All Posts Tagged: Certification

BRC Issue 6 Guide Part 2

Posted on September 27, 2011 by Richard Mallett

Last time we covered the extra requirements (over Issue 5) for section 1 – Senior Management Commitment

This time we shall start to look at the BRC Global Food Standard Issue 6 section on HACCP. The mandatory requirements have been expanded somewhat over Issue 5. We going to start with the revised clauses on managing the pre-requisite programmes, a change that brings the Standard in keeping with the level of detail given to pre-requisites in ISO 22000.

In summary section 2 on HACCP, in Issue 6, places a greater emphasis on the implementation and validation of the pre-requisite programmes. It states that the pre-requisite control measures must be clearly documented and included in the development and review of the HACCP programme. So what does this mean in practice?

Well it is correct practice anyway to identify and implement pre-requisite controls to ensure that the HACCP Plan will be effective. What is a pre-requisite programme?

I like to think of it as a “site-wide” or “covering all process steps” control, as opposed to a process specific control. Now thinking of some examples becomes easy:

  1. Pest control is a site wide control – the management of pests is crucial over all areas of the factory and loss of control could affect any process step.
  2. Cleaning and sanitation falls under the same definition – it’s no good concentrating on some areas and leaving others dirty – the potential for cross contamination from these dirty areas renders the HACCP plan ineffective. The list goes on of course in much the same way including (but not exclusively):
  3. Staff training
  4. Personal hygiene rules
  5. Maintenance
That is quite different to a process specific control. These exert control at one or few places in the overall process. Think for instance of:
  1. Pasteurisation at a pasteuriser
  2. Metal detection
  3. A thermal processing step applied to food
  4. A specific packaging gas mixture used at a packaging machine
  5. A delibrate “at process” check such as a specific goods in quality and temperature check following a defined instruction.
These are only a few but I hope that it clears up the difference between a prerequisite control and what is not a pre-requisite control.
Issue 6 of the BRC Global Food Safety Standard requires that:-
  1. You document clearly the pre-requisites. This means a proper cross reference ( perhaps a separate table ) within the HACCP Plan showing which pre-requisite controls manage which site-wide potential hazards. Include references to SOP numbers or Quality Manual pages.
  2. You validate these pre-requisites and include them in HACCP development and review. You should be able to manage this through an internal audit programme. But beware that validate means “check that they are effective at reducing the hazard” – constant pest issues recorded means that the pest control programme cannot be validated as effective and thus will put at risk the HACCP Plan. Cleaning and sanitation can be validated by visual checks and a programme or rapid or conventional microbiological swabs – this is scientific and ultimately tells us we’re doing a good job. But just swabbing one area all the time doesn’t validate!
  3. And your HACCP review audit or meeting checklist (yes it should be this formal) should require an examination of your pre-requisite programmes. Are they effective or do we need to do more?
Next time we’ll move on to the HACCP system itself……..

BRC Global Standard for Food Safety Issue 6

Posted on August 4, 2011 by Richard Mallett

Issue 6 is now published and audits will commence from January 2012.

The emphasis has shifted somewhat from the emphasis in Issue 5 to audit paperwork (systems and procedures) to more time spent on site assessment of GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice), including assessment of facility and structure, as well as the hygienic behaviour of food handlers. There is a reduction of some 25% of clauses, which have either been rolled together or taken out where they were deemed not to add benefit in terms of food safety and quality management.

We are finding that the approach is meeting with approval – some sites saying that, in many ways, it represents a welcome return to the grass roots level of food safety auditing.

More on the new issue can be found here - http://www.brcglobalstandards.com/standards/food/

Listeria monocytogenes contamination of floors

Posted on August 3, 2011 by Richard Mallett

An interesting Spanish research study has revealed a high incidence of Listeria monocytogenes at a cake plant, even after sanitising! The bacterium was found to be present on floors and floor contact equipment but not food contact surfaces. The findings point to the need not only for exemplary sanitation procedures but also, importantly, infrastructure improvements. This fits in very well indeed with the revised audit focus of BRC Global Standard for Food Safety Issue 6, which requires a greater element of GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) audit and no doubt will lead to auditors examining sanitation procedure and floor infrastructure. Good quality flooring will help too. Look to find “HACCP International” certification when choosing floors as physical structure and cleanability of the floor are just two of the things that are assessed leading up to certification. You’ll find a link on the front page.

And a link to the report issues in Food Quality News here - http://www.foodqualitynews.com/Public-Concerns/Reducing-water-build-up-on-floors-key-to-Listeria-control-in-cake-factories-study?utm_source=RSS_text_news&utm_medium=RSS%2Bfeed&utm_campaign=RSS%2BText%2BNews

Introduction To New Scheme

Posted on December 15, 2009 by Richard Mallett

A scheme now exists in Europe for providers of services and equipment into the food industry to be measured against a quality standard. Not entirely unlike the BRC Standard for food producers this will provide an assurance to the food industry that their equipment and service suppliers have been audited and checked with contribution to food safety and quality in mind. The service is provided by HACCP Europe, falling under the parent banner of HACCP International. The reference to HACCP is a clear indication of the purpose of this standard and ties up this important food safety management tool, implemented by the food industry already, with these service and equipment providers.

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