Good Operating Practice

Good Operating Practice

•The importance of GOP•General Listeria-specific GOP•Specific food GOP

• These are in addition to the guidance available on the MAF website: http://www.foodsafety.govt.nz/industry/general/gop

Listeria-specific good operating practice

•PREVENT Listeria entry

•CONTROL / MANAGE Listeria in the processing environment

•MINIMISE Listeria contamination of RTE foods prior to final packaging

•LIMIT potential Listeria growth in RTE food after final packing

= Develop, implement and improve GOP to specifically target the reduction or prevention of Listeria contamination in RTE foods

Document format

8.2 TOOLS• What: Tools used for repairs and maintenance in the high care

areas should be dedicated for that purpose.• Why: Tools may be a source of Listeria, other harmful micro-

organisms and physical hazards• How:

– Where tools, including scaffolding, tool bags and boxes, used in construction and maintenance are not dedicated for use in the high care areas, these should be cleaned before being brought into the processing room.

– Tool bags and boxes used by maintenance staff and contractors should be made of a material that can be easily cleaned, i.e. not fabric.

Listeria-specific GOP

•People• Access controls• Personal Hygiene• Clothing• Training/competency

Listeria-specific GOP

Buildings• Building location• Building layout and design• Design, operation and use of drains

Equipment• Equipment design• Equipment operation

Listeria-specific GOP

Repairs and maintenance• General construction, repairs and maintenance• Tools• Routine maintenance

– Frequency– Buildings– Equipment– Returning equipment to use– Emergency

• Maintenance staff• Records• Corrective actions

Listeria-specific GOP

Incoming materials• Raw materials• Packaging materials• Water and air

End product• Labelling and product information• Storage and transport

Listeria-specific GOP

Stores

In Out

Handling of product and intermediaries post Listeria control step

Handling of raw materials and ingredients before Listeria control step

StoresStorage

Intermediary product

Outside

In Out

Storage of intermediaries

Pre-CCP

Packing

Process control• Review• Minimise cross-contamination

– Access controls– Process flow – separation of activities

• Pre-operational hygiene check– Calibration of equipment

• Control of: – inputs– process– end product

• Corrective action

Listeria-specific GOP

Cleaning and sanitation – high care• Method of cleaning• Setting up a cleaning and sanitation programme• Frequency of cleaning (and examples)• Equipment• Cleaning of specific facilities and equipment• Records• Corrective actions• Monitoring, review and validation

Listeria-specific GOP

Specific food issues

• Is there any Listeria-specific GOP that should be included for a particular food industry that should be included here?

GOP