21 replies to this topic

[mind over matter]

One of our subsidiaries is engage in the commercial distribution of fresh fruits and vegetables to key retail accounts in the country, as well as in the wholesale trading and distribution of commercial crops through trade channels such as hotels, restaurants, public wet markets and catering companies.

We have to develop HACCP plans. Does anyone have or experienced in developing common HACCP plans for hundreds of fruits and vegetables of all types?

Key processes -

1. Receiving, counting, weighing, labeling of items
2. Manual sorting, washing, inspection, packing, and internal transport
3. Dispatching of finished products (organization) and transportation (second party)

Any inputs are welcome.

Edited by mind over matter, 03 May 2011 - 04:33 AM.

[Charles Chew]

It would appear that your company is receiving produce from various farms and as such, pre-farm gate HACCP is not involved here. What would be of key concern to you would be a HACCP plan for your packing house. Traceability system for produce from farm sources would be an interesting area. Pre- and Post-Farm HACCP System is very exciting and dynamic subject.

[Dr Ajay Shah]

I have implemented several HACCP plans including SQF 2000 systems for a fruit and vegetable processor (minimially processed).

You need to have a generic HACCP plan for vegetables and one for fruit.

This should cover from receival of fruit and vegetable and inspection, labelling, storing, washing, processing (peeling, cutting , dicing etc), Followed by sevearl washes with a vegetable sanitiser, spin dry and then pack ( be modified atmoshere packaged). All the stages of washing and handling is done in a chilled environment (ice water) to keep the product in prime quality. the product is then stored in cool rooms and dispatched chilled in refereigerated transport.

see below:

1. Receival of Produce from Growers - CQP 1 (Critical Quality point 1)



2. Produce stored until ready for processing



3. Produce tipped into hopper and elevated to the carborundum peeling drum



4. Peeled potatoes exit the drum onto roller table for hand trimming – CQP 2 (Critical Quality Point 2)



5. Produce moved to water bath with sodium metabisulphite for 3 minutes – CCP 1 (known quantity of sodium metabisulphite added and recored to give the final level of < 50 ppm sodium metabisulphite on potatoes)



6. Produce is bagged to 10 kg and sealed or sent for further processing (Dicing)



7. Produce is diced



8. Produce is passed through sodium metabisulphite bath for 1 – 2 minutes – CCP 2 (known quantity of sodium metabisulphite added and recored to give the final level of < 50 ppm sodium metabisulphite on potatoes)



9. Produce is spun dried and bagged



10. Bags stacked in Bins/Pallets and transferred to cool room at 1 – 5°C – CCP 3 (Temperature of Cool Room to be 1- 5°C)



11. Distributed to customer at 1 – 5°C – CCP 4 (Temperature of Refrigerated Delivery Vehicle to be 1- 5°C)

Regards

Ajay

Edited by Dr Ajay Shah, 03 May 2011 - 05:43 AM.

[Kamwenji Njuma]

Dear mind over matter,

I once made a HACCP Plan for multiple vegetables and fruits including snowpeas,french beans,baby corn and baby carrots,etc but a certain BRC auditor told me to remove the rest and remain with the one for beans.I did a hazard analysis for all process steps as shown in the attached flow chart for a vegetables exporting firm.I hope this would help you to set the all products in case the auditor requires the HACCPplan for all products.

Regards,
Kamwenji Njuma

Attached Files

•  Beans Flow diagram.doc   95.5KB   314 downloads

[mind over matter]

It would appear that your company is receiving produce from various farms and as such, pre-farm gate HACCP is not involved here. What would be of key concern to you would be a HACCP plan for your packing house. Traceability system for produce from farm sources would be an interesting area. Pre- and Post-Farm HACCP System is very exciting and dynamic subject.

I appreciate your analysis and thoughtful response to my case.

[mind over matter]

Dr Ajay Shah,

Thank you for sharing.

Best regards,

mind over matter

[mind over matter]

Dear mind over matter,

I once made a HACCP Plan for multiple vegetables and fruits including snowpeas,french beans,baby corn and baby carrots,etc but a certain BRC auditor told me to remove the rest and remain with the one for beans.I did a hazard analysis for all process steps as shown in the attached flow chart for a vegetables exporting firm.I hope this would help you to set the all products in case the auditor requires the HACCPplan for all products.

Regards,
Kamwenji Njuma

I think it's difficult to make a HACCP plan per product. In my estimation they (subsidiary) have 200+ vegetables and 100+ fruits.
Thank your for the process flow diagram.

[HPG]

Dear MOM,
Try to consider about pesticide residue as chemical hazard.

Regards,
Hadi

Edited by HPG, 04 May 2011 - 02:52 AM.

[mind over matter]

Update on HACCP/ISO 22000 project for fruits and vegetables.

I was advised to request for quotation from a CB, and I did it. CB sent us a questionnaire for ISO 22000. Need to fill it up because they would need some information necessary for them to give an accurate quotation. Problem is we don't have a formal/documented HACCP plans at this point. We haven't assessed the risk; we haven’t identified and studied any hazards to determine its potential, origin, characteristics, behavior etc.

There is a section in the questionnaire that requires info on HACCP studies.

Is it safe to say we will have a total of 2 HACCP plans?

1 generic HACCP plan for fruits (per family of products?)
1 generic HACCP plan for vegetables (per family of products?)

Any help would be appreciated.

Edited by mind over matter, 04 May 2011 - 05:17 AM.

[Dr Ajay Shah]

Update on HACCP/ISO 22000 project for fruits and vegetables.

I was advised to request for quotation from a CB, and I did it. CB sent us a questionnaire for ISO 22000. Need to fill it up because they would need some information necessary for them to give an accurate quotation. Problem is we don't have a formal/documented HACCP plans at this point. We haven't assessed the risk; we haven’t identified and studied any hazards to determine its potential, origin, characteristics, behavior etc.

There is a section in the questionnaire that requires info on HACCP studies.

Is it safe to say we will have a total of 2 HACCP plans?

1 generic HACCP plan for fruits (per family of products?)
1 generic HACCP plan for vegetables (per family of products?)

Any help would be appreciated.

That should be fine...you can then expand your plans in due course depending on changes to the proceses etc.

Regards

Ajay

[YFoodSafety]

Dears MOM and all participants
I appreciate all your comments and helpful discussion.
I think the attached file "Generic HACCP Model Workbook for fruits and vegetables" is helpful too.

 GenericHACCPModelWorkbook_ENG.pdf   315.84KB   348 downloads

Best Wishes
Youssef

[cazyncymru]

Dear MOM,
Try to consider about pesticide residue as chemical hazard.

Regards,
Hadi

I would have pesticides as a pre-requisite and insist on a COC to that effect

Caz x

[mind over matter]

I would appreciate anyone who could help me define the scope of registration. Again, we are engage in distribution of "fresh" fruits and vegetables.
Thanks a lot.

[YFoodSafety]

I would appreciate anyone who could help me define the scope of registration. Again, we are engage in distribution of "fresh" fruits and vegetables.
Thanks a lot.

Dear MOM
The suitable scope of registration is "Chilled Fresh Fruits and Vegetables"
Regards,
Youssef

[mind over matter]

Dear MOM
The suitable scope of registration is "Chilled Fresh Fruits and Vegetables"
Regards,
Youssef

Problem is not all fruits and vegetables are being placed in a chilled condition. After we received the fresh fruits and vegetables we dispatch them within 24 hours.

EDIT: All imported products are in chilled condition while local products are not in chilled condition.

Edited by mind over matter, 05 May 2011 - 04:44 AM.

[YFoodSafety]

Problem is not all fruits and vegetables are being placed in a chilled condition. After we received the fresh fruits and vegetables we dispatch them within 24 hours.

Dear MOM
Is these non-chilled products are transported in chilled truck or not?
Youssef

[mind over matter]

Dear MOM
Is these non-chilled products are transported in chilled truck or not?
Youssef

All products are transported in chilled trucks.

[Kamwenji Njuma]

Dear Mind over matter,

I think your scope should be this 'HANDLING,PRODUCING,STORAGE,TRANSPORT AND PACKING OF PREPACKS AND BULK PACKS OF FRESH VEGETABLES'

The transport part will take care of the chilled trucks.

Regards,
Kamwenji Njuma

[mind over matter]

How to do a hazard analysis for "multiple" products? Do I have to get a sample for each product, for example, Atis, Avocado, Banana, Buko, Caimito, Chico, Dalandan, Durian, Pineapple, Melon, papaya, etc fruit and then identify the physical, chemical, biological hazards or 1 product (fruit) will suffice?

Edited by mind over matter, 06 June 2011 - 06:09 AM.

[Dr Ajay Shah]

For all produce that you source you have to ensure that you get an MRL (Maximum Residue Limit) which is a certificate that a grower has to provide that they meet the requirements of your country and also that they have a HACCP or SQF 1000 programme in plece etc,.

You must write specifications for each product though.

I hope this helps you.

[mind over matter]

For all produce that you source you have to ensure that you get an MRL (Maximum Residue Limit) which is a certificate that a grower has to provide that they meet the requirements of your country and also that they have a HACCP or SQF 1000 programme in plece etc,.

You must write specifications for each product though.

I hope this helps you.

If they can’t provide the certificate, then what? Do we need to get a sample per fruit and vegetable? Please guide me on how to do a HACCP study on this.

Thank you in advance.

[GMO]

Hmm. I think you need to get support from your growers on this. Normally (in the west anyway) you'd rely on the grower to ensure the pesticide levels in the fruit or veg are below a certain level, however, I can understand you might not have this option.

It would be a rare situation in the west nowadays to have an ingredient intake and testing as a CCP but your HACCP team may feel that's necessary if you feel there is a real risk of pesticide residues which could be harmful to health being present in the ingredients. This would be a pain though because you would have to positive release each delivery (delays) there's not 100% chance you'd catch the issue if it's not uniform throughout the produce and it would be expensive.

Talk with the other members of your HACCP team. You might decide that it's not an issue if certain pesticides aren't used by your growers (perhaps ask them to confirm this in writing?) You might decide it's worth putting in time with your growers to increase your faith in your supplier quality assurance? You need to work on this as a team and decide what the risks are tbh.