5 replies to this topic

[Dr.Khan]

Hi am looking for some help in writing a systematic procedure for preventing cross contamination of products.

[Charles.C]

Hi am looking for some help in writing a systematic procedure for preventing cross contamination of products.

 

Hi Humaid Khan,

 

You may need to narrow the scope a little. It's a rather enormous topic.

 

Or did you mean in the context of the BRC Standard ?

 

I suppose one generic  food response might be to implement all the relevant contents of, say, 21cfr part 110. Or a multitude of other equivalents.

[QAGB]

Hi am looking for some help in writing a systematic procedure for preventing cross contamination of products.

 

Hi Dr. Humaid Khan,

 

I'm not sure whether you are looking to create a generic procedure for cross contamination, or you are looking to create a procedure for your own company.

 

Either way, the best way to start is to take the layout of the company (maps of the floor plan are the most useful), and determine allergen routes. Where are the allergens produced? Where do the employees that work with allergens walk? How do they get to the rest room or break rooms? Where does allergen rework travel? Where does the allergen waste travel?

 

From there you can see points of possible cross-contamination. Then, also look at the process itself. Are allergens time segregated? Are they physically segregated? Are employees wearing proper PPE for allergens? Could you possibly have personnel wear different colored hairnets to designate employees working in allergens, or non-allergens? What types of food are employees allowed to eat at break? Are there handwashing stations before re-entering the plant from the break room?

 

The next step is to make sure that proper utensils are being used for allergens. They can be color coded, or if unable to color code based on allergens, there needs to be some sort of cleaning process that validates and verifies the utensils are properly cleaned after allergen use.

 

Ensure there are no points where fans or other collection units are carrying allergens from an allergen production area to a non-allergen production area. There should be curtains, or walls, and ceilings of proper construction (no drop-ceilings) especially in allergen areas. Also, if an allergen spill happens, how do you contain the allergen so as to not affect other product?

 

QAGB

[QAGB]

Hi Dr. Humaid Khan,

 

I'm not sure whether you are looking to create a generic procedure for cross contamination, or you are looking to create a procedure for your own company.

 

Either way, the best way to start is to take the layout of the company (maps of the floor plan are the most useful), and determine allergen routes. Where are the allergens produced? Where do the employees that work with allergens walk? How do they get to the rest room or break rooms? Where does allergen rework travel? Where does the allergen waste travel?

 

From there you can see points of possible cross-contamination. Then, also look at the process itself. Are allergens time segregated? Are they physically segregated? Are employees wearing proper PPE for allergens? Could you possibly have personnel wear different colored hairnets to designate employees working in allergens, or non-allergens? What types of food are employees allowed to eat at break? Are there handwashing stations before re-entering the plant from the break room?

 

The next step is to make sure that proper utensils are being used for allergens. They can be color coded, or if unable to color code based on allergens, there needs to be some sort of cleaning process that validates and verifies the utensils are properly cleaned after allergen use.

 

Ensure there are no points where fans or other collection units are carrying allergens from an allergen production area to a non-allergen production area. There should be curtains, or walls, and ceilings of proper construction (no drop-ceilings) especially in allergen areas. Also, if an allergen spill happens, how do you contain the allergen so as to not affect other product?

 

QAGB

 

 

Also, one must also be aware of storage. Allergens should always be stored below non-allergens, and if possible, allergens should be stored away from non-allergens (not always practical). Especially critical to allergens is proper labeling of secondary containers (all secondary containers should be labeled, but the severity is far higher here).

 

QAGB

[Charles.C]

Hi QAGB,

 

Only allergens ?

[QAGB]

Hi QAGB,

 

Only allergens ?

 

 

I was sort of thinking that was the main reference here, although I suppose it could be for general cross contamination. In which case, this relates more to general sanitation, GMPs, product testing, environmental testing, flushing systems, etc. I guess that would be up to the OP to expand on this.

 

QAGB