6 replies to this topic

[ads78]

Hi all, bit of a question for the forum. When slicing cured meats, would you consider this needs completing in a high care area, or low risk area? BRC flow charts are not particularly clear as the product is ambient stable....

 

 

[Tony-C]

Hi ads78,

 

An interesting question    

 

Cured meats are in the chilled and frozen decision tree:

 

High-care area –
for example, fresh prepared salads, sandwiches, cured meats, cold smoked salmon, dairy desserts with uncooked components, prepared meals with garnishes***, chilled pizzas 

 

I agree that this isn't clear, I personally would think that high care is appropriate as you are slicing an open product but, I would put the question to your certification body and/or BRCGS who I have found quite open to questions & correspondence to clarify such matters.

 

Kind regards,

 

Tony

[Charles.C]

Hi ads78,

 

An interesting question    

 

Cured meats are in the chilled and frozen decision tree:

 

High-care area –
for example, fresh prepared salads, sandwiches, cured meats, cold smoked salmon, dairy desserts with uncooked components, prepared meals with garnishes***, chilled pizzas 

 

I agree that this isn't clear, I personally would think that high care is appropriate as you are slicing an open product but, I would put the question to your certification body and/or BRCGS who I have found quite open to questions & correspondence to clarify such matters.

 

Kind regards,

 

Tony

BRC may use their get-out free card that regardless of choice, still need to apply high care hygiene requirements.

 

Regardless, as you say, an interesting poser for them.

[Jeffrey Ort]

Being cured, ready to eat and not heat treated for a kill step, it would be High Care.

[bpscs]

Hi, if it helps we have an ambient high care area for slicing ready to eat ambient stable fully cured sausage such as chorizo.

[Charles.C]

Hi, if it helps we have an ambient high care area for slicing ready to eat ambient stable fully cured sausage such as chorizo.

 

And ambient storage ?. This is the (BRC) unclear factor.

 

 

 

[JohnFiggins]

The definitive definitions for each production zone are given in appendix 2 of the Standard and these definitions should be compared to the product characteristics. The flow diagrams are intended as an aid, but where they are unclear appendix 2 must be referenced.

 

A majority of cooked and cured meats are obviously chilled or frozen, and this would put the products in the high risk category (assuming they are fully cooked, ready to eat, and susceptible to pathogen contamination). An ambient product will not fall into high risk or high care as these are intended for chilled and frozen products. An ambient product that is susceptible to pathogen contamination may therefore be applicable to ambient high care.

 

It is important to remember (as one reply has already) that it is vital that the site understands the product safety risks associated with the products and applies appropriate levels of control to manage these risks, regardless of the actual category of production zone.

 

BRCGS have published a guideline explaining high risk, high care and ambient high care and this can be downloaded from BRCGS Participate.

 

 

John Figgins

Senior Standard Manager Food - BRCGS.