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This information can be used to develop food safety and quality programs that meet the requirements of modern Regulatory, Customer and Industry Standards:
When considering the development, documentation, and implementation of HACCP: Physical Hazards Management within food safety and quality management systems, the following information should be considered to ensure effective outcomes:
When considering the hazards associated with the process steps in the HACCP plans, the three traditional groupings of hazards to consider include biological, chemical, and physical hazards. As HACCP plans evolve and customer standards and regulatory requirements become more stringent, allergens, regulatory hazards, quality hazards, and engineering hazards are also commonly considered in HACCP Plans.
Physical hazards, as with chemical and biological hazards, can enter a food product at any stage during its processing. As you can imagine, there are limitless numbers of physical items that can enter food as foreign objects, some of which can also be classed as macro-biological, but very few of these pose a real food safety risk, for example, a customer may find a hair in their food undesirable, however, it is most unlikely to harm them. Such foreign objects need to be assessed as to their status in the potential to be classified as either food safety hazards or quality hazards. Subsequently, any physical hazard has the potential to be a food safety hazard should the item in question cause the consumer to choke. It is worthwhile to note here that a food business could be prosecuted regardless of whether the item is a genuine food safety hazard or not, simply because the product received by the customer was not of the true composure as demanded/expected by the consumer. It should also be taken into account here that as mentioned previously regarding macro-biological hazards, foreign items have the potential to transport microbiological hazards into a food product. The food product’s intrinsic ability to be safe relies on the processing status and whether or not the product will undergo a further control measure after the introduction of the physical object. Good manufacturing practices should ensure that physical hazards are controlled within the food production environment.
Examples of physical hazards that are of concern regarding foods include:
Glass fragments can cause cuts to a consumer’s mouth, and could potentially have very serious health consequences if swallowed. Smooth pieces of larger glass can cause injury through choking or could be broken into smaller, sharper pieces when the consumer bites into the food.
Glass can be present in raw materials, generally as foreign matter from the growing or processing site, or maybe from the container in which the raw materials are, or have been stored. Glass containers for storage and handling should be eliminated wherever possible in food processing areas. In addition, staff should limit the amount of glass on their person while contacting foods, and equipment should use specified safety glass where needed, instead of substitutions. Glass light fittings should always be covered appropriately to reduce the risk of contamination should the light bulb shatter. It is quite often difficult to totally remove a glass from food contact areas, especially where glass is being used as packaging, or for food service. Food safety systems should identify where throughout food production glass is a potential hazard, so that it may be managed correctly, with the use of stringent breakage control procedures in place.
Like glass, metal can enter food products at all stages and is of concern because of its ability to cause injury as sharp pieces, or choking. Equipment maintenance is particularly important within this issue, effectively reducing the risk of machine parts, filings, or the like from accessing foods. The process of maintaining the equipment also becomes a cause for concern, as equipment parts can enter foods during servicing. Where raw materials are delivered in metal containers, great care should be taken not to introduce swarf or metal shavings into the food processing environment.
Stones are more than likely to originate from sources of plant origin, where they are transported into production within the plant, either within fruits, vegetables, or plants or on the extremities of these from a harvesting process. Stones are hazards as they can cause dental damage or choking, and sharper stones may cause problems similar to those of glass and metal. The presence of stones within foods can be prevented through careful handling and preparation procedures, and by the use of equipment such as centrifuges and flotation tanks for food items.
Wood can cause cutting and choking, as with other sharp objects. Wood may be present in raw materials from its primary production, or maybe introduced into production through other means. Wooden packaging in raw materials should be handled with care so as not to cause splintering where food contact may occur. Some traditional products may contain wood as part of their production, for example, some Japanese fish cake products that are cooked on wooden slabs. Such products should be handled with caution so as not to be the cause of a flood hazard. Wooden equipment has in most cases been superseded in its viable commercial food production presence.
Plastic is quite often used in replacing glass and wood objects, to reduce hazard risks, where quite often it becomes a hazard. Hard plastic can cause serious injury, almost as severe as glass, and breakages should be treated as for glass. Soft plastics are used for packaging, as well as protective clothing such as gloves and aprons, and are usually monitored via visual inspection, their vibrant colors making them more readily identified. Hard and brittle plastics are commonly included within Glass policies, to ensure their appropriate and effective control.
Along with their risk as biological hazards, pests also pose a threat as choking hazards in foods. Of most concern in this regard are large insects and parts of rodents or birds. An effective pest control regime will eliminate the risks of such pests entering the food production process and should be part of the good manufacturing practices as expressed in the food safety system.
Foreign materials of significance can be defined as to their ability to cause:
Policies are often formatted regarding the scope and purpose of policies for all categories of physical hazards relevant to any particular food business.
Potential hazard policies may include:
There are numerous different and varied methods through which physical hazards can be identified and controlled within food businesses, including, but not limited to:
In-line screens are useful for the removal of foreign objects during food processing. A relevant-sized screen, or series of screens, may be placed in line to capture any foreign matter as the product passes through it. Screening is useful for manufacturers of liquids, powders, and free-flowing granulated products such as coffee beans or grains.
In-line magnets are commonly used within dry and liquid food and ingredient industry sectors. Where a product is air blown or vacuum pumped around its processing circuit, in-line magnets may be used to capture metal fragments. Often a series of magnets are used since not all of the product moves over the surface of every magnet. Regular removal of the magnets and cleaning of them is imperative for the magnet to work to its maximum capability. It is also important to consider that magnets may lose their strength over time, so they should be calibrated on a regular scheduled ongoing basis.
Advances in technology and its availability to food businesses have ensured that metal detection is a standard hazard control method within many differing international food industry sectors.
The reasoning for including Metal Detection within a Food Processing and/or packaging environment include:
The use of Metal detectors will never guarantee a metal-free food product, but a properly designed, installed, and maintained unit, along with a metal contamination control program, can be extremely effective in identifying and controlling related hazards.
Metal detectors are an important part of any comprehensive physical hazard control program. If Metal Detection Units have been specified, installed, operated, and maintained correctly, they will contribute to improving product quality and reducing operational losses. A properly used metal detector should not be considered as insurance against metallic contamination. Rather, it is a diagnostic device that can help to discover accidental metallic contamination. Plans and procedures should be in place to prevent contamination. If contamination does occur, contaminants must be identified immediately, traced back to their source, and eliminated. Line strainers are useful for removing foreign particles from liquid products and magnets have long been used to remove ferrous materials from particles and pumpable liquids.
Most metal detectors use a balanced, three-coil, system to detect small particles of non-ferrous and stainless steel. The coils are wound on a non-metallic frame, each parallel with the other. The center coil is connected to a high-frequency radio transmitter. Coils on either side of the transmitter coil are receivers. As these two coils are identical and placed at the same distance from the transmitter, they receive the same signal and produce an identical output voltage. When the coils are connected in opposition, the output is canceled, resulting in a zero value. When a particle of metal passes through the coils of a metal detector, the high-frequency field is disturbed under one coil, changing the voltage by a few microvolts. The state of balance is lost and the output from the coils is no longer zero. It is this phenomenon that is used to detect metal.
An important aspect of metal detector operation is the metal-free zone, which is needed for proper operation. The zone includes a space on each side of the aperture that must be free from any metal structure such as rollers and supports. As a general rule, this needs to be approximately 1.5 times the aperture height for fixed structures and 2 times the aperture height for moving metal such as reject devices or rollers.
Metals used in the construction of food premises and equipment can generally be classed as ferrous, non-ferrous, or stainless steel. The ease of detection will depend on their magnetic permeability and electrical conductivity. The table below shows metal types and their ease of detection. The size, shape, and orientation of the detector coils of the metal particle are also important. Since the size, shape, and orientation of metal contaminants is not possible to control, it is best to operate a metal detector at the highest possible sensitivity setting applicable to any particular product.
Metal Types and Their Ease of Detection:
Food product parameters can have a major effect on the effectiveness of metal detection. Electrical conductivity in foods such as cheese, fresh meat, warm bread, jam, and pickles can generate a signal in a metal detector even though metal is not present. This phenomenon is known as the product effect. It is best to be aware of this phenomenon and to work with your metal detector supplier or manufacturer to determine the best means to compensate for the product effect.
The purpose of rejection mechanisms is to remove the contaminants and/or contaminated products from the product and process stream. The Metal Detection device must be specified to remove 100 percent of the detected contaminants along with a minimum amount of unaffected product. The contaminants are removed and stored in a manner that eliminates any possibility of their being reintroduced into the product or process stream.
Metal detectors are typically installed in three basic configurations: pipeline, conveyor, and free-fall. Pipeline detectors are used for any product conveyed in tubes or pipes. A diversion valve is normally used to redirect materials containing detected contaminants into a designated vessel or container.
Conveyor detectors are by far the most commonly used in food businesses. Many variations of manual, semi-automated, and fully automated rejection mechanisms are possible, such as air blow, push arms, retractable conveyor bed, reversible conveyor, slider gate, ink marker or coder, diversion conveyors, and robotic grippers.
Free-fall detectors are often found on dry product fillers and are useful for any material that can be dropped through an aperture. A fast-acting valve or deflector plate is used to divert detected material to a designated container.
X-ray inspection systems are fast becoming a common feature of food processing plants throughout the world. The advantages that X-ray Inspection has over traditional metal detection and check weighing systems make them essential pieces of equipment for many companies.
There are three key reasons for investing in X-ray inspection:
X-ray inspection systems detect metal contaminants better than metal detectors and detect non-metallic contaminants, as well as missing, underweight or broken products.
Advantages of X-ray detection include:
X-ray inspection systems only generate X-rays when power is applied, they do not use radioactive sources that require controlled disposal. X-ray systems do not make the product radioactive and the amount of dosage a food product may have been governed by strict controls.
X-ray detection systems will generally effectively detect:
In some food products, based upon their composition and physical characteristics, X-ray systems may not routinely detect the following materials:
An X-ray system usually has three main components:
The X-ray unit operates as follows:
X-ray systems detect contaminants by density difference. As an X-ray penetrates a product, it loses some of its energy. A dense area such as a contaminant will reduce the energy even further. As the X-ray exits the product, it reaches the sensor or photodiodes that precisely measure the X-ray energy that reaches them. The sensor then converts the energy signal into a greyscale image and a high-speed computer scans the sensor thousands of times per second and stores the individual signals. It compares them to a dynamic value that delivers the maximum level of sensitivity and the minimum level of false readings. A contaminant is typically highlighted as a darker shade of gray than the product. Effective X-ray inspection depends on the sophistication of data analysis.
Controlling foreign materials can be achieved by:
If your food business supplies foodstuffs manufactured to a customer’s specifications, it is important to consider any specific HACCP: Physical Hazards Management Development requirements in relation to their items.
Document: A document provides guidance and/or direction for performing work, making decisions, or rendering judgments that affect the safety or quality of the products or services that customers receive.
Documented policies, procedures, work instructions, and schedules form the basis of any food safety and quality management system. The following documentation formats may be considered to ensure ongoing compliance with specified requirements for HACCP: Physical Hazards Management:
If your food business supplies foodstuffs manufactured to a customer’s specifications, it is important to consider any specific HACCP: Physical Hazards Management Documentation requirements in relation to their items.
You may wish to visit the HACCP: Physical Hazards Management Templates section of haccp.com for examples of HACCP: Physical Hazards Management documentation, record, and resource formats commonly applied within food safety and quality systems.
Implementation: Implementation is the application of documented food safety and quality system elements into the actual business operation.
The implementation of HACCP: Physical Hazards Management within any food business requires genuine commitment from senior management, staff, and visitors to ensure the nominated goals of implementation are achievable on an ongoing basis. It is a step that requires significant planning and consideration of general and specific food business circumstances to ensure the outcomes of HACCP: Physical Hazards Management do not negatively impact the safety and quality of the food items dispatched from the business.
Implementation of HACCP: Physical Hazards Management must include a clear definition of responsibilities and authorities for all levels of participation by senior management, staff, and visitors to the site.
When implementing HACCP: Physical Hazards Management within food safety and quality system, you may wish to consider the following requirements before completion:
Some of the information needed to specify a metal detection unit includes:
Installation of the metal detector will generally require a qualified electrician and a mechanical contractor familiar with metal detectors and the type of conveyors used in the operation. If there is a chance that the metal detector or the rejection mechanism could impede the normal flow of production, it may be desirable to install and test the unit during a scheduled downtime to avoid production losses. An alternative is to install and test the unit on a mock production line as an element of commissioning.
If your food business supplies foodstuffs manufactured to a customer’s specifications, it is important to consider any specific HACCP: Physical Hazards Management Implementation requirements in relation to their items.
Monitoring: Monitoring is the act of reviewing and confirming measurable parameters of a defined process or product status.
Monitoring requirements within food industry sectors are generally identified against limits of acceptability defined within HACCP plans, implementation procedures, and work instructions. Monitoring usually includes some element of record-keeping, which may be maintained manually or through digital systems. It is important to consider that advancements in technology have spawned many systems and processes which are self-monitored and or self-adjusted when variances are identified. Regardless of the system used; The goal of any monitoring activity is to provide sufficient evidence that any limit of acceptability has been met.
Traditional Physical Hazards Management monitoring requirements include manual recording and the application of corrective actions when the results of monitoring are found to be outside acceptable limits. Corrective Actions should also generally be strongly linked to the monitoring process where applied to ensure full traceability of the applied actions.
Common monitoring activities and record formats may apply to Physical Hazards Management:
Once installed into the facility by a qualified technician, the ability of the metal detector or x-ray machine should be monitored using the test pieces recommended by the manufacturer to ensure detection capabilities are maintained.
If your food business supplies foodstuffs manufactured to a customer’s specifications, it is important to consider any specific HACCP: Physical Hazards Management Monitoring requirements in relation to their items.
You may wish to visit the HACCP: Physical Hazards Management Templates section of haccp.com for examples of HACCP: Physical Hazards Management documentation, record, and resource formats commonly applied within food safety and quality systems.
Corrective Action: Corrective action is mandatory action to be taken when a deviation to the Quality System occurs, particularly to a Critical Control Point.
Preventative Action: At any step in the process where a hazard has been identified, preventative action must be put into place to prevent re-occurrence.
Corrective Action and Preventative Action are implemented to ensure that any identified non-conformance issues are documented, investigated, and rectified within appropriate time frames. Corrective action is any action applied to regain control over a product, process, policy, or procedure that has been identified as being non-conforming or outside nominated limits of acceptability. Preventative action is any action applied to prevent any identified non-conformance from reoccurring.
The outcomes of corrective and preventative actions should result in regained process control after effective application. Specified corrective actions are commonly linked to the HACCP Plans and the food business certification process.
Below are Corrective Action and Preventative Action examples which may be associated with HACCP: Physical Hazards Management related non-conformance:
If your food business supplies foodstuffs manufactured to a customer’s specifications, it is important to consider any specific HACCP: Physical Hazards Management Corrective Action requirements in relation to their items.
You may wish to visit the Corrective Action and Preventative Action section of haccp.com for examples of best practice applications for this food safety and quality system element.
Verification: The act of reviewing, inspecting, testing, checking, auditing, or otherwise establishing and documenting whether items, processes, services, or documents conform to specified requirements.
Verification is the detailed review of all food safety and quality system elements to confirm that they are effectively developed, documented, implemented, monitored, and reviewed. All food safety and quality system elements, including documented policies, procedures, training, HACCP plans, and their operational applications must be verified on an ongoing scheduled basis. The verification process commonly includes a defined schedule for which verification activities are required, how often they are conducted, who is responsible, and detailed documented procedures for each nominated verification activity.
The general goal of an established verification process is to ensure any systemic non-conformance issues are identified and rectified within an appropriate time frame. When non-conformance issues are identified through the verification process, Corrective Actions and Preventative Actions should be implemented to ensure they do not impact the effectiveness of the food safety and quality system.
The following examples of verification activities may apply to HACCP: Physical Hazards Management:
A formal metal detection program will help to ensure product quality. Metal detectors may be used in various phases of production. A combination of finished and bulk ingredients and product inspection gives the best performance. Detectors may need to be placed after identified process steps or equipment that are prone to breaking or chipping metal materials.
A metal detector sensitivity standard should be set for the entire food business covering the scope of products and processes involved. An important aspect of this is to identify an agreed-upon minimum particle type and size. For example, a typical detection standard for a finished product might be to remove all spherical, non-magnetic particles larger than 2 millimeters and all spherical, magnetic particles larger than 1.5 millimeters. Only detectors that meet these standards would be considered for purchase and installation. The conditions should be marked on the side of any installed detector and samples of the correct diameters should be available for testing the unit.
Metal detectors should be operated at the maximum sensitivity setting for a given product. The maximum acceptable sensitivity setting will allow the detector to perform reliably for extended periods without excessive false rejects. Scheduled testing of the detector and reject device with ferrous, non-ferrous, and stainless-steel metal samples will confirm the effective operation. Intervals between tests can be determined by the consequence of a failed test. A well-structured testing procedure should be established and followed. A plan of action must be specified for failed tests. Every effort should be made to identify, document, and correct the source of detected metal.
A formal X-ray detection program will help to ensure product quality. The x-ray may be used in various phases of production.
A sensitivity standard should be set for the entire food business. An important aspect of this is to identify an agreed-upon minimum particle type and size. For example, sizes of relevant particles of each type, glass, wood, plastic, bone, or metal can be defined based upon their known presence in raw materials, from the manufacturing site, or as excluded by other physical control mechanisms such as sieving or screening. Only detectors that meet these standards would be considered for purchase and installation. The conditions should be marked on the side of any installed detector and samples of the correct size should be available for testing the unit.
X-ray units should be operated at the maximum sensitivity setting for a given product. The maximum acceptable sensitivity setting will allow the detector to perform reliably for extended periods without excessive false rejects. Scheduled testing of the detector and reject device with relevant test samples will confirm the effective operation. Intervals between tests can be determined by the consequence of a failed test. A well-structured testing procedure should be established and followed. A plan of action must be specified for failed tests. Every effort should be made to identify, document, and correct the source of detected foreign objects.
If your food business supplies foodstuffs manufactured to a customer’s specifications, it is important to consider any specific HACCP: Physical Hazards Management Verification requirements in relation to their items.
You may wish to visit the Verification Activities section of haccp.com for examples of best practice applications for this food safety and quality system element.
Validation: The process of gathering evidence to provide a scientific basis for the documented act of demonstrating that a procedure, process, and activity will consistently lead to the expected results. It often includes the qualification of systems and equipment.
Validation is the provision of evidence to support the limits of control or acceptability for food safety or quality parameters nominated within systemic elements. Limits of control or acceptability are commonly included within documented food safety and quality systems elements such as procedures, HACCP plans, and specifications.
Common sources of validation include regulatory and legislative standards, finished product specifications and customer requirements, industry codes of practice and guidelines, verified and validated research, historical product, and process control outcomes, and analytical testing.
The general goal of an established validation process is to ensure any systemic non-conformance issues are identified and rectified within an appropriate time frame. When non-conformance issues are identified through the verification process, Corrective Actions and Preventative Actions should be implemented to ensure they do not impact the effectiveness of the food safety and quality system.
Validation activities are commonly defined within the verification schedules and procedures of established food safety and quality management systems.
The following examples may apply to the validation of the limits of control or acceptability for HACCP: Physical Hazards Management:
Metal Detection is implemented for many reasons; usually due to the risk of foreign objects within specific foodstuffs. Metal Detection is also commonly mandated by customers or as Country Specific Importing Requirements. It is important to ensure that the usage of Metal Detection Devices is based on scientific rationale, rather than broad recommendations. The following parameters need to be considered in this regard:
Metal Detector Sensitivity – Are the sensitivity settings of the Metal Detection Unit appropriate for the types of products and processes in which the Metal Detector will be used? E.g., Does the foodstuff composition include levels of fats, moisture, sodium, or electrolytes that may impact sensitivity settings?
Metal Types – Are the types of Metal being used for Verifying the Metal Detection unit suitable for the related product and process? E.g., Why are you using certain Metal Test Piece types as opposed to other types?
Metal Test Piece Size – Is the size of the Metal Test Pieces the smallest possible at the optimum workable sensitivity for your products and processes? E.g., Why are you using a certain Metal Test Piece size as opposed to other sizes?
Metal Test Piece Orientation – Is the placement of the Metal Test Pieces representative of the worst-case scenario and is this placement appropriate for the type of Metal Detector you are using? E.g., Are you using test piece placement that replicates a worst-case scenario to challenge the effectiveness of the Metal Detection unit?
If your food business supplies foodstuffs manufactured to a customer’s specifications, it is important to consider any specific HACCP: Physical Hazards Management Validation requirements in relation to their items.
You may wish to visit the Validation Activities section of haccp.com for examples of best practice applications for this food safety and quality system element.
Skills and Knowledge: Skills and knowledge are attributes of human interactions commonly linked to competency within any specified job-related task.
Training and competency requirements for HACCP: Physical Hazards Management must be ongoing, including regularly scheduled reviews to ensure the effectiveness of training and competency outcomes.
Team members who have defined responsibilities regarding HACCP: Physical Hazards Management should have a knowledge including:
Team members who have defined responsibilities regarding HACCP: Physical Hazards Management should have skills including:
Team members who have defined responsibilities regarding HACCP: Physical Hazards Management should have access to resources including:
If your food business supplies foodstuffs manufactured to a customer’s specifications, it is important to consider any specific HACCP: Physical Hazards Management Training, Competency, and Resources requirements in relation to their items.
You may wish to visit the Training, Competency, and Resources section of haccp.com for examples of best practice applications for this food safety and quality system element.
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