7 replies to this topic

[Mar]

Hi everyone! I have some doubts about critical limits.... In a cold storage unit, one of the critical limits in our HACCP is refrigerated storage. The established limits for refrigerated storage are 0º to +4ºC, due to product labelling (producers recommendation). We have data loggers on refrigerated storage units.
The unit is working for 2 months now, and i have lots of deviations in this CCP in particular, mainly because of data loggers results. My question is: what can i do to manage this CCP? Because most of the deviations occur during product reposition.... May i establish another critical limit like time at that temperature?
can anybody helpl, please?
xoxo,
Mar.

[elito]

Hi everyone! I have some doubts about critical limits.... In a cold storage unit, one of the critical limits in our HACCP is refrigerated storage. The established limits for refrigerated storage are 0º to +4ºC, due to product labelling (producers recommendation). We have data loggers on refrigerated storage units.
The unit is working for 2 months now, and i have lots of deviations in this CCP in particular, mainly because of data loggers results. My question is: what can i do to manage this CCP? Because most of the deviations occur during product reposition.... May i establish another critical limit like time at that temperature?
can anybody helpl, please?
xoxo,
Mar.

Deviation during product reposition is very interesting fact in this kind of units, It would be very helpful for people in this forum if you explain a bit more this case.

Now, have you seen the conditions where this unit is working? Sometimes, the supplier recommendation are base on some kind of conditions; however, our working enviroment are quite different. Perhaps, in those conditions your unit performance is OK and the only thing you have to do is align your limits.

Hope it helps....

[Charles.C]

Dear Mar,

A little information may be helpful.

product = ?

RTE = ?

If yr Critical Limit (CL) is a local regulatory requirement it will be difficult to change it (?). Otherwise, it becomes a question of validation depending on product, process etc.

How much deviation ? eg 5degC might be adjustable, 10degC impossible, ie major system failure.

The most common operational solution to avoid having to start filling in all the detailed corrective action forms associated with CL failure is to set an internal control point at a temperature more strict than the CL (eg 1-2 degC lower) so action is taken before failing the designated CL. This technique requires the ability to correctly control the system of course.

Some possible causes poor temp.control (there are others) -

storage unit is poor design (eg insufficient cooling power, or no protection when opening doors)
poor location (near major heat source)
data logger incorrect (temp.validated ?)or located at wrong position
method of loading poor (eg product input at too high a temperature or too slow)

Rgds / Charles.C

[Mar]

Hi! thanks for your quick replies!

Responding to Charles C.:
A little information may be helpful.

product = ready to eat fresh cheese; chorizos;

RTE = some of them

The CL are not local regulatory requirement , but are based on the indications of the suppliers (some products need storage conditions of 6º, others of 4º, others of 8ºC, so we established the "worst case scenario", choosing the lowest).

How much deviation? sometimes 5ºC, others of 10ºC, but rarely exceding 2 hours. The deviations occur during laboration hours (!!!)

I do suspect of some of the following, but I discard:

storage unit is poor design ( no protection when opening doors) - we have protection curtains and the storage units are inside a big refrigerated area (like a big unit with several departments/ refrigerated units)
poor location (near major heat source) - no heat source near
data logger incorrect (temp.validated ?)or located at wrong position - data loggers are instaled half way from the unit´s door, but not validated (but i have the same problem in 4 units?? working as long as 2 months?)
method of loading poor (eg product input at too high a temperature or too slow) - this one´s the most probable!

But still, my question remains: how can i reduce all the non compliance papers when the CL deviates? What corrections and corrective actions are apropriate in this cases? Do I have do discard all the products? What if i set a time control?
Thanks,
Mar.

[Charles.C]

Dear mar,

Well, I don’t know about generalised EC specifications for chilled storage but, as I understand, for general chilled goods, the UK tends to set a target temperature of something like 4-5degC but with a maximum of 8degC. My suspicion is that something similar will exist in Spain but you know best of course (yr choice looks more like a USA type setting = strictest possible). It may also depend on the product in some cases, I hv no experience cheese (significant L.mono risk?).

{ ADDED- After doing a little more browsing, you may be interested to know that there are many published HACCP plans for cheese where the final storage step is not considered a CCP, eg try this link -
http://www.ifsqn.com...dpost__p__28106

and here are 2 more examples -

 haccp plan - white cheese .pdf   242.22KB   35 downloads

Another thing I should hv stated previously is that it is important to know how yr datalogger values correlate to the actual product temperature which is the fundamental variable. A similar problem has been discussed here before with respect to home refrigerators and a more reliable temp. measuring system was the conclusion to avoid false deductions, eg air values swinging up and down but not the actual product. (solution was to use thermocouples immersed in a liquid reservoir, eg water)

But if yr system simply cannot get / maintain the product temperature within the specified range, you do hv a real problem. Is the product pre-cooled before loading into the store? (my experience mainly with -18 degC frozen goods, less problem however such stores often show short-timeair temp.deviations when defrosting coolers but no significant product problem when checked therefore can be accepted, [but not a CCP in this case]).

With respect to the corrective action options, it comes back to what practical options you have, eg temp exceeds XdegC (X is < CL), cooling is immediately boosted to prevent failing CL.
If it still fails CL, I presume you hv the option of segregation / testing.

Maybe there is a max. acceptable time range definable also, any cheese people here ??

Rgds / Charles.C

[Mar]

Hi!
In fact it might be a good idea to imerge thermocouples in water, that of course for the positive cold units.
The local autority demanded thar tmeprature range (0º to +4ºC) because of the storage conditions indicated by the producers. So maybe if we set the CL for 0º to +2ºC then we´ll manage to keep our non compliances way below what we have now.
I do believe that our only way is to associate temperature and time in the CL. something like this:
0º to +2ºC (target CL) with +or - 2ºC (tolerance CL). if deviation occur for more than 4 hours - segregate/ test ; if deviation occur for less than 4 hours - keep doors closed and check temperature in 30 minutes interval.

What do you think of it?
Bye,
Mar.

[Charles.C]

Dear mar,

The options will logically depend on being able to validate.

I recall that for the meat industry, the usual control requirement is something like chilling to reduce the finished product to a temperature below XdegC within Y hours but after that I suspect there are no more allowances.

I suggest you initially do a little checking of what the product temperatures are actually like since the primary requirement is to ensure food safety.

Rgds / Charles.C

[elito]

Hi!
In fact it might be a good idea to imerge thermocouples in water, that of course for the positive cold units.
The local autority demanded thar tmeprature range (0º to +4ºC) because of the storage conditions indicated by the producers. So maybe if we set the CL for 0º to +2ºC then we´ll manage to keep our non compliances way below what we have now.
I do believe that our only way is to associate temperature and time in the CL. something like this:
0º to +2ºC (target CL) with +or - 2ºC (tolerance CL). if deviation occur for more than 4 hours - segregate/ test ; if deviation occur for less than 4 hours - keep doors closed and check temperature in 30 minutes interval.

What do you think of it?
Bye,
Mar.

Hello!!

That is a good start, but why don't you analyse all your data that has been logged in this 2 months so that you can look your unit tendency. Once you have that info, you could set your target even your deviation range

You mentioned that your unit "is working for 2 months now"; however, have you checked your data logger with a well-calibrated instrument? That could be another aspect you may consider.

.