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Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) is a management system in which food safety is addressed through the analysis and control of biological, chemical, and physical hazards from raw material production, procurement and handling, to manufacturing, distribution and consumption of the finished product. This site is intended to provide resources for the development of HACCP programs in foodservice establishments: This website requires certain cookies to work and uses other cookies to help you have the best experience. By visiting this website, certain cookies have already been set, which you may delete and block. By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to the use of cookies. Visit our updated privacy and cookie policy to learn more.
By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Learn More This website requires certain cookies to work and uses other cookies to help you have the best experience. By visiting this website, certain cookies have already been set, which you may delete and block. By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to the use of cookies. Visit our updated privacy and cookie policy to learn more. According to the Centers for Disease Control, one out of every six Americans becomes ill because of contaminated foods or beverages every year. And 3,000 of those people die. So, facilities must have protocols in place to ensure a working environment that is clean and sanitary and does not harbor or transmit contaminants. Standard operating procedures, or SOPs, are crucial to the success of a facility’s production of safe, uncontaminated food. SOPs are written documentation and protocols for how your facility will handle and produce food safely. They document routine operations within the facility to ensure that employees perform those operations consistently and correctly. Below, we will discuss some of the specific benefits of standard operating procedures for food processing and how to develop them properly to enhance your facility’s operations. In This Article: Why Standard Operating Procedures Are ImportantSOPs are not just general guidelines. They should include specific details about how food safety standard operating procedures will be executed and what the discrete steps of the task will be. For these reasons, they provide the following benefits:
How to Develop SOPsBefore you jump into creating SOPs, spend a little time thinking about where SOPs will be most beneficial in your facility. Have you noticed employees neglecting to wash their hands or clean their workstations thoroughly? Have you noticed improper food storage methods, or have you seen chemicals being mislabeled or not labeled at all? Are there areas of your operation that you consistently find yourself being asked about, or talking to employees about? Figure out which aspects of your facility’s work would benefit from written protocols, and go from there. When it comes time to create the SOP, you can follow these steps:
Basic cleaning SOPs like handwashing SOPs can be relatively straightforward. For these SOPs, a list of the steps involved in the protocol should be sufficient. For sanitizing procedures, though, the SOPs —commonly known as sanitation standard operating procedures or SSOPs — should be a bit more detailed. A typical sanitation SOP contains the following elements:
How to Make Sure SOPs are FollowedImplementing food plant sanitation procedures effectively throughout your facility is crucial. The best-written SOPs are of no use if employees do not follow them consistently. Taking the following steps can help ensure SOPs are followed.
Tracking and Understanding the Impact of SOPsIt’s essential to track and review your SOPs to make sure they are working effectively and to understand how they have improved your operations:
Examples of Food-Processing SOPsSome SOPs for simple procedures are straightforward. But others, especially in the meat and dairy industry, where products must stay at specific temperatures to avoid pathogenic contamination, are more complex. A sample handwashing SOP might read as follows: Policy: All food-processing employees must wash their hands to prevent the spread of bacteria and foodborne illnesses to the public. Procedures: All food-processing employees should wash their hands before and after handling food products using the following methods:
A sample cleaning and sanitizing protocol for food-production surfaces might look something like this: Policy: All food-processing employees must ensure that food contact surfaces are properly cleaned and sanitized after use. This policy is in place to prevent the spread of foodborne illnesses to the public. Procedures: All food-processing employees should clean and sanitize food-contact surfaces after each use, or any time contamination by food occurs, by using the following methods:
The meat and dairy industries have adopted the use of hazard analysis and critical control points (HACCPs). A food-processing facility’s HACCPs are crucial to its success and the safety and health of its customers, and its SOPs are crucial to the success of its HACCPs. The meat industry is likely to have SOPs related to keeping raw meat at the correct temperature to avoid contamination with bacteria such as Listeria monocytogenes. An SOP for the safe thawing of meat in a meat-processing facility might read as follows: Policy: All food-processing employees must ensure that meat remains at a safe temperature to avoid pathogenic contamination and reduce the risk of transmitting foodborne diseases to the public. Procedure: Employees must thaw meat at safe temperatures by following the steps below:
Contact Log10 for Help With Development and Review of SOPsThe development, review and implementation of SOPs is crucial to ensure a clean and sanitary food-processing environment and to avoid the transmission of foodborne pathogenic diseases to the public. When your facility is creating SOPs, make sure you have experts review your work to make sure your protocols are safe and effective and nothing gets overlooked. Log10 can help. Our consulting services can assist your facility in complying with federal and state regulations and help you maintain a safe and sanitary environment. Contact us today. |