Quality Control Points in Bakery

Hi All,

I am wondering what could be the quality control point in a bakery.
Could these be?

Receipt of raw material
Decanting & Sieving (to avoid foreign bodies)
Baking ( to atleast 75 C)
Cooling( at room temperature)
Have I missed any?

(Metal detection and Labelling/packaging are already two CCPs)
Please share your thoughts and experiences.

Regards
Martinblue

Hi Martinblue,

The HACCP definition of a CCP is that it must be "a process step at which control is essential to eliminate a food hazard or reduce it to an acceptable level".
Any step or action that does either not reduce a hazard to an acceptable limit or eliminates it, is not a CCP, but must be included in the pre-requisite programme (PRP).
ISO 22,000 introduced an 'in-between' definition of "oPRP", which gives process steps that are important for food safety but do not allow a reduction of hazrads (or even the elimination) specific significance. Your "CCP" labelling/packaging is likely to be such an oPRP (or 'Quality Control Point'), as it does not reduce or eliminate hazards, but ensures that already eliminated hazards (in previous processes) do not re-appear in the product, ether through chemical, physical or microbiological contamination or the outgrowth of surviving microorganisms. The labelling provides (legally important) product information to the customer, but also does neither reduce nor eliminate hazards.

To find out, at which steps in your operation you need to establish a CCP (HACCP) or an oPRP (ISO 22,000), you must first establish your operational needs. It is possible that sifting flour to remove small foreign bodies (eliminate or reduce to an acceptable limit) might be a CCP, while decanting (removing of packaging to reduce the intake of microorganisms and foreign bodies) could be an oPRP. At the Receipt of Raw Material stage, you must again find out if there is anything you do that is essential to reduce the level of any hazard to an acceptable limit or to eliminate it (CCP) or if you do (or need to do) anything that controls hazards but is not essential for the safety of the final product, because of subsequent process steps (oPRP). If you test flour for presence of moulds at the time of delivery, this could also become a CCP (eliminate the hazard by rejecting delivery of contaminated product).

Your Baking step (to an internal temperature of min 75ºC) can be a CCP to control bacterial survival, if you have identified bacterial contamination of the raw doughs as a potential hazard in your operation, as this temperature is sufficient to kill viable bacteria cells (not spores, not toxins) in seconds. The reduction of moisture during baking has the potential to delay or stop bacterial growth in the finished product. This could also be considered in your process control system, if necessary.

Your cooling step (at room temperature) is likely to re-introduce hazards into the product if uncontrolled, so a number of oPRPs (e.g. covering to avoid airborne contamination) or even the introduction of a CCP 'Cooling Temperature' to control microbiological activity during the cooling process (if your baked products contain ingredients that allow bacterial growth) might be necessary here.

Do you fill baked goods (e.g. Eclairs, Jam Doughnuts)? Filling might also be an oPRP (or even a CCP, if temperature control is essential to eliminate or reduce bacterial growth, e.g. fresh cream fillings).

Finally, you are right: Metal Detection is probably your final CCP before distribution.

Hope this helps,

Matt

Dear MKRMS,

Thks for the detailed input. Some of the CCPs etc will always be debatable but very readable analysis.

Baking is not my area at all however I noticed another posted example here (Fletchers Bread HACCP Plan) has a baking CL of >94degC on exit compared to the process core min.75degC you refer. Do the temperatures targeted typically vary this much (or more )?

Rgds / Charles.C

Baking is not a CCP but a QCP, target at usually 96°C, minimum 94°C. If the bread does not reach 94°C the product will not be baked and will collapse.
Only CCPs are sieving and metal detection.

QCP at bread making would be dough temperature, proving time and temperature, core temperature exit oven and cooling.

Simple.

Dear MKRMS,

ISO 22,000 introduced an 'in-between' definition of "oPRP", which gives process steps that are important for food safety but do not allow a reduction of hazrads (or even the elimination) specific significance.

As per my interpretation of ISO 22000/22004, the above is simply incorrect.
(added - my apologies, nothing about ISO is simple )

IMO, one could almost say that the 22004 Guideline document effectively restates the original definition, just that ISO are too proud / stubborn to admit the mess they made of what was initially a not totally unreasonable concept. Of course, if one likes to have a page of oprps, I guess most auditors will never object either since you are paying for their time.

@SylvainH - thks yr input. The fact is that many people / publications / auditors agree/disagree with you. It's ultimately like metal detectors, a matter of opinion.

Rgds / Charles.C

Dear MKRMS,

Thks for the detailed input. Some of the CCPs etc will always be debatable but very readable analysis. :thumbup:

Baking is not my area at all however I noticed another posted example here (Fletchers Bread HACCP Plan) has a baking CL of >94degC on exit compared to the process core min.75degC you refer. Do the temperatures targeted typically vary this much (or more )?

Rgds / Charles.C

Probably, succulent baked products like tarts, cakes, short breads have a lower core temperature than breads, crackers, biscuits...