Our building is a 30,000 sq. ft. building with a 2500 sq. ft. production room. We are a low risk category E processing plant (long shelf life at ambient temps.) and our processing area is in a separate room from our storage warehouse, shipping room, offices, lunch room, etc. The processing room has sinks for washing your hands just inside the door.
I had an FSSC 22000 consultant do a GAP analysis in anticipation of our actual audit which will occur in 3 months. He told us that we could not have any type of beverage, including water, in any area of the warehouse other than in the lunch room or the water fountains located in different warehouse areas.
What I would like to be able to do is to have absolutely no drinking of any type in the processing room. In the warehouse, I would like to be able to drink out of a non-screw top container and be able to have either water, coffee or a soft drink in this approved container. This is in the non-processing area of the warehouse where we do not have to wash our hands or wear hair nets.
I could not find anything that specifically says that you cannot have drinks in non processing areas of the facility. Can you guys give me some guidance in this area?