High Risk vs Low Risk Area
Hello all,
This question is relates to BRC high risk low risk requirements. If RTE and raw section/areas connected by wall and a door, and employees of RTE and boxed finished product from RTE area need to pass through raw area. Can it be justified by placing some type of control or procedure that meet BRC requirements? If anyone has similar type of facility structure, please share how your facility handle this type of situation.
Thanks,
Hello all,
This question is relates to BRC high risk low risk requirements. If RTE and raw section/areas connected by wall and a door, and employees of RTE and boxed finished product from RTE area need to pass through raw area. Can it be justified by placing some type of control or procedure that meet BRC requirements? If anyone has similar type of facility structure, please share how your facility handle this type of situation.
Thanks,
Hi tse,
You have omitted to describe what kind of high risk / low risk manufacturing is being undertaken.?
.
I deduce you are saying that you have manufacturing/packing of low risk products and high risk products in adjacent areas separated by a wall but with a connecting door allowing direct employee transfer.between the 2 areas.
Offhand, this IMO is unlikely to be acceptable without an intermediate changing room.
Hi Charles,
Thanks for the reply. Simply, raw meat product prepared in one room, get cooked adjacent room, goes to next adjacent room for packaging. Now from packaging room packaged product on pallet needs to pass through raw meat preparing room, in order to go to the storage. Similarly, Employees from packaging room need to pass through raw meat preparing room, in order to go to break room or restroom. Would it be acceptable if cooked packaged product on the pallet is covered while passing through raw meat area or packaging area employees changing their coat while passing through raw preparing room. I am curious that what are the possibilities to address such scenarios. I hope this clarifies.
Best regards,
TS33
Hi Charles,
Thanks for the reply. Simply, raw meat product prepared in one room, get cooked adjacent room, goes to next adjacent room for packaging. Now from packaging room packaged product on pallet needs to pass through raw meat preparing room, in order to go to the storage. Similarly, Employees from packaging room need to pass through raw meat preparing room, in order to go to break room or restroom. Would it be acceptable if cooked packaged product on the pallet is covered while passing through raw meat area or packaging area employees changing their coat while passing through raw preparing room. I am curious that what are the possibilities to address such scenarios. I hope this clarifies.
Best regards,
TS33
Hi TS,
Thks for the details. I deduce you are only processing/freezing/packing cooked meat ?
Sounds like a peculiar product flow at the end. Like to see an overall production layout schematic to comment much more.
Here are the basic BRC requirements -
Where high-risk areas are part of the manufacturing site, there shall be physical segregation between these areas and other parts of the site.
Segregation shall take into account the flow of product, the nature of the materials (including packaging), the equipment, the personnel, the disposal of waste, the flow of air, the air quality, and the provision of utilities (including drains).
The location of transfer points shall not compromise the segregation between high-risk areas and other areas of the factory. Practices shall be in place to minimise the risk of product contamination (e.g. the disinfection of materials on entry).
The (risk assessment) concept is that the area(s) handling/freezing/packaging high risk food is isolated from potential sources of contamination, eg from raw materials, workers handling raw materials, etc, etc
For example, here is an illustration of the hygienic control sequence required for workers prior to entering high risk product area -
high hygiene entry.pdf 76.03KB 104 downloads