A spoken presentation outlining critical elements of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) for food production facilities. Key points: pest control measures (sealing openings, screening, checking incoming supplies, avoiding pesticides in production areas), FDA/state inspections (surveillance, targeted, compliance follow-up, for-cause; routine surveillance frequency noted), employee training and recordkeeping (initial and annual review, training records), and required written food safety plans (hazard analysis, preventive controls, allergen controls, sanitation, supply-chain program, and recall plan with mock-recall testing).
Chapters
In addition to the key provisions that we've already discussed, there are other important factors to take into consideration during the production, handling and the storage of food. We all know that where there's food, there's usually pests like rodents and insects. So one huge factor is going to be pest control in food facilities. The first line of defense is going to be making sure that all windows, doors and any other entrances to the facility are sealed tightly and kept closed at all times. Pipes should be capped when they're not in use and screens should be added to any opening where rodents or insects could get in all ingredients, supplies and equipment. They've got to be thoroughly checked for droppings, yeah, droppings or any other signs of rodents before they're brought into the facility. Rodent traps can be used. That said, pesticides should never be used in food production areas and all traps should be checked and emptied regularly. To ensure good manufacturing practices are followed, the FDA or a state run partner agency might conduct inspections of food production facilities. There are going to be three types of inspections that the fda surveillance, compliance, follow up and what's called for cause surveillance inspections are done either routinely or targeted. Routine surveillance inspections are performed once every three years. These are for high risk facilities and once every five years for any other facility. During those inspections a checklist is going to be used and this is meant to make sure that the facility is meeting all good manufacturing practice regulations. Targeted inspections are going to be done at any time a food related risk is reported, like maybe an outbreak that's linked to a specific food or facility. Compliance follow up inspections are really just that. They're a follow up to a previous inspection in which a corrective action was needed. This type of inspection is done to just ensure that any issues that were previously found are have been fixed. Now for cause inspections are an expedited compliance follow up in response to a specific issue like a recall, customer complaint or foodborne illness outbreak. At the end of any inspection, a report is given to the facility management. They then have 15 working days to respond to any corrective action needed as a result of that inspection. You might have guessed it by now, but training is also a really important part of making sure that all workers understand GMPs. Any worker who manufactures, processes, packs or holds food has got to be qualified to perform those duties. This includes a combination of education, other training and experience. They've got to receive training on food hygiene and safety as well as employee health and hygiene related to good manufacturing practices upon hiring and then they should be reviewed annually. Evidence of completed Training has also got to be kept on file for all employees. So that's the record keeping component. All food production facilities have got a register with the FDA and they have to have a food safety plan on hand at all times. This food safety plan would include any hazard analyses, preventive controls for processes, food allergens, sanitation, a supply chain program, and a recall plan. The hazard analysis is going to include the identification of potential hazards and a plan for addressing those hazards. Food allergens, as you may know, are really a major concern for a lot of people. The FDA requires food production facilities have that written plan in place on how they're going to prevent cross contamination. This includes separating workstations, preventing airflow from areas, and clearly labeling all food products regarding allergens. A written recall plan is going to be needed in the event tainted food ever leaves the facility. The plan should include how to notify the public of the recall and how the affected food should be returned or disposed of, steps to verify the recalls then carried out and what measures are going to be taken to destroy the tainted food and prevent the issue from happening again. It's strongly recommended that you perform a mock recall to test the plant. This helps make sure that everything runs smoothly in the event of an actual recall. Food safety plans also need to be signed off by the facility owner or an agent upon completion and after any modification. And it has to again be kept on site at all times. So listen. Food safety super important to the health and safety of consumers. It's the responsibility of food manufacturers to make sure that GMPs and best practices are followed at every stage of the process.
