6 replies to this topic

[Shere- Dean]

Hi everyone,

 

I work in a catering company. I need your assistant with obtaining a risk assessment template or form that can be used to satisfy a customer requirements for documented risk assessment and records. See below:

 

 'A documented risk assessment must be conducted to determine the requirement for air filtration.

Where air filtration is in place, it must be subject to recorded regular inspections and replaced as necessary.

The filter grades used must be determined by documented risk assessment to ascertain the risk from airborne contamination from the local environment and the likely occurrence of product contamination e.g. time product is exposed. Filtration should comply with (expressed in accordance with EN779 and EN1822) F7 - F9 for high care and F9-H12 for high risk. 

 

Positive air pressure must be in place in high-risk areas and monitored at defined frequencies with records kept of the findings of that monitoring. An initial assessment / study to measure air pressure must be held by the site.

 

Can anyone assist? It is urgent. 

 

I found the document attached here, which sheds some light on what the filters do, but I am unable to take the next step. 

[GMO]

Catering not food production? Those sound like requirements for food production. I.e. food not to be eaten within a short timescale but more likely to be stored.

 

Please can you describe your product and process?

[Shere- Dean]

Good day. The process involves preparation and storage of food (finished meals and raw materials/ ingredients).

[jfrey123]

Just about every place I've worked for is ambient air in production (the high risk area) and justifies this by using air plate testing as part of their EMP.  If a customer is asking for documentation around this, refer them to your GFSI certs for the facility and point out the relevant section on EM, showing them your program has been found to be compliant in that regard.

[GMO]

Good day. The process involves preparation and storage of food (finished meals and raw materials/ ingredients).

 

Please can you describe further?

 

"Catering" suggests cooking food for immediate consumption or consumption close to preparation. 

High care or high risk areas are more often used for ready to eat or reheat foods which will be stored for longer in chill temperatures and so could be at risk of Listeria growth.

 

Without knowing what you're making it's difficult to know whether the air filtration ask is reasonable. Are you really "catering" or are you a food manufacturer?

[Shere- Dean]

@ GMO

 

Catering (RTE meals/meals that can be reheated)

 

Not food manufacturing.

[GMO]

Hi Shere. You're still not explaining the product clearly. Perhaps I'm not explaining why I'm asking.

 

So, you are making meals. "Catering" would mean those meals are eaten immediately in the UK interpretation of the word and are produced in a conventional kitchen not a segregated high care or high risk operation.

 

But in your last reply you've said "RTE / meals that can be reheated" which muddies the waters. That is food manufacturing to my mind.

 

Please can you explain your product or else people aren't going to be able to help? And I know your request is urgent.

• So, are you cooking products which are then stored, chilled for more than 24 hours?
• How long is your shelf life?
• How are the products sold?
• Who reheats them?
• A "catering" facility suggests a kitchen. Is it a kitchen or do you have a high care or high risk area?
• Is that high care or high risk area completely segregated, i.e. do you not have any raw meat or sources of pathogen contamination coming into the high risk area?

Because if you're not making products which can support the growth of Listeria, the requirements are unnecessary, however from what you've described so far, I'm concerned that you are producing products which could support growth but in an unsuitable area.