Strategies to improve Food Safety An approach to Risk Management Prof' Dr' Ing' Dr' h'c' W'E'L' Spie

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Strategies to improve Food Safety An
approach to Risk Management Prof. Dr. Ing. Dr.
h.c. W.E.L. SpiessPast-President IUFoST (Term
2003 2006)
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What means Food Safety ?
Food intended for human consumption is never free
of micro-organisms. The concentration of the
microbiological hazard has to be acceptable at
the point of consumption. The tolerated potential
hazards are defined by national and international
regulations. The prime objective of safety
regulations is to protect the consumer. A
secondary objective is to make food processing
practicable.

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Food Safety Standards and Trade
The tolerated levels of potential hazards differ
from country to country (regulatory area) because
of different attitudes towards food safety and
different interpretation of scientific
information. ....zero tolerance in Listeria
monocytogenes and Salmonella typhimurium
DT104........ ....Sweden, operates a zero
tolerance policy in regards toSalmonella. The
result is that in various regulatory areas
different default values are accepted which
causes amongst others difficulties in
international trade.
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Strategies to resolve the problem of
Food Safety Food Safety aspects have to be
based only on scientific evidents.International
Agreements have to assure Food Safety. In the
frame of International Agreements Food and New
Processes have to be evaluated/approved and
supervised and International Exchange of Know-How
and Goods has to be organised.
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Partners to handle International Agreements
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Impact of International Regulations on
cultural/religious regulations has to be observed
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........also Impact onLocal Consumer
Attitudes/Concerns

• Consumer Attitudes
• e.g. GMOs, Irradiation, Chemical Preservatives
• Consumer Concerns
• e.g. Hormones, BSE, FMD Antibiotics/Veterinary
  Drug Residues in Meat Products,
• Salmonella, E. coli 0157H7, Campylobacter
• Herbicide/Pesticide Residues

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Food Safety Objectives
Food Safety aspects have to be converted into
practical Food Safety Objectives (FSO). The
Objectives are the links between Safety Goals and
Safety Control through
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Managing the Food Safety Risks
Public Demand As low as reasonable What is
reasonable ? What is technological
possible? What are the best systems of Food
Safety Risk Management? Good Hygiene and
Manufacturing Practices (GHP, GMP) and/or Hazard
Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP)
principles?
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HACCP A modern Approachto Risk
Management
HACCP is space-age technology designed to keep
food safe in outer space and on Earth. The
American Food and Drug Administration has adopted
a food safety program developed nearly 30 years
ago for astronauts and is applying it to seafood
and juice. It is intended to be used for much of
the U.S. food supply and in similar way in many
other countries around the globe. The program
developed for the astronauts focuses on
preventing hazards that could cause food-borne
illnesses by applying science-based controls,
from raw material to finished products.
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HACCP A modern Approachto Risk
Management

• What is HACCP? (1)
• HACCP involves seven principles
• Analyze hazards. Potential hazards associated
  with a food and measures to control those hazards
  are identified. The hazard could be biological,
  such as a microbe chemical, such as a toxin or
  physical, such as ground glass or metal
  fragments.
• Identify critical control points. These are
  points in food production--from the raw state
  through processing and shipping to consumption by
  the consumer--at which the potential hazard can
  be controlled or eliminated. Examples are
  cooking, cooling, packaging, and metal detection.
  

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HACCP A modern Approachto Risk
Management

• What is HACCP? (2)
• HACCP involves seven principles
• Establish preventive measures with critical
  limits for each control point. For a cooked food,
  for example, this might include setting the
  minimum cooking temperature and time required to
  ensure the elimination of any harmful microbes
• Establish procedures to monitor the critical
  control points. Such procedures might include
  determining how and by whom cooking time and
  temperature should be monitored.

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HACCP A modern Approachto Risk
Management

• What is HACCP? (3)
• HACCP involves seven principles
• Establish corrective actions to be taken, when
  monitoring shows that a critical limit has not
  been met--for example, reprocessing or disposing
  of food if the minimum cooking temperature is not
  met.
• Establish procedures to verify that the system is
  working properly--for example, testing
  time-and-temperature recording devices to verify
  that a cooking unit is working properly.

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HACCP A modern Approachto Risk
Management

• What is HACCP? (4)
• HACCP involves seven principles
• Establish effective record keeping to document
  the HACCP system. This would include records of
  hazards and their control methods, the monitoring
  of safety requirements and action taken to
  correct potential problems. Each of these
  principles must be backed by sound scientific
  knowledge for example, published microbiological
  studies on time and temperature factors for
  controlling food borne pathogens.

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HACCP A modern Approachto Risk
Management
THE 7 HACCP PRINCIPLES (Summary) Principle 1
Conduct a hazard analysis. Principle 2 Determine
the critical control points (CCPs). Principle 3
Establish critical limits. Principle 4 Establish
monitoring procedures. Principle 5 Establish
corrective actions. Principle 6 Establish
verification procedures. Principle 7 Establish
record-keeping and documentation procedures.
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HACCP A modern Approachto Risk
Management
Need for HACCP (1) New challenges to the World
food supply have prompted Codex Alimentarius to
consider adopting a HACCP-based food safety
system on a wider basis. One of the most
important challenges is the increasing number of
new food pathogens. For example, between 1973 and
1988, bacteria not previously recognized as
important causes of food-borne illness--such as
Escherichia coli O157H7 and Salmonella
enteritidis--became more widespread. See also
preceding information.
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HACCP A modern Approachto Risk
Management
Need for HACCP (2) There also is increasing
public health concern about chemical
contamination of food for example, the effects
of lead in food on the nervous system. Another
important factor is that the size of the food
industry and the diversity of products and
processes have grown tremendously--in the amount
of domestic food manufactured and the number and
kinds of foods imported. At the same time,
international, national e.g. FDA/European Food
Safety Authority (EFSA), state and local
agencies have the same limited level of resources
to ensure food safety
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HACCP A modern Approachto Risk
Management
Need for HACCP (3) The need for HACCP
particularly in the seafood and juice industries,
is further fueled by the growing trend in
international trade for worldwide equivalence of
food products and the Codex Alimentarious
Commission's adoption of HACCP as the
international standard for food safety.
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HACCP A modern Approachto Risk
Management

• Advantages (1)
• HACCP offers a number of advantages over the
  current system. Most importantly, HACCP
• focuses on identifying and preventing hazards
  from contaminating food
• is based on sound science
• permits more efficient and effective government
  oversight, primarily because the record keeping
  allows investigators to see how well a firm is
  complying with food safety laws over a period
  rather than how well it is doing on any given day

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HACCP A modern Approachto Risk
Management

• Advantages (2)
• places responsibility for ensuring food safety
  appropriately on the food manufacturer or
  distributor
• helps food companies compete more effectively in
  the world market
• reduces barriers to international trade.

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HACCP A modern Approachto Risk
ManagementDEFINITIONS (1)
CCP Decision Tree A sequence of questions to
assist in determining whether a control point is
a CCP. Control (a) To manage the conditions of
an operation to maintain compliance with
established criteria. (b) The state where
correct procedures are being followed and
criteria are being met. Control Measure Any
action or activity that can be used to prevent,
eliminate or reduce a significant hazard.
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HACCP A modern Approachto Risk
ManagementDEFINITIONS (2)
Control Point Any step at which biological,
chemical, or physical factors can be controlled.
Corrective Action Procedures followed when a
deviation occurs. Criterion A requirement on
which a judgment or decision can be based.
Critical Control Point A step at which control
can be applied and is essential to prevent or
eliminate a food safety hazard or reduce it to an
acceptable level.
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HACCP A modern Approachto Risk
ManagementDEFINITION (3)
Critical Limit A maximum and/or minimum value
to which a biological, chemical or physical
parameter must be controlled at a CCP to prevent,
eliminate, or reduce. Critical Limit A maximum
and/or minimum value to which a biological,
chemical, or physical parameter must be
controlled at a CCP to prevent, eliminate, or
reduce to an acceptable level the occurrence of a
food safety hazard. Deviation Failure to meet
a critical limit.
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HACCP A modern Approachto Risk
ManagementDEFINITIONS (4)
HACCP A systematic approach to the
identification, evaluation, and control of food
safety hazards. HACCP Plan The written
document which is based upon the principles of
HACCP and which delineates the procedures to be
followed. HACCP System The result of the
implementation of the HACCP Plan.
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HACCP A modern Approachto Risk
ManagementDEFINITIONS (5)
HACCP Team The group of people who are
responsible for developing, implementing and
maintaining the HACCP system. Hazard A
biological, chemical, or physical agent that is
reasonably likely to cause illness or injury in
the absence of its control. Hazard Analysis
The process of collecting and evaluating
information on hazards associated with the food
under consideration to decide which are
significant and must be addressed in the HACCP
plan.
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HACCP A modern Approachto Risk
ManagementDEFINITIONS (6)
Monitor To conduct a planned sequence of
observations or measurements to assess whether a
CCP is under control and to produce an accurate
record for future use in verification. Prerequisit
e Programs Procedures, including Good
Manufacturing Practices, that address operational
conditions providing the foundation for the HACCP
system. Severity The seriousness of the
effect(s) of a hazard.
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HACCP A modern Approachto Risk
ManagementDEFINITIONS (7)
Step A point, procedure, operation or stage in
the food system from primary production to final
consumption. Validation That element of
verification focused on collecting and evaluating
scientific and technical information to determine
if the HACCP plan, when properly implemented,
will effectively control the hazards.
Verification Those activities, other than
monitoring, that determine the validity of the
HACCP plan and confirm that the system is
operating according to the plan.  
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HACCP A modern Approachto Risk
Management
Education and Training (1) The success of a
HACCP system depends on educating and training
management and employees in the importance of
their role in producing safe foods. This should
also include information on the control of
food borne hazards related to all stages of the
food chain. It is important to recognize that
employees must first understand what HACCP is and
then learn the skills necessary to make it
function properly.
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HACCP A modern Approachto Risk
Management
Education and Training (2) Specific training
activities should include working instructions
and procedures that outline the tasks of
employees monitoring each CCP. Management must
provide adequate time for thorough education and
training. Personnel must be given the materials
and equipment necessary to perform these tasks.
Effective training is an important prerequisite
to successful implementation of a HACCP plan.
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HACCP A modern Approachto Risk
Management
Developing a HACCP Plan The format of HACCP
plans will vary. In many cases the plans will be
product and process specific. However, some plans
may use a unit operations approach. Generic HACCP
plans can serve as useful guides in the
development of process and product HACCP plans
however, it is essential that the unique
conditions within each facility be considered
during the development of all components of the
HACCP plan. In the development of a HACCP plan,
five preliminary tasks need to be accomplished
before the application of the HACCP principles to
a specific product and process.
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HACCP A modern Approachto Risk
Management
Preliminary Tasks in the Development of the HACCP
Plan (The five principles) Assemble the HACCP
Team Describe the Food and its
Distribution Describe the Intended Use and
Consumers of the Food Develop a Flow Diagram
Which Describes the Process Verify the Flow
Diagram
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HACCP A modern Approachto Risk
Management
Assemble the HACCP Team The first task in
developing a HACCP plan is to assemble a HACCP
team consisting of individuals who have specific
knowledge and expertise appropriate to the
product and process. It is the team's
responsibility to develop the HACCP plan. The
team should be multi disciplinary and include
individuals from areas such as engineering,
production, sanitation, quality assurance, and
food microbiology. The team should also include
local personnel who are involved in the operation
as they are more familiar with the variability
and limitations of the operation.
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HACCP A modern Approachto Risk
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Describe the food and its distribution The
HACCP team first describes the food. This
consists of a general description of the food,
ingredients, and processing methods. The method
of distribution should be described along with
information on whether the food is to be
distributed frozen, refrigerated, or at ambient
temperature.
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HACCP A modern Approachto Risk
Management
Describe the intended use and consumers of the
food Describe the normal expected use of the
food. The intended consumers may be the general
public or a particular segment of the population
(e.g., infants, immuno-compromised individuals,
the elderly, etc.).
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HACCP A modern Approachto Risk
Management
Develop a flow diagram which describes the
process (1) The purpose of a flow diagram is to
provide a clear, simple outline of the steps
involved in the process. The scope of the flow
diagram must cover all the steps in the process
which are directly under the control of the
establishment. In addition, the flow diagram can
include steps in the food chain which are before
and after the processing that occurs in the
establishment. The flow diagram need not be as
complex as engineering drawings. A block type
flow diagram is sufficiently descriptive . Also a
simple schematic of the facility is often useful
in understanding and evaluating product and
process flow.
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HACCP A modern Approachto Risk
Management
Develop a flow diagram which describes the
process (2) For example, if a HACCP team were
to conduct a hazard analysis for the production
of frozen cooked beef patties , enteric pathogens
(e.g., Salmonella and Vero toxin-producing
Escherichia coli) in the raw meat would be
identified as hazards. Cooking is a control
measure which can be used to eliminate these
hazards. The following is an excerpt from a
hazard analysis summary table for this product.
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HACCP A modern Approachto Risk
Management
Example of a Flow Diagram for the Production of
Frozen Cooked Beef Patties
1. Receiving (Beef)
2.
Grinding
3. Mixing
4. Forming
5. Cooking
6. Freezing
7.
Boxing
8. Distributing
9. Reheating
10. Serving
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HACCP A modern Approachto Risk
Management
Example for the implementation of Principle
1 For the Example of the Production of Frozen
Cooked Beef Patties Hazard analysis of a CCP
Step Cooking Potential Hazard(s) Enteric
pathogense.g., Salmonella, vero-toxigenic-E.
coli Justification Enteric pathogens have been
associated with outbreaks of food borne illness
from undercooked ground beef Hazard to be
addressed in plan? Y/N Y Control
Measure(s)Cooking, Irradiation
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HACCP A modern Approachto Risk
Management
Example for the implementation of Principle 3 For
the Example of the Production of Frozen Cooked
Beef Patties Establish critical limits. Process
Step Cooking CCP Yes Critical Limits Oven
temperature___ CTime rate of heating and
cooling (belt speed in m/s) ____m/s Patty
thickness ____cm.Patty composition e.g. all
beefOven humidity ____ RH
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HACCP A modern Approachto Risk
Management
Example for the implementation of Principle 6 For
the Example of the Production of Frozen Cooked
Beef Patties Establish verification
procedures Activity Verification Activities
Scheduling Frequency Yearly or Upon HACCP System
Change Responsibility HACCP Coordinator Reviewer
Plant Manager Activity Initial Validation of
HACCP Plan Frequency Prior to and During
Initial Implementation of Plan Responsibility
Independent Expert(s) Reviewer HACCP Team
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HACCP A modern Approachto Risk
Management
Example for the implementation of Principle 7
Establish record-keeping and documentation
procedures ActivityReview of Monitoring,
Frequency Monthly Responsibility Quality
Assurance Reviewer HACCP Team Activity
Comprehensive HACCP System Verification Frequency
Yearly Responsibility Independent
Expert(s)(a) Reviewer Plant Manager (a) Done by
others than the team writing and implementing the
plan. May require additional technical expertise
as well as laboratory and plant test studies.
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HACCP A modern Approachto Risk
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Example of a CCP Decision Tree Important
considerations when using the decision
tree       The decision tree is used after the
hazard analysis.       The decision tree then is
used at the steps where a hazard that must be
addressed in the HACCP plan has been identified.
        A subsequent step in the process may be
more effective for controlling a hazard and may
be the preferred CCP.       More than one step
in a process may be involved in controlling a
hazard.         More than one hazard may be
controlled by a specific control measure.
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HACCP A modern Approachto Risk
Manage-ment
Example of a CCP Decision Tree
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HACCP A modern Approachto Risk
Management

• Potential Hazards through special food products.
• Fish Cut-Offs together with Parsley, Lemon,
  Olives, in a convenience package ready to serve.

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HACCP A modern Approachto Risk Management

• Potential Hazards through special food products.
• Fish Cut-Offs together
• with green, raw vegetable, a convenience package
  ready to serve.