Blade control policy for a kitchen environment?

Has anyone figured out an excellent blade control policy for a kitchen environment? My SQF consultant says that the auditor will DEFINITELY want to see a check in and check out blade control policy.

Some background on us:

-very small candy company

-We use knives in the kitchen to cut candy or fudge, but not regularly, so checking a set of knives out to each cook, each day, is unnecessary and would make a lot of paperwork.

-The packagers use a paring knife to trim bars before putting them in plastic bags. They don't do this daily either.

Currently: Our knives are treated like all our other small cooking tools: When used for a recipe, they are sent to the dish station for washing and sanitizing, sent to drying area to dry, then  returned to their spot in the clean dishes area. They have a specific box that they sit in, and are currently available to all staff. I have a policy to narrate cleaning procedures, and another that outlines what knives can and cannot be used for (cutting into cardboard boxes, etc.) I show logs detailing staff training on these policies.

My consultant is happy with my blade cleanliness and cross contact policies, but when it comes to blade "control", I can't think of a great system that works for my team and satisfies the requirement.

I've seen videos showing amazing knife baskets that include two types of knives and the employee clocks in and retrieves a sanitary knife basket for use throughout the day. But again, I have 5 cooks, 2-7 packagers, and no one uses knives frequently enough for a system like this. These systems seem geared towards much larger facilities. We are small, do multiple recipes every day, production schedule can change on a dime.

Do I really have to check knives in and out for every use like a library?

Any imaginative solutions that anyone has seen or implemented would be so great to hear about! Thanks!

Not SQF and not a very small company.

Can you post the part of the SQF Code that you are trying to comply with?

Marshall

Not SQF and not a very small company.

Can you post the part of the SQF Code that you are trying to comply with?

 

Marshall

Yes, Here it is:

11.7.5.9 - Knives and putting instruments used in processing and packaging operations shall be controlled, and kept clean and well maintained.

Hello , 

I heard and also faced that problem before so these steps what were made : 

1. Determine the production areas that using knives. 

2. Make a color coding for each different area (to avoid cross contamination). 

3. Replacing the knives every end of shift to sterilize and giving the employees other knives sterilized.

4. Making a list for employees who are using knives for each area. 

5. If you are using metal detector , you should check it at suitable frequency to see if there any part of broken knives appear. 

6. Putting the previous steps in a Foreign body policy. 

7. Making a training for employees and record it , to show these records for audit.

Hope that i help you. 

Control can be done by assignment of items to employees and logging in and out with a check for condition for instance.  Each employee that uses a knife is then responsible for condition, reporting issues, logging in and out, etc.  Works great, really it does.

Hello FlotoYo,

SQF Auditor asked me on the SQF pre-assessment audit about the blade control procedures and i did not have any procedures and no control at all (Thanks God it was pre-assessment audit). We dont have any knives in the facility but we are using cutter.  I attached my procedure maybe it will help You. If You have any question please let me know.

alternativly, you can ensure blade integrity is monitored on pre op and sanitaiton log(s) and train employees to report issues during production and record on your daily operational record. 

I have knives in these 3 places, as we too are small. That way the are not allocated in employees, but rather monitored as a lot, but specifically mentioned on those 3 records