Food Safety GMP Manual


SAMPLE

GENERAL

XYZ Company recognizes its responsibility as a producer of quality food products.  To this end, XYZ Company has developed and documented a food safety management system to better satisfy the needs of its customers and to improve management of the business.  The safety system complies with the Code of Federal Regulations, Title 21, Part 110 (21 CFR Part 110) - Current Good Manufacturing Practice in Manufacturing, Packing, or Holding Human Food.    

This manual has been prepared to define the  management system, establish responsibilities of the personnel affected by the system, and to provide general procedures for all activities comprising the management system.  In addition, this manual is utilized for the purpose of informing our customers of the management system and what specific controls are implemented to assure quality and safe food.

This manual will be revised as necessary to reflect the management system currently in use.  It is issued on a controlled copy basis to all internal functions affected by the safety system and on an uncontrolled copy basis to customers and suppliers, although it can be issued to customers on a controlled copy basis upon customer request.

CONTROL OF DOCUMENTS

XYZ Company identifies and controls documents required by the food safety management system according to the Control of Documents Procedure.  It ensures that documents:

·         are reviewed and approved for adequacy prior to issue;

·         are updated, reviewed, and approved for re-issue as necessary;

·         are identified with their current revision status;

·         are available at point of use;

·         are legible, readily identifiable, and retrievable;

·         of external origin are identified and their distribution is managed;

·         that are obsolete are prevented from unintended use and are suitably identified if they are retained for any purpose.

Documents defined as records are managed per the Control of Records Procedure.

MANAGEMENT RESPONSIBILITY

Management Commitment

XYZ Company’s management provides evidence of its commitment to the development, implementation, and continual improvement of the food safety management system. 

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

Provision of Resources

XYZ Company shall provide adequate resources for the establishment, implementation, maintenance and updating of the food safety management system.

Human Resources

XYZ Company management is committed to provide adequate resources to implement and improve the processes of the food safety management system and promote customer satisfaction.  The food safety team and the other personnel carrying out activities having an impact on food safety are competent and have appropriate education, training, skills, and experience.

Where the assistance of external experts is required for the development, implementation, operation, or assessment of the food safety management system, records of agreement or contracts defining the responsibility and authority of external experts are available.  For details, refer to the Control of Records Procedure.

The required resources for implementation and improvement of the food safety management system and for addressing customer satisfaction may include any of the following:  information, employees, external experts, infrastructure, work environment, and financial funds.  The principal means for determining and communicating resource requirements are management reviews of the food safety management system.  For details, refer to the Management Review Procedure.

The food safety manager and all management personnel affected by the food safety management system are responsible for determining resource requirements for the implementation and improvement of the system.  Resources for designated activities are integrated with the process of defining and initiating the activity.  They may take the form of personnel assignments, allocation of space or equipment, training, procurement decisions, budgets, etc.

Training

All personnel that are responsible for identifying sanitation failures or food contamination have a background of education or experience, or a combination thereof, to provide a level of competency necessary for production of clean and safe food.  Food handlers and supervisors receive appropriate training in proper food handling techniques and food-protection principles and are informed of the danger of poor personal hygiene and unsanitary practices.

PRODUCTION AND PROCESS CONTROLS

General

XYZ Company has established and maintains documented plans and procedures to ensure that processes and sub-processes are conducted under controlled conditions and yield safe products.  Planning of the production processes is consistent with the other requirements of XYZ Company’s food safety management system.

XYZ Company has implemented, operates and ensures the effectiveness of the planned activities and any changes to those activities.  This includes PRP(s) as well as operational PRP(s) and/or the HACCP plan.

Preliminary Steps to Enable Hazard Analysis

General

All relevant information that is needed to conduct a hazard analysis is collected, maintained, updated, and documented.  Records are maintained per the Control of Records Procedure.

Food Safety Team

XYZ Company has appointed a food safety team.

The food safety team is comprised of multi-disciplinary members that posses the required knowledge and experience in developing and implementing the food safety management system.  This includes, but is not limited to, XYZ Company’s products, processes, equipment, and food safety hazards within the scope of the food safety management system.

Records that demonstrate that the food safety team has the required knowledge, skills, and experience are maintained per the Control of Records Procedure.

Prevention of Cross Contamination

The material contact containers and material handling equipment are cleaned prior to use in production.  Utensils and equipment that have come in contact with the floor, waste or other unsanitary objects are cleaned prior to making contact with product.

Employees, equipment, utensils and protective garments that are utilized for raw material are not utilized for finished products.   Employees working in production and storage areas are not permitted to work in packing and labeling areas.  In the event it will be necessary to transfer the employee into these areas, they will first clean and sanitize their hands and change their outer garments.  Hand-washing stations and hand dips at the start and end of each process line are maintained. Employees are trained in how to properly wash and sanitize.  The training is documented and records are stored on file.

Raw material containers are not left open to prevent contamination with in-process and finished product.

The production of one product is kept separate from the production of other products.  Before starting production of a different product, the floor and all applicable workstations and equipment are properly cleaned and sanitized.  Separate utensils, buckets and containers are maintained for different products in usage.  Should any form of waste or floor splash contaminate the process line, the production supervisor/manager will immediately stop the process line.  The section affected will be cleaned, sanitized and inspected before production is restarted.  Food-manufacturing areas and equipment used for manufacturing food for human consumption are not used to manufacture food-grade animal feed or inedible products, unless there is no reasonable possibility for the contamination of the food for human consumption.

Prior to sending completed product to packing and labeling, all containers are thoroughly cleaned externally to prevent cross contaminations.

Receiving, Handling, Storage, Packaging, Preservation, and Transportation

Receiving

XYZ Company ensures that incoming material (i.e., raw material, ingredients, livestock, hatching eggs, chicks, packaging material, returned finished product, food and non-food chemicals) are transported, received, stored and handled in a manner to prevent chemical, physical or microbiological contamination of food.  Incoming materials are received in an area separate from processing area(s).

Raw materials are washed or cleaned as necessary to remove soil or other contamination.

Effective measures are taken by XYZ Company to prevent contamination of raw materials, ingredients and packaging materials.  The XYZ Company does not accept incoming materials if they are known to be contaminated with the following:

  • pesticides
  • toxic substances
  • parasites
  • undesirable microorganisms
  • veterinary drugs
  • decomposed or extraneous matter  

Incoming materials that require refrigeration are stored at regulated and/or acceptable temperatures and are appropriately monitored.  If thawing is required prior to use, it is done in a manner that prevents the materials from becoming adulterated.

Incoming materials that are sensitive to humidity are stored under appropriate conditions to prevent deterioration.  Liquid and dry raw materials and other ingredients that are received and stored in bulk form are stored in a manner that protects against contamination.

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