ISO 22000 : Personnel Hygiene

Personal Hygiene

Hygiene is a word used to describe sanitary principles for the preservation of health. Personal hygiene refers to the cleanliness of a person’s body. Parts of the body that contribute to the contamination of food include the skin, hands, hair, eyes, mouth, nose, nasopharynx, respiratory tract, and excretory organs. These parts are contamination sources as carriers, through direct or indirect transmission, of detrimental microorganisms.

Good personal hygiene policies and practices are the foundation for successful food safety and quality assurance in all food manufacturing facilities. Plant personnel are among the most significant reservoirs and vectors of microorganisms, chemical residues and foreign materials in the food facility, and as such, can be a source of unwanted contamination to products. Comprehensive personal hygiene programs, coupled with a top-down philosophy supporting sound sanitary practices as part of the corporate structure, are key to implementing best practices for compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs), Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs) and related sanitation and food safety audits. The top-down approach ensures that personal hygiene policies and procedures are implemented by all personnel; management, visitors, production, sanitation and maintenance staff at each company and in each facility, reducing the risk of product contamination and the likelihood that such product will reach the consumer.

A food handler is anyone who works in a food business and who either handles food or surfaces that are likely to be in contact with food such as cutlery, plates and bowls. A food handler may do many different things for a food business. Examples include making, cooking, preparing, serving, packing, displaying and storing food. Food handlers can also be involved in manufacturing, producing, collecting, extracting, processing, transporting, delivering, thawing or preserving food. Food handlers are potential sources of microorganisms that cause illness and food spoilage. Thus management must select clean and healthy employees and ensure that they conduct hygienic practices. Employees must be held responsible for personal hygiene so that the food that they handle remains wholesome.

However, addressing all the potential personal hygiene trouble spots can be challenging, because the routes, or vectors, of contamination are varied and complex. In any given food plant, there is a wide range of activities and movement that can result in the transfer of microorganisms, chemical adulterants or foreign objects from plant personnel to the food product. The transfer of contaminants can occur through a direct route, such as bacteria transferred from the body, skin, mouth, hands or hair to the product, or indirectly via their personal equipment, such as clothing, footwear, utensils and other tools used in their daily tasks. Everyone in the food production environment must understand that anything that travels through or is mobile in the facility is a potential source of contamination and must be tracked and controlled. Certainly, people are the biggest “movers” in the plant and therefore a source of cross contamination when moving from one processing area to another, followed by the tools and equipment they carry and use, which includes everything from sanitation foamer carts and hoses, to forklifts and pallet jacks, to pens and tape.  

Protective Garments

Personal hygiene begins at home, with the essential elements for good hygiene being a clean body, clean hair and clean clothing. Hair in food can be a source of both microbiological and physical contamination. Hairnets and beard covers should be worn to assure food product integrity. Long sleeved smocks should be worn to cover arm hair. Clean uniforms, aprons and other outer garments that are put on after the employee gets to work can help minimize contamination. While working, clothing should be kept reasonably clean and in good repair. Removal of smocks, lab coats or aprons should take place when leaving the work area to go to the employee break room, restroom or exiting the building. Personal items such as meals and snacks should be stored in a locker or break room area that is located away from processing areas or areas where equipment and utensils are washed.

Jewelry

The only jewelry allowed in a food plant is a plain wedding band and/or one small post earring in each ear. No other jewelry is to be worn because it may fall into the product, it can present a safety hazard and it cannot be adequately sanitized against bacterial transmission. It should be removed prior to entering the processing facility. Employees must wear different colored smocks when going from a raw processing part of the establishment to the cooked processing side. They should also step into a sanitizer footbath between the two processing areas to eliminate the bacteria on their shoes.

Diseases & Illness

No employee who is affected with, has been exposed to, or is a carrier of a communicable disease, the flu or a respiratory problem, or any other potential source of microbiological contamination shall work in any area where there is a reasonable possibility that food or food ingredients can be contaminated. The number one symptom of a foodborne illness is diarrhea. Other symptoms include fever, dizziness, vomiting, and sore throat with fever or jaundice. Any employee with these symptoms should not be allowed to work around food.

A company policy should be established requiring that employees report any active case of illness to supervisors before beginning work. If an employee has been diagnosed with a foodborne illness, exclude them from the establishment, and get the attention of company health officer or send to a medical officer for further diagnosis. The public health department or public health officer must be notified if the employee has been diagnosed with one of the following foodborne illnesses: Salmonella typhi, Shigella species, shiga toxin-producing E. coli, or hepatitis A virus.

Cross Contamination

Staphylococcus aureus is caused by food products touched by employee hands or being sneezed upon. Thirty to fifty percent of adults carry this in their nose and twenty to thirty five percent carry this in their skin. All employees must avoid uncontrolled, uncovered coughing or sneezing. The best way to prevent the spread of viruses to food is to ensure that hands are washed and that they are clean and protected when handling food. Anytime a human hand touches something, there is a risk of contamination with harmful microorganisms or chemicals.

Control of Cross Contamination

Employees must wash and sanitize their hands thoroughly in a hand washing facility before starting work, especially if the employee has direct contact with food. The hands should also be washed after each absence from the work area, after visiting the restrooms, after eating, drinking, smoking, chewing gum, chewing tobacco, coughing, using a handkerchief or tissue and any other times when hands have become soiled or contaminated.

Consumption of food

Consumption of food, drink, smoking or tobacco use is permitted only in authorized areas. All of these actions would generate saliva, which could contaminate the food. Additionally, employees should never spit in the building. Lunches should be stored in designated areas and refrigerators emptied weekly. No food should be permitted in employee lockers or at work areas and no objects such as toothpicks, matchsticks or similar objects are allowed in the mouth while on the job.

Hand Washing

The hand-washing facility should have liquid soap, cold and hot water that is 100° F and able to run for at least 20 seconds at that temperature. The employee must scrub the surface of their hands and arms vigorously for 10 to 15 seconds. The friction itself can remove many microorganisms. They should scrub the areas between the fingers and under the nails and then rinse the hands thoroughly. Hands should be dried with paper towels or warm air dryers. Adequate waste containers should be supplied for used towels.

Fingernails

Hands and fingernails must be kept clean. Fingernails should be short and absent of fingernail polish or false fingernails. Cuts or burns on the food worker’s hands should be thoroughly bandaged, and covered with clean gloves. The use of gloves often creates a false sense of security but does not eliminate the need for hand washing and when necessary, sanitizing.

Gloves  

Improperly used gloves may become a vehicle for spreading pathogens. Non disposable gloves should be washed and sanitized before starting work and as needed. Disposable gloves should be changed whenever contamination is a possibility, such as taking out the trash, handling cleaning chemicals, handling any animals, or picking up

dropped items. Under no circumstances should a live or dead rodent be touched. Hands must be washed before putting on this new pair of disposable or non-disposable gloves.

Sanitizers

Hand or glove dips may also be used, but only after hand washing. Sanitizers are designed for this purpose and should be monitored frequently to ensure proper concentration is maintained. These dips are not a substitute for proper hand washing.

Management Responsibility

Management should serve as role models for good work habits and acceptable hygienic practices. They should continually emphasize how important it is. Policies should reassure the employees that they will not lose their jobs if they report an illness or a communicable disease. Once employees understand what is expected of them, effective supervision of employee practices should be used to ensure that employees follow proper procedures. Training should be conducted annually and reviewed whenever incorrect practices are observed.

Important Tips for Good Personal Hygiene Policy

1. Thoroughly wash and dry your hands before handling food, and wash and dry them again frequently during work.
2. Dry your hands with clean towels, disposable paper towels or under an air dryer.
3. Never smoke, chew gum, spit, change a baby’s nappy or eat in a food handling or food storage area.
4. Never cough or sneeze over food or where food is prepared or stored.
5. Wear clean protective clothing, such as an apron.
6. Keep your spare clothes and other personal items away from where food is stored and prepared.
7. If you have long hair, tie it back or cover it.
8. Keep your nails short so they are easy to clean, and don’t wear nail polish as it
   
   can chip into the food.
9. Avoid wearing jewelry, or only wear plain banded rings and sleeper earrings.
10. If you have cuts or wounds, make sure they are completely covered by a waterproof wound strip or a bandage. Use brightly coloured wound strips, so they can be seen easily if they fall off.
11. Wear disposable gloves over the top of the wound strip if you have wounds on your hands.
12. Change disposable gloves regularly.
13. Advise your supervisor if you feel unwell and don’t handle food.

ISO 22000 : ISO 22000 Support Programs - III

Pest Control Program

In the world of food processing, quality control managers have a long list of standards that must be met and pest management is just one of them. However, the health dangers that insects can pose demand that pest management be made a priority in food facilities. Many insects can carry disease causing pathogens that can be passed to food through their feces and saliva. Two common food handling pests serve as examples of the true danger. Filth flies have been proven to spread more than 65 kinds of human diseases including E. coli, Staphylococcus, Salmonella and several kinds of food poisoning. What is worse is that they feed by regurgitating saliva and stomach contents onto their intended meal. The fly then consumes the former contents and newly dissolved food. Cockroaches, some of the most difficult insects to control, have been reported to spread at least 33 kinds of bacteria, six kinds of parasitic worms, and seven other human pathogens.

Insects can also be accidentally processed into the product which is a surefire way to risk a company’s reputation among customers and its quality assurance scores among inspectors. Stories of foodborne illnesses and rampant pest infestations topped the news recently; where everyone remembers the rats in a New York restaurant. Although this was an extreme case, it demonstrates the media frenzy and public outcry that can develop around a pest infestation. Pest management failures can be extremely damaging to an individual processor and to the food manufacturing industry at large.

It is also important for food processors to meet standards set forth by different regulating agencies. Proper pest management allows processors to avoid unnecessary fines or closure due to failed inspections.

Thus animals and pests including insects and rodents must be excluded from the premises.

The presence of pests in a food plant can result in illness to consumers through microbial contamination. Even if the pest does not cause illness, filth such an insect parts, rodent hair and droppings can be distressing for consumer when they discover them in their food. Thus good sanitation, inspection of incoming materials and good monitoring can minimize the likelihood of infestation and there by the need for pesticide applications. In establishing an exclusive program for pest control in a food processing plant, there are a number of areas of concern. Some of these are (no limited to):

The plant and its surroundings

Structure and layout

Plant machinery

Equipment and utensils

Housekeeping

 Waste disposal

The use of pesticides

In food processing environments, quality pest control is a must. A pest infestation can put your product and your business’ reputation at risk because nobody wants to find something in the product that’s not on the label. But pest management in such environments is also very sensitive. Special precautions must be taken to keep pest control treatments from threatening food safety. To better control pests while respecting a food plant’s sensitive environmental needs, you need to apply the principles of integrated pest management (IPM).

IPM programs are successful for a simple reason. They recognize that pest management is a process, not a one-time event, and that relying solely on chemical controls when so many other tools are available is never the best solution. By addressing the underlying causes of pest infestations such as access to food, water and shelter; IPM can prevent infestation before pesticides are even considered. In practice, IPM is an ongoing cycle of seven critical steps:

1.      Inspection

The cornerstone of an effective IPM program is a schedule of regular inspections. For food processors weekly inspections are common, and some plants inspect even more frequently. As you walk along the outside of the plant, note whether doors and windows are closed and sealed properly, and if they have screening which is intact and of a sufficient mesh size to prevent the entry of pests. It’s helpful to observe from inside the plant, under subdued lighting conditions, for areas of daylight that may indicate an opening sufficient in size to allow for entry of pests. This includes windows, doors and walls bordering the outside of the plant. These routine inspections should focus on areas where pests are most likely to appear such as receiving docks, storage areas, employee break rooms, sites of recent ingredient spills, etc. and identify any potential entry points, food and water sources, or harborage zones that might encourage pest problems.

2.      Preventive Action

As regular inspections reveal vulnerabilities in your pest management program, take steps to address them before they cause a real problem. One of the most effective prevention measures is exclusion, i.e., performing structural maintenance to close potential entry points revealed during inspection. Buildings should be kept in good repair and condition to prevent pest access and to eliminate potential breeding sites. Holes, drains, and other places where pests are likely to gain access should be kept sealed with a suitable material, such as steel wool or caulking to prevent potential entry. Wire mesh screens, for example, on open windows, doors and ventilators, will reduce the problem of pest entry. By physically keeping pests out, you can reduce the need for chemical countermeasures. Likewise, sanitation and housekeeping will eliminate potential food and water sources, thereby reducing pest pressure. To prevent the supply of food, an adequate waste management must be taken. The availability of food and water encourages pest harborage and infestation.

3.      Identification

Different pests have different behaviors. By identifying the problematic species, pests can be eliminated more efficiently and with the least risk of harm to other organisms. Professional pest management always starts with the correct identification of the pest in question. Make sure your pest control provider undergoes rigorous training in pest identification and behavior.

4.      Analysis

Once you have properly identified the pest, you need to figure out why the pest is in your facility. Is there food debris or moisture accumulation that may be attracting it? What about odors? How are the pests finding their way in; perhaps through the floors or walls? Could incoming shipments be infested? The answers to these questions will lead to the best choice of control techniques.

5.      Treatment Selection

IPM stresses the use of non-chemical control methods, such as exclusion or trapping, before chemical options. Treatment with chemical, physical or biological agents should be carried out without posing a threat to the safety or suitability of food. When other control methods have failed or are inappropriate for the situation, chemicals may be used in least volatile formulations in targeted areas to treat the specific pest. In other words, use the right treatments in the right places, and only as much as you need to get the job done. Often, the “right treatment” will consist of a combination of responses, from chemical treatments to baiting to trapping. But by focusing on non-chemical options first, you can ensure that your pest management program is effectively eliminating pests at the least risk to your food safety program, non-target organisms and the environment. You’ll also see higher pest control scores at audit time.

6.       Monitoring

Since pest management is an ongoing process, constantly monitoring your facility for pest activity and facility and operational changes can protect against infestation and help eliminate existing ones. Since your pest management professional most likely visits your facility on a bi-weekly or weekly basis, your staff needs to be the daily eyes and ears of the IPM program. Employees should be cognizant of sanitation issues that affect the program and should report any signs of pest activity. You don’t want to lose a day when it comes to reacting to an actual pest presence. Thus it is important to remember; is responsibility of the processing facilities to maintain and implement a program to exclude pests? Plant management must be aware at all times of which pest control practices and procedures are in place, what and how various pesticides, rodenticides and other chemicals are used, if they are appropriate, and how successful they are. The processor and service provider should maintain open and regular communication.

7.      Documentation

Let’s face it, the food safety auditor’s visit can make or break your business. Since pest control can account for up to 20 percent of your total score, it’s imperative that your IPM program is ready to showcase come audit time. Up-to-date pest control documentation is one of the first signs to an auditor that your facility takes pest control seriously. Important documents include a scope of service, pest activity reports, service reports, corrective action reports (reports of all in-house pest control inspections with corrective actions listed), trap layout maps (Map of rodent stations, bait stations and insect electrocutors), lists of approved pesticides, pesticide usage reports (Name of chemical and amount applied) and applicator licenses.

To ensure that your IPM program reaches its potential, approach your relationship with your pest management professional as a partnership. Open communication and cooperation between you, your staff and your provider makes for a winning IPM program. The benefits are fewer headaches, safer products and better audit scores.

ISO 22000 : ISO 22000 Support Programs - II

ISO 22000 Support Programs

We discussed certain parts of the support programs on the last article, most of these areas are we discussed time to time, but when you consider ISO 22000 implementation in a factory, it is very critical that you need to thoroughly consider implementing support programs prior to the implementation of ISO 22000 food safety management system. Otherwise it will be very difficult to implement support programs at the last minute; it is advised to start with GMP requirements and to implement prerequisite programs in your factory well before you start thinking of an ISO 22000 FSMS. If you have completed such requirements, it will be much easy for you to develop the HACCP on top of the existing GMP and PRP’s with relevant support programs. Then it is much easier to apply rest of the requirements step by step to certify your organization for ISO 22000 FSMS.

The biggest mistake small scale industrialist do today is; they never think about the organizing and standardizing basic requirements at the beginning and try to maximize the production and sales without thinking the environment they use to manufacture foods. Sometime later when they realize that they need some kind of a food certification to survive in today’s industry; they start thinking of these requirements in a very short time line. Thus it is most difficult sometimes if the promises and other supportive mechanisms are not stream lined and planned according to the stipulated food manufacturing requirements, where these support programs have a very important role.       

Approved Supplier Program

Appropriate controls should be in place to ensure that the safety of supplies is acceptable. Businesses need to set up a system for approving and reviewing their suppliers. Your business may choose some of the following approaches:

Some businesses may decide to purchase high risk foods only from suppliers who have a food safety system in place.

Businesses should have a list of all suppliers used, their contact details and materials they supply. This would assist with traceability.

Ideally the performance of suppliers should also be monitored which may include a history of their ability to supply within an agreed specification.

Ideally you should keep a record of all suppliers and a copy of their HACCP certification to prove accreditation status.

Suppliers test results, where applicable, are to be available for audit. Supplier certification may be an appropriate alternative. All information should be recorded along with any correction action taken.

Reference:  Supplier Evaluation and Selection

Good Food Handling Practices

It is essential to ensure good handling practices are maintained throughout the whole process, where all foods are to be stored and transported under the conditions prescribed in the applicable Food Standards in the country or specific standards practiced by the industry (GMP, HACCP, ISO 22000, etc.) They must meet temperature and hygiene requirements.

A business should establish policies and procedures for good handling practices in the following areas:

Packaging

Storage

Handling practices

Temperature monitoring procedures

Waste management

Food disposal

Some of the types of issues and checks may include:

A Pre-Operational Checklist –This type of check can be used at the commencement of each shift/day to ensure the premises and equipment is satisfactory to use. Also refer to the Hygiene and Sanitation Program.

Receival of Raw Materials - all raw materials are checked to ensure product quality and all relevant information along with any corrective action taken is recorded. Also refer to the Approved Supplier Program.

Storage - there are three important factors to consider when storing food:

Appropriate temperature control

Stock rotation

Prevention of contamination

If storing and transporting refrigerated food, ensure temperature is at 5°C or less. As an example, prior to dispatch of the product, the temperature is recorded on the product dispatch sheet.

Good Food Handling Policies

Here is a typical list of some of the issues for consideration when you develop policies relating to good food handling practices.

Storage

As soon as supplies are received from relevant suppliers, they should be placed in the appropriate storage area (freezer, cool room or dry storage area) for the quarantine before issuing to the production.

The supplies must be tested and verified against stipulated standards followed by the relevant food manufacturer and if the relevant standards are not met, then return the supplies back to the relevant supplies with the test results.   

Packaging materials must be stored in a manner that prevents contamination by dust, vermin and chemicals. Opened boxes of packaging material must be sealed between production days.

All stock should be rotated to ensure the oldest stock is used first. Prior to use, any expiry dates are checked and if the product has expired it is not to be used.

Products should be either stored in the original packaging or transferred to food-grade packaging. If product is not packaged/ sealed, then it should be covered.

Raw food is stored separately from ready-to-eat food, and if separate storage areas are not available, ready-to-eat food is stored above raw.

All dry products are stored in a manner to prevent contamination from moisture, dust, dirt, pests and rodents.

All perishable/refrigerated/frozen foods must be stored under temperature control.

Refrigerated products – stored at 5°C or less

Frozen products – stored at -18°C or less

All products are stored and transported at 5°C or less.

Waste management

Procedures for handling waste materials and cleaning waste bins should be documented.

Food disposal

Unsafe product is to be disposed of properly to ensure that it is not included with food for sale.

Food may need to be disposed of because:

Of a product recall;

The product has exceeded its shelf life; or

The product does not comply with your food safety program.

If food is to be disposed of but cannot be discarded immediately it is marked clearly with ‘HOLD’ for disposal, and separated from other food.

Equipment

Unsealed wood and timber are not to be used in food handling areas.

All equipment should only be used for what it was intended and should be kept clean and well maintained.

Equipment such as cool rooms, freezers and ice rooms should be serviced and temperature gauges should be calibrated regularly (eg. every six months).

If food transport vehicles are used they must be maintained in a clean and sound condition so that food does not become contaminated.

If refrigerated food is transported, vehicles with refrigeration units may be used and should be serviced regularly to ensure the vehicle will maintain food at 5°C or less. Records of maintenance activities should be kept.

Cleaning and Sanitation Program

Proper cleaning and sanitation will decrease the likelihood of the food becoming contaminated and will discourage pests from the premises and vehicles. In related to food operations, cleaning can be explained as “the removal of waste, dirt and grease from equipment, premises and vehicles”. “Sanitation reduces the number of microorganisms present”.

A cleaning and sanitation program should be set up to include a cleaning schedule and cleaning procedures which are documented. The schedule procedures should cover processing areas, amenities, cool rooms, storerooms, wash rooms etc. as well as utensils and equipment, floors, walls, drains etc. The following should be addressed in the procedure:

How is the cleaning/sanitation conducted,

Frequency of cleaning,

Use of chemicals,

Other points to consider regarding your cleaning and sanitation program are;

Cleaning detergent solution strengths, times and temperature requirements are to be in accordance with the manufacturer’s specifications.

All chemicals used for cleaning and sanitation should be stored away from any food.

Generally, food handling areas should be cleaned at least daily and food contact surfaces, equipment and utensils should be sanitized more frequently if required.

The verification of the effectiveness of cleaning should be determined; this may include visual assessment and regular environmental swabbing as part of the verification program.

A pre-operational hygiene check of the premises may be carried out to ensure that all surfaces are clean prior to use and recorded on a Pre-operational Checklist.

Evidence that all chemicals used in the processing area and hand wash stations are suitable for use with food products should be available. Chemicals must be well labeled at all times.

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for all chemicals stored and/or used should be kept. It is suggested that a list to be kept of all chemicals used on site, their suitability for use in food processing areas (if the chemical is to be used in a food handling or processing area) and where the chemical is used.