Cooling Pies - CCP methodology
Hello Everyone,
Looking for some assistance in regards to our cooling CCP.
We manufacture pies that on average are 350g. We have cooling of the cooked pies as a CCP and require that they be <5degC in no more than 2 hours. However, as part of HACCP review we are looking to extend that as some pies are taking longer to cool and I'm not sure why the 2 hour limit was set.
However, what do people do where their factories close before the final check should take place?
Our oven runs up to 3, but closing time is 4:30. If we extended the cool time to 4 hours, the final check would need to be at 7 by which time all staff would have gone home.
Hi, how do you cool the pies? Blast chiller? What's happening to pies then? Packed chilled and stored chilled? Any chance you can alter the cooler settings? I'd also try to understand why some pies cool longer then the others. Are there any 'hot spots'?
When I worked in a USDA plant (we made soup, quiche and meat pies) - we had a temperature data logger with external probes. The data logger was set to record temperatures every 2 minutes (This can be changed: we had some products that would be very close to completing the cooling within the time limit so we chose the interval based on what we were willing to lose if the cooling went beyond the limit - pretty much nothing hence the 2 minute interval.)
The data logger was set up outside the cooler and the probe wires were about 6 ft long, I think. Pop the probes into a (sacrificed) product and head home. Next morning - first thing! - remove the probes and data logger (from the wall; it attached by hooks) and take it to the computer to download the data. Then, print the data - this is now a record, an official record of cooling. And, CHECK the data - check the cooling ensure the CCP was met within the specified time frame. (You know what to do if it doesn't.) I always marked the start and end of the cooling, what the product was, and indicated total time of cooling (3 hours and 24 mins), then signed and dated the print out. And, as always, clean and sanitize the probes right away so they don't get forgotten.
As for calibration: we checked the probes regularly and once a year it needed to be sent out for calibration by the company we purchased it from. I believe there are several types of temperature data loggers out there; just do some homework for which will work best for your purpose and don't hesitate to contact the manufacturere and ask their opinion. I think there are options for different types of probes to go with the data loggers as well.
Hello Everyone,
Looking for some assistance in regards to our cooling CCP.
We manufacture pies that on average are 350g. We have cooling of the cooked pies as a CCP and require that they be <5degC in no more than 2 hours. However, as part of HACCP review we are looking to extend that as some pies are taking longer to cool and I'm not sure why the 2 hour limit was set.
However, what do people do where their factories close before the final check should take place?
Our oven runs up to 3, but closing time is 4:30. If we extended the cool time to 4 hours, the final check would need to be at 7 by which time all staff would have gone home.
Hi jenw,
I assume the cooked pies are RTE.
There are various previous threads here on related situations / cooling requirements.
Regulatory answers where relevant can be complicated and may vary depending on your location (for example IIRC UK is different to USA).
One common result is that many official requirements cannot be routinely met unless you have a blast chiller.
A)--what kind of pie? Fruit/custard/meat? Solutions will vary depending on answer, and the 2 hours MAY not be applicable
B) since you mentioned your cooling is/part of your CCP---what does the CCP validation say--you're answer to A SHOULD be in there
C) without purchasing additional equipment, you will not be able to shorten your cooling time due to the laws of thermodynamics
Hello again, jenw -
I may be asking a stupid question but,...
How is your cooler being monitored? Is it be chart recorder? Or other? I am talking about the temperature of your cooler throughout the day, every day and on weekends. Have temperatures been running in their "normal" range consistently? If not, when was the last time your coolers were checked over or had maintenance done.
Also, have you increased production? Is there a "higher load" than normal (of pies) in the cooler.
Lastly, has there been any electrical issues or changes/additions to what was existing? Sorry, just trouble shooting from a different perspective - bad habit of mine.
Hi,
I think your cooling step is CCP to control microbiological hazard. If you are going to increase cooling time, evaluate its impact on your product. You can modify your machine to meet the purpose instead of increasing cooling time.
Zargham Abbas
Microbiologist-Food Safety & Quality Expert
ISO certified Lead Auditor
Hi,
I think your cooling step is CCP to control microbiological hazard. If you are going to increase cooling time, evaluate its impact on your product. You can modify your machine to meet the purpose instead of increasing cooling time.
Zargham Abbas
Microbiologist-Food Safety & Quality Expert
ISO certified Lead Auditor
Hi Zargham,
Yes, it's a question of microbial growth, often, but not exclusively, of spores.
In practice, the maximum allowed time is usually pre-stipulated.
Processors tend to overload, often already inadequate, cooling systems.