HACCP for IQF fruits

Hello everyone,

I am evaluating a new vendor who will be supplying iqf mangos and strawberries. Their plan does not identify any critical control point (CCP) for the potential presence of pathogens such as listeria or salmonella. They are selling these items as ready to eat. Their flow chart shows that there is a disinfection step that is only a control point. Is this something common in the iqf fruit industry? Before reviewing these documents, I was expecting to see the disinfection step as a CCP since we need a step that reduces the presence of pathogens (such as listeria/salmonella) to acceptable levels. Product can be contaminated with these microorganisms either in the farm or from equipment during the cutting process. By the way, there is no blanching step.  

I will appreciate if someone can share with me what are the common CCP's in this industry. May be someone has a hazard analysis or flow chart that can be shared :)

Thank you,

Silvia 

Hello everyone,

 

I am evaluating a new vendor who will be supplying iqf mangos and strawberries. Their plan does not identify any critical control point (CCP) for the potential presence of pathogens such as listeria or salmonella. They are selling these items as ready to eat. Their flow chart shows that there is a disinfection step that is only a control point. Is this something common in the iqf fruit industry? Before reviewing these documents, I was expecting to see the disinfection step as a CCP since we need a step that reduces the presence of pathogens (such as listeria/salmonella) to acceptable levels. Product can be contaminated with these microorganisms either in the farm or from equipment during the cutting process. By the way, there is no blanching step.  

 

I will appreciate if someone can share with me what are the common CCP's in this industry. May be someone has a hazard analysis or flow chart that can be shared :)

 

Thank you,

 

Silvia 

Hi Silvia,

I assume this is the finished product from a nominally post-farmgate process.

You may well find there is a variance betweeen the haccp viewpoint of USFDA and Industry.

haccp for frozen berry, fresh produce production is discussed at length in this thread -

http://www.ifsqn.com...frozen-berries/

I think you will see there is substantial  agreement with yr CCP opinion but that FDA  offers a different interpretation. (old thread but conclusions probably unchanged).

I predict most traditional, RTE, fresh produce, fruit/vegetable process industry haccp plans with a microbial reduction step/hydrocooler will go for a CCP.

I attach a quite detailed haccp plan for frozen strawberies which also agrees yr CCP opinion -

haccp plan frozen strawberries.pdf   105.7KB   256 downloads

(i don't offhand agree CCPs 2, 3, and probably 5 :smile:)

(Tables 3,5 are insufficiently specified  IMO from a HACCP POV)