8 replies to this topic

[tina Z]

what is the dangerous point when keep cardboard in high care area?

cardboard - a place to store dust
anything else?

[AS NUR]

cardboard can be Pest Harborage if you are not control the hygiene....

[sp13]

Cardboard absorbs moisture, which is ideal for Mould Formation.

The dust from the cutting process can also effect Yeast formation in high risk products.

[GMO]

It'll also b*gger up the board if you're intending to use it for packing! Board likes to be stored in less humid, warmer conditions normally.

It's a foreign matter risk and just not cleanable. Keep it out!

[Jean]

Agree to all the above points, also the spores of the mold may spread to the high risk area and cause mold infestation. Mycotoxin formation can result too if the respective mould is capable of producing other than that respiratory illness can occur due to mold like Aspergillus spp. Moldy odour can be felt too

Moreover, more moist the carton gets, then the strength of the carton may be affected too

[Charles Chew]

Hi Jean, Charles here. Understandably most (if not all) cartons containing incoming ingredients/raw materials are or may have been subject to some form of environmental impact along the supply route BUT these "impacts" may not be visible under normal visual inspection. Potential cross contamination risk becomes a concern. Does this mean that to prevent / eliminate / reduce such "potential risks", we should replace with own cartons. Does the level of impracticality (depending on the degree of microscopic inspection criteria) including the cost of replacing cartons justify such actions? I am likely to feel convinced that it is not possible (except for Freezer / Chiller) to keep the common dirt and dust completely out.

[Jean]

Understandably most (if not all) cartons containing incoming ingredients/raw materials are or may have been subject to some form of environmental impact along the supply route BUT these "impacts" may not be visible under normal visual inspection. Potential cross contamination risk becomes a concern. Does this mean that to prevent / eliminate / reduce such "potential risks", we should replace with own cartons. Does the level of impracticality (depending on the degree of microscopic inspection criteria) including the cost of replacing cartons justify such actions? I am likely to feel convinced that it is not possible (except for Freezer / Chiller) to keep the common dirt and dust completely out.

Hi Charles,



Glad to see your response.I agree with you that incoming cartons have been subjected to various environmental factors we are unaware of. I didn’t mean that we have to replace the incoming cartons with our own cartons, instead either de-boxing should be done at the receiving point or there should be a separate storage area for these. Moreover, these cartons should never be transported to high risk areas which may result in potential cross-contamination. The condition of few food samples (cartons) can be inspected at the receiving point to a certain extent to reduce the risks to a certain level, as you said it is not possible to keep all the dirt & dust out completely, but find ways to minimize.

[Tony-C]

The hazards such as moulds and cardboard dust have been highlighted. Cardboard going soft is not really a hazard. High risk areas by their nature are not intended as storage areas. BRC states that practices such as disinfection should be in place to minimise product contamination. This is not practical with cardboard.

Regards,

Tony

[Charles Chew]

Dear Jean, I believe secondary packaging function(s) should be assessed for its purpose(s) it is designed to serve while I would tend to focus on the primary packaging instead. One of the suppliers for (UHT Milk) in my country was forced to invoke a product recall due to food poisoning. Although the root cause was not determined despite very in-depth investigations, I can only suspect it was likely to have been due to contaminated food contact materials. Nice "talking" with you again.

Warmest regards
Charles