Cold Chain Practices
When purchasing fresh produce and other ingredients, management should establish specifications for each of the items that are to be received. The specifications may be that the products meet management standards in the areas of;
Quality
Temperature
Size
Microbiological standards
Processors should evaluate whether the food product purchased was produced at sites that adhere to GMP and meet established specifications. Specifications may also state that producers should follow good agricultural and management practices for the growing, harvesting and packing of fresh produce.
To ensure that the quality of freshly harvested produce is not compromised, it is recommended that produce be transported from the field to the processing, packing or cooling facility as soon as practical after harvest.
Equipment utilised to transport field harvested produce either directly to the processing plant or to the cooling facility, should be inspected daily in order to minimise contaminants such as mud, oil and debris. All transportation equipment carrying freshly harvested produce should be cleaned and sanitised frequently.
At the time of receipt, processors should visually examine the incoming product for;
Rot
Decay
Presence of excessive organic material
Foreign objects
Damaged containers
Processors should also identify the grower, field and lot, as well as coordinate incoming lock numbers with their lot numbering systems in case a traceback is required. Processors will need to determine which incoming ingredients are components of which finished product. It’s recommended that processors document the following information for traceback purposes at the time of receipt of an ingredient:
Type of product
Raw ingredient and product packaging
Labelling
Lot number
Pallet tag
Quantity
Size
Weight
Receiving
All incoming ingredients must be inspected and be accepted or rejected. In case a traceback is required, processors will need to determine which incoming ingredients are components of which finished product. It is recommended that processors document the following information for traceback purposes, at the time of receipt of an ingredient: type of product; ingredient and product packaging; labelling; lot number; and pallet tag, quantity, size, and weight.
There are many ways a firm can document incoming product receipt and tie it to production for better traceback. Maintaining documents in case of a traceback may minimise the public health and economic impact of a recall.
Quality control review of all ingredient and packaging materials is the first step in producing the safest fresh products at the facility. Workers involved in the loading and unloading of fresh produce during transport should practice good personal hygiene and sanitation.
To minimise potential microbial hazards when receiving produce the building's fixtures and other physical facilities and surrounding grounds should be maintained in a good sanitary condition. Pathogenic microorganisms may be found on floors, in drains of packing facilities, and on the surfaces of sorting, grading and packing equipment. Without the use of good sanitary practices, surfaces that come into contact with fresh produce could be a source of microbial contamination. Therefore good sanitation practices should be used throughout the facility and staging areas to control contamination throughout the receiving, cooling, processing and packing operations.
Packaging containers and other packing materials that are not used right away should be stored in a way that protects them from contamination by pests, dirt, and water condensing from overhead equipment and structures. Packaging materials should:
be manufactured from food-grade materials
be stored away from any industrial chemicals and other possible contaminants, and
not be used to store hazardous chemicals to avoid cross-contamination
To ensure proper rotation of inventory, all pallets should be dated upon receipt. Also, an appropriately detailed inventory system should be established in order to ensure first-in-first-out (FIFO) use and shipment of product. Similar commodities should be stored together in order to prevent cross-contamination.
All equipment should be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition. All remnants of food products on belts, tables, lines, and conveyors may serve as a source for microbial contamination and should be removed and the equipment cleaned. When knives and cutting equipment, boots, gloves, smocks, and aprons are used during the processing, they should be cleaned on a regular basis or replaced if they become damaged and/or cannot be kept in a sanitary condition.
Storage
As various methods are employed for cooling fresh produce temperature of the product may be recorded before and after the cooling process.
When hydro-cooling and hydro-vacuuming, the tube in which the fresh produce is placed should be cleaned and inspected daily. The water in the reservoir should be changed daily or more frequently if necessary and where applicable it should be sanitised to reduce potential microbial contamination.
When using ice, the water source for the ice should meet potable water standards. The ice reservoir should be drained weekly and the entire icer should be drained, cleaned and sanitised on a regular schedule.
Another cooling procedure is the dump tank, where produce is dumped into a cold water bath. Because of the temperature difference between the cold water and the dump tank and the warmer produce this procedure may result in the introduction of microorganisms into the flesh or interior of some fruits and vegetables. To minimise this effect there are several critical factors that should be considered including the temperature of the water compared to the temperature of the produce, the force of the impact with which the water contacts the produce, and the depth of submersion.
After cooling, products should be held in cold storage or cool rooms until used for processing or shipping. Typically most vegetable and food items should be maintained at 0.5 to 5 degrees Celsius (33 to 41 degrees Fahrenheit).
All cold rooms should be maintained in a clean condition. A master sanitation plan should require regular cleaning and sanitising of refrigerated storage areas, warehouse equipment and shipping docks. All refrigeration units should be inspected and kept in good operating condition. Maintaining the proper temperature will help ensure both the quality and safety of fresh produce.
Similar commodities should be stored together in order to prevent cross-contamination, also an appropriately detailed inventory system should be established in order to ensure first-in-first-out use and shipment of product.
Packing
Depending upon the specific operation and individual commodity needs, produce items may be delivered to a packing facility in cartons, bins, trays, sleds, totes or gondolas. After receipt at a packing facility, produce may be washed before packing in containers or consumer units for marketing.
The wash water that contacts fresh produce prior to packing, should not be a source of contamination, it should be safe and adequate. All equipment should be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition. All remnants of produce on belts, tables, lines and conveyors may serve as a source for microbial contamination and should be removed in the equipment clean.
Transport
When preparing finished products for shipment to various customers, processors are encouraged to examine all transportation vehicles before loading freight carriers or refrigerated trailers with the product. Because transportation vehicles can be a potential source of microbial contamination, refrigerated trailers should be inspected for general condition, obvious contaminants and odours before loading. Only trailers with appropriate temperatures and no obvious signs of contamination should be loaded.
Drivers should be advised to properly precool, clean, sanitise and repair trailers prior to loading. All fresh produce should be carefully loaded to minimise physical damage to fresh produce and reduce the potential for contamination during transport.
Produce should also be loaded to allow proper air circulation. For extended transit periods, it's recommended that a temperature chart recorder be installed in refrigerated trailers.
