HACCP component risk assessment tools

Hi my name is Dave I am a Long time subscriber first time posting I am looking for some recommendations for risk assessment information for food components specifically Date Syrup. But also in general any recommended databases for likely food safety concerns (Chemical, Biological, Physical, Radiological)  in food components. Or recommendations on methods for finding for that information. Bottom line is I am trying to perform risk analyses on the components for a flavored Ghee while training a brand new HACCP team that has no experience. So finding some tools from the pros would be greatly appreciated. I am Located in the North East USA. Thanks

I don't know anything about your products specifically, but the MAJORITY of the food safety risks are going to come from the PROCESS, not the ingredient.  I recommend spending a good amount of time looking at the process.  So I'd start with my process hazard analysis for your facility. 

Thanks for the reply. I am performing the review on an existing HACCP plan. The process is straight forward it is an AW controlled product (Ghee,Chocolate,Date Syrup, Vanilla Powder) and we send to certified lab for AW and micro-bio testing. We have reviewed the process from receiving to ship out and believe we have a pretty good handle on that. The team is hung up on the component risks and I am trying to explain the difference between likely and possible for individual component risk. Am I correct in thinking that the individual components should be deemed to be food safe if they are received from a reviewed and approved food component vendor thru our vendor approval program (controlled with prerequisite program)?

Thanks

Dave

A lot of your food safety risks will come from your process but some ingredients can bring risks into as well, and that needs to be considered because your process may not be able to get those under control. I used to use the "Reference Database for Hazard Identification" from the Canadian Food Inspection Agency  https://active.inspe...azdane.aspx?i=2 and now I use the FDA -Hazard Analysis and Risk-Based Preventive Controls for Human Food: Draft Guidance for Industry https://www.fda.gov/...99581/download.

I have a hazard risk assessment for ingredients, those may controlled by your process or you may be able to justify that is not likely to happen because you are getting your ingredients from approved suppliers.

Hope this helps!

Hi my name is Dave I am a Long time subscriber first time posting 

 

I am looking for some recommendations for risk assessment information for food components specifically Date Syrup. But also in general any recommended databases for likely food safety concerns (Chemical, Biological, Physical, Radiological)  in food components. Or recommendations on methods for finding for that information. 

 

Bottom line is I am trying to perform risk analyses on the components for a flavored Ghee while training a brand new HACCP team that has no experience. So finding some tools from the pros would be greatly appreciated.

 

I am Located in the North East USA

 

Thanks

Hi Dave,

So what is the basic Process ? HACCP demands this info in order to hypothesise a hazard analysis.

The 1st and particularly 2nd link in Post 4 may help on ingredients but latter not working. (these [and others] available many other places on this forum).

!st link is also available as compilation.

See -

http://www.ifsqn.com...ds/#entry127333

(1,2)

http://www.ifsqn.com...us/#entry127998

@ lff - 2nd link not directly useful.

I am looking for some recommendations for risk assessment information for food components specifically Date Syrup.

I appreciate that you're in the US, but if you're of a mindset that more information is generally useful then it's potentially worth having a look at the EU's RASFF (Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed) portal - this is a central repository of notifications for foods that have been posted by the various members states' responsible authorities for goods that are unsafe / non-compliant.

Having had to do a review for Date products in the past, my first thoughts would be mycotoxins and aflatoxins. IIRC there have also been various cases of excessive mould, although that's potentially less of an issue in the processed syrup you're buying. Worth thinking about in terms of your suppliers' raw material controls though ;)

You might find the FDA Guidance for Industry here helpful.

Marshall

You might find the FDA Guidance for Industry here helpful.

 

Marshall

Included within Post 5. (But always worth repeating :smile: )