Proving Product Excellence: How SMS Empowers Food Manufacturers with Efficacy Testing Solutions
The Role of HACCP in Food Safety
The main way in which food manufacturers ensure that their products?are microbiologically safe and nutritionally consistent and compliant is by implementing a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan. The results from such a plan provide the manufacturer themselves and clients with?essential data to ensure confidence in the quality of the product(s) but is also available to demonstrate to?enforcement bodies such as Public Health Officials during routine inspections that due diligence is being followed in critical points in the manufacturing process.
HACCP entails a thorough analysis of business operations, identifying potential issues, and assessing risks to ensure the highest standards of food safety. It can identify any critical control points that need to be focused on to ensure that those risks are removed or reduced to safe levels. HACCP helps decisions on action to be taken if something goes wrong, it makes sure that procedures are being followed and are working and requires records being made to demonstrate this. Of course, it is important to have food safety management procedures in place that are appropriate to the business.
Key Mechanisms: Validation and Verification
The two mechanisms used in HACCP to assess the adequacy of the database are validation studies and the verification assessments.
Microbiological testing such as that provided by Southern Microbiological Services – A Tentamus Company is integral to HACCP plans, helping to identify critical control points where interventions are necessary to eliminate or minimise microbiological hazards. Microbiological sample data can help establish standard operating procedures (SOPs) for sanitation, compliance of incoming ingredients with safety criteria, the safety of product being held for corrective action and the safety of the finished product.
Verification audits demonstrate that all control measures have been applied as designed in the HACCP plan.
Key Legislation for Food Manufacturers: EU 2073-2005
One very important piece of legislation for food manufacturers is EU 2073 - 2005. This regulation lays down the microbiological criteria for certain microorganisms in many foods considered to be of high-risk. Examples include:
Microbiology’s Contribution to Consumer Trust
Consumer trust is vital in food manufacturing, and microbiology supports this in several ways:
Southern Microbiological Services – A Tentamus Company is in an excellent position to provide food manufacturing customers with the microbiological and chemical analyses they require. The laboratory holds UKAS accreditation* for most of the microbiological analyses required by manufacturers and the testing methods applied in the laboratory are ISO standard methods or in-house UKAS accredited close variants of these. This also means that all staff involved in the analysis of samples and reporting of results are trained to the required level and that the laboratory facilities are appropriate.
The Cornerstone of Quality and Safety
Microbiological testing is essential in HACCP, serving as a cornerstone of a manufacturer's commitment to delivering products that meet the highest quality and safety standards. Robust testing protocols ensure product integrity, instill consumer confidence, and help meet regulatory requirements.
The article is written by the microbiological expert at Southern Microbiological Services – A Tentamus Company , Steve Wilde.
Please feel free to reach out to us at [email protected] for more information on food testing and food safety in the UK.
*- please refer to the full scope of accreditation via the link: https://www.ukas.com/wp-content/uploads/schedule_uploads/00002/1922Testing-Single.pdf