The legal and moral responsibility of the food manufacturing business is to prepare food that will not pose a risk to consumers’ health. Thus, food manufacturers must provide a safe environment for food production and ensure that their employees and facilities comply with strict regulations. Companies that do not comply with the good manufacturing practices (GMP) regulations are legally penalized.
Food Good Manufacturing Practices
GMPs are the necessary operational requirements for all food manufacturing facilities that ensure food safety. There are good manufacturing practices for other industries as well—pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and more. Furthermore, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends Current Manufacturing Practices that set standards for what manufacturers from all industries should meet. GMPs and CGMPs ensure that food businesses produce safe and quality food products.
Good manufacturing practices not only protect the consumers but also the company from facility losses and waste. More importantly, it protects the environment from harm.
Good manufacturing practices in the food industry
Good manufacturing practices generally include information about food education and safety training, facility and worker’s hygiene responsibilities, and supervisory personnel.
1. Facilities and Equipment
Proper construction, design, and layout of the food facility are the core of good manufacturing practices. Having a good-condition facility allows food manufacturing companies to control external risks to food safety. It also improves the ability to maintain good hygiene, provide safe storage for materials, and effectively remove waste.
- The facility must be located where it is safe from pollution, flooding, waste accumulation, and pest infestation.
- The design and layout of the facility must be constructed in a way that allows maintenance and cleaning practices. Space must enable the employees to work comfortably without contaminating the food, packaging, and other products.
- Equipment and machinery must be regularly cleaned and stored.
- The area must be adequate for equipment and storage. Any equipment that is defective or malfunctioning must be disposed of.
2. Sanitation and Hygiene
Food GMP compliance ensures food manufacturing facilities establish procedures and methods to prevent contamination.
- Ensure contamination-free conditions by (1) eliminating conditions for breeding pests; (2) maintaining yards, roads, and parking; and (3) draining puddles and other areas where pests may breed or cause food contamination.
- Clean building exteriors and interiors, work areas, machinery, and equipment regularly in order to maintain a contamination-free state.
- Provide clean and regularly maintained toilet and handwashing facilities.
- Establish a pest monitoring, prevention, and control system in order to avoid contamination.
- Implement proper waste management by complying with effective and legal procedures.
3. Employees Hygiene and Health
Good manufacturing practices for employees must include hygiene, disease control, supervision, education, and training. Therefore, proper education and training should help to inform the workers of effective procedures and make sure that they follow appropriate hygiene practices within the premises.
- The simplest and most important practice is to wash hands before and after entering food-handling areas.
- Equip employees, especially those who are handling the food processing, with hygienic clothing such as face masks, gloves, hairnets, gowns, and footwear.
- Employees who are suffering from or carrying an infectious disease must be restricted from entering the work facilities, especially the food handling area.
- Employees with injuries such as cuts and abrasions must be treated immediately and covered with proper dressings.
4. Transportation
GMP is also implemented in the transportation process because it affects the food products before and after the manufacturing process. Implementing good manufacturing practices during transportation will protect the raw materials, ingredients, packaging, and finished products from contamination, damage, and spoilage.
- Vehicles, containers, and packaging must be suitable for the products and conditions of transport. They must also be inspected and cleaned before and after loading and unloading.
- Maintain the temperature, humidity, other conditions at proper levels to avoid spoilage, contamination, and damage while in transport.
- The construction and design of loading and unloading areas should protect the food products from spills, contamination, dust, and dirt.
5. Documentation
Food processing businesses must provide proof to legal authorities to ensure that they meet the GMP requirements. Thus, documenting and keeping records is a critical part of the GMP.
- Workers must clearly and legibly document every process in the facility.
- Documents and records must be organized systematically and stored where supervisors can easily access them.
6. Inspections
Regular inspections are important to ensure that the facility is consistently complying with the GMP. Furthermore, these inspections will benefit the employees and other personnel by monitoring their health and safety. Regular checks will also help to remind the facility to follow the guidelines.
Additional Source: Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMPs) for Food and Dietary Supplements
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