7 replies to this topic

[aps]

Hi

 

Can somebody advise and guide please

 

I am working for a beef slaughter and boning facility and I am just working on BRC V7 and I am looking at section 5.4. I am also being requested this by customers of having a risk assessment. This is all new to me so I am struggling. 

 

What am I to be looking for as we only do Beef and I understand that this is to be done on all ingredients.

 

Look forward to any comments and advise to help me complete this 

 

[smittyjr]

http://www.tendringd...ent-food-safety

[smittyjr]

http://www.tendringd...nt-food-safety

Somehow I posted this without hitting the post button, Anyway there are some good examples on here. It is okay if you only have one product it just makes your risk assesment easier.

Hope this helps!

[Charles.C]

Hi smitty,

 

Thks for the link.

 

I guess these lines are relevant to the OP - 

 

Buying supplies from reputable suppliers

Checks on raw materials

The regulations apply to all types of food businesses - from a hot dog van to a five star restaurant, from a village hall where food is prepared, to a vending machine. They apply whether the food is sold publicly or privately, for profit or for fundraising.

 

 

The text seems a bit generous to the manufacturing arena. No mention of HACCP's proactiveness. No mention of traceability / food fraud.

 

Possibly illustrates the reason why BRC have now been obliged to act post-horsemeat. 

[OVA]

Hi aps

 

A few references/starting point(s) that I picked up from a recent TACCP/VACCP course I attended:

 

The PAS96 document (http://www.food.gov.uk/sites/default/files/pas96-2014-food-drink-protection-guide.pdf) is the one to use but reference VACCP also as it ticks the specific vulnerability word in BRC.  Document the entire food supply flow as per diagram on Page 2 with your factory being “Midstream”.  It was felt that for upstream suppliers it was sufficient to go one step back and use the supplier’s GFSI certification (or whatever is applicable to you)  and that the step back from that is the supplier’s job to threat assess (approved feed suppliers for cattle etc.).

 

Midstream i.e. your factory the advice was to group all open product processes into one and risk (threat) assess open product (as the threats will be the same throughout in most cases)- this simplifies the task considerably and it makes perfect sense in my mind at least!  Reference your HACCP steps i.e. open product steps 5-18 in HACCP so you’re not re-inventing the wheel re:  PFDs etc.

 

Downstream threat assessment will depend on what you do e.g. external storage, hauliers etc.

 

Threat analysis should take into account:

• Threat type/ attacker
• Cause/Motivation
• Vulnerability (Upstream/Midstream/Downstream)
• Detectability by Production or Technical teams
• Likelihood/Impact/Threat Rating (as per TAS96)
• Control measures/preventative action

 

http://www.fsis.usda.gov/shared/PDF/Food_Defense_Plan.pdf - if you are short for time use this as a guide to get something together quickly and tick the box.

 

Another US document: USDA Food Defense Program ISAAP 2F- tutor said he’d lay out the TACCP/VACCPmanual/plan along those lines.

 

US approach is very TACCP heavy (i.e. threats from extremists etc.) whereas the Euro approach is more VACCP oriented (fraud, horsegate etc.)

 

Hope some of that helps…

[Charles.C]

Hi Ook,

 

Thanks for yr post which is interesting.

 

If the content in yr post is correct it seems that a somewhat radical change has occurred with respect to BRC’s expectations regarding VACCP.

 

For example compare the suggestions in yr post to this thread –

 

http://www.ifsqn.com...res/#entry91284

 

It has been my understanding that detectability as mentioned in yr list for TACCP has so far also been regarded by BRC as an essential element of VACCP. ?

 

As you noted, there does seem, so far, to have been a somewhat difference in emphasis between USA/Europe.

AFAIK this partly reflects differences in Production Strategies/Confidences, at least in the meat business which has triggered BRC’s involvement. Necessity is a mother of invention.

 

May I enquire if the course you mentioned had any explicit/implicit BRC  “approval” ?

[OVA]

Charles. I gave the pointers I gleaned from the (very reputable) course I attended in the hope it might help the op. I never claimed it was a definitive guide! I hope it helps the op because I know I was finding creating our TACCP/VACCP plan quite overwhelming and this was a great starting point

[Charles.C]

Charles. I gave the pointers I gleaned from the (very reputable) course I attended in the hope it might help the op. I never claimed it was a definitive guide! I hope it helps the op because I know I was finding creating our TACCP/VACCP plan quite overwhelming and this was a great starting point

 

Hi OOK,

 

Thks for the reply.

 

I deduce the course had no specific relationship to BRC.

 

Perhaps yr info. becomes  both interesting and intriguing.

 

Indeed you are clearly not the only one finding the taccp/vaccp overwhelming. I anticipate the BRC Guidance document will shortly become a bestseller.

 

Regardless, I guess time/audits will soon tell.

 

Thanks again.