). It is important to note that a HACCP plan is not a one-size-fits-all, it is custom-made to fit a particular food product for a particular process. Two manufacturers can have the same product, but slight differences in their process may lead to differences in their plan. The HACCP plan should also be reviewed periodically to accommodate any minor or major changes that may introduce new hazards into the system.

I believe the HACCP team of the operation needs to assess and define the frequency for HACCP plan review. This will require a good level of skill and a clear and honest review of the internal Audit system that could reveal improvement opportunities. As a general rule a process and product that do not change could stay in review if the program was robust enough for 3 years time in which is best practice to just review the entire plan. However in the current strong competitive conditions in which raw materials can change supply (remember pandemic) and attrition or distribution could be of influence, more frequent reviews are needed.

I agree that evaluating the Food Safety Plans frequently for continuous improvement opportunities is essential. HACCP regulations in the USA require that HACCP Plans are reviewed at a minimum once a year or when changes in the product or process grant a review. FSMA PCHF regulations in the USA require that Food Safety Plans are reanalyzed at a minimum every 3 years or when changes in the product or process grant review. Internal Audits is a good tool for such review.

It covers the ongoing development of products, optimization of processes, and streamlining of services in order to, as the name implies, be continuously improving your operations. Continuous improvement consists of techniques, disciplines and strategies used together to reach optimal levels of efficiency and effectiveness. Different methodologies work better for different cases, and so it is not rare to observe many of these being implemented within a single company

Food Defense in terms of your supply chain and support systems is also a key factor. Testing your suppliers and your finished goods also contributes to food safety. Certifications and past performance can be comforting but a valid test report from a lab can make you sleep better at night. Food Fraud intentional or planned can introduce factors that your HACCP plan did not consider. Allergens, heavy metals or pesticides your final product can be at risk. Ask suppliers for copies of analytical testing for your records. Look into food fraud and FDA recalls for your types of products for new ideas to support your food safety goals. Most importantly get your staff involved from all parts of the process to maintain a strong food safety culture.