5 replies to this topic

[FoodSafetyAPP]

Hi all. 

 

After some advice please. 

 

We have a factory that is producing cooked ham. It is cooked, chilled, sliced, packed.

 

High risk area for post-cooking is a completely segregated, chilled area. Product is sliced, MAP packed and through the wall into boxing and palletising. 

 

My question is - once the product is through the wall into boxing and palletising, is this medium risk or low risk? 

 

And then once through to another segregated room for storage/dispatch, is this medium risk or low risk?

 

All rooms are chilled. 

 

Slight caveat - staff have to walk through storage/dispatch to enter the boxing and palletising area. 

 

Also - what would you suggest for product that enters the boxing/palletising room through the wall that then needs rework?

 

Thanks in advance. 

 

 

[jfrey123]

Without seeing an operation in person, my gut would lean towards everything outside of the production area to be low risk but acknowledging the storage/palletizing areas need a control on the temperature.  With the finished goods being sealed in packaging, generally I would have no concerns about foot traffic through the storage area to reach the boxing/palletizing area.

 

Rework could be tricky once it left into final packages.  I'm guessing you're not talking about recooking the pork, you're mainly looking at repacking into different sized packages.  I'd want to avoid it re-entering the line where raw pork enters prior to cooking, unless you could possibly do it via sequencing: when rework needs to occur, schedule the rework at beginning of a shift or immediately post-cleaning prior to starting on fresh raw pork batches to avoid contaminating your already cooked rework.

[FoodSafetyAPP]

Hi, 

 

Thanks for the reply. 

 

Yes I would agree - I am unsure what makes it medium risk. 

 

Rework would not go back into the area of raw pork, it would simply go back into the high risk slicing/packing room so all product is cooked - is it ok to have product come into the boxing and palletising area where the packaging has failed for example not sealed properly, and then go back into the high risk room to be repacked?

[jfrey123]

For a failed sealing of packages, I think you'd need a risk assessment with some pretty strong evidence to support.  A straight yes/no isn't possible here due to a number of variables that come to my mind: open exposure to an uncontrolled room/gas control lost; amount of time product was in palletizing/storage area prior to recognizing this issue; potential for FM contamination or micro risk from secondary packaging; evaluate risk based on how active your pest control traps are; etc.  I'm realizing I equated your cooked ham to RTE, but I'm not sure if you're producing it as RTE or still include a cook requirement on your finished label, as that could probably play another factor.

 

One thing for sure, anything deemed acceptable for rework I'd want done at the end of a primary production run to better control the risk that rework could contaminate the line during primary processing.  Possible reasons for rework should each be risk evaluated individually: simply changing packaging sizes/packaging type presents different hazards than bad seals on the packaging as an example.

[Tony-C]

Hi FoodSafetyAPP,

 

Once a product is enclosed e.g. in a sealed package then it becomes low risk although any applicable food safety conditions such as refrigeration need to be maintained.

 

So rooms for boxing/palletising and for storage/dispatch are low risk areas

 

Kind regards,

 

Tony

 

 

[GMO]

I think you're asking if the area is low risk?  The product is, once cooked, a "high risk food" and has been implicated in deaths in the past through poor controls.  The area it passes into once packed is a low risk area providing this is completely segregated from high risk with separate entrances, PPE, walls etc.  

 

Everything once it's packed and through into a segregated area is low risk.  I see no benefit in having segregation for storage or despatch unless you're suggesting you need different workwear there but the access route makes that difficult.

 

Not sure if you mean the rework needs to be completely reopened?  I.e. in high risk?  I have to admit to hating this.  It's obviously needed from time to time but it should be part of your barrier risk assessment.

 

Controls I'd have in place:

• Returns should be minimised as much as possible.  This is a prime area for a bit of lean work.  Get your CI team on board and remind them that "defects" was one of the wastes identified in the TPS.
• No open packs should be returned, they need to be disposed of.
• Make sure the ham is effectively chilled while waiting to be returned.
• It should be sanitised back into the high risk area.
• Traceability should be maintained.
• It should be carefully opened to not introduce foreign matter or microbiological contamination.
• If it's only 1-2 packs a shift, consider if it's worth the effort.