2.4 Food Safety System (2023)
This procedure will help maintain the standards of Food Safety in the workplace.
River Valley Holdings
08/15/2023
2.4 Food Safety System (2023)
This procedure will help maintain the standards of Food Safety in the workplace.
Site conducted:
Conducted on:
Prepared by:
The site shall ensure that food stored and delivered to customers is handled in a manner that complies with the relevant legislation in the country of its production and destination.
The methods and responsibility for ensuring the site is kept informed of changes to relevant legislation, scientific and technical developments, emerging food safety issues, and relevant industry codes of practice shall be documented and implemented.
SQFI and the certification body shall be notified in writing within twenty-four (24) hours as a result of a regulatory warning or event. Notification to SQFI shall be by email to foodsafetycrisis@sqfi.com.
Good Storage and Distribution Practices
The site shall ensure the Good Storage and Distribution Practices described in Module 12 of this Food Safety Code are applied or exempted according to a written risk analysis outlining the justification for exemption or evidence of the effectiveness of alternative control measures to ensure that food safety is not compromised.
The Good Storage and Distribution Practices applicable to the scope of certification that outline how food safety is controlled and assured shall be documented and implemented.
Food Safety Plan
A hazard and risk management system shall be developed and take into consideration relevant legislation in all countries of operation. The system shall be risk based, systematic and comprehensive, and based on HACCP or preventive controls. The food safety plan shall be effectively implemented, maintained, and outline the means by which the site controls and assures food safety of the products or product groups included in the scope of the SQF certification and their associated processes. More than one food
The food safety plan or plans shall be developed and maintained by a multidisciplinary team that includes the SQF practitioner and those site personnel with technical, storage and distribution, and facility /maintenance knowledge of the relevant products and associated processes. Where the relevant expertise is not available on-site, advice may be obtained from other sources to assist the food safety team.
The scope of each food safety plan shall be developed and documented including the start and endpoint of the processes under consideration and all relevant inputs and outputs.
Product requirements shall be developed and documented for all products (or groups of products) included in the scope of the food safety plans. This shall reference the product descriptions (refer to 2.3.2.1) plus any additional information relevant to product safety, such as temperature for storage, how the product is packaged, allergen requirements, raw or cooked, etc.
The food safety team shall develop and document a flow diagram covering the scope of each food safety plan. The flow diagram shall include every step in the process, all raw material, packaging, service inputs (e.g., water, steam, gases as appropriate), scheduled process delays, and all process outputs including waste, rework, and recoup. Each flow diagram shall be confirmed by the food safety team during all stages and hours of operation.
The food safety team shall identify and document all food safety hazards that can reasonably be expected to occur at each step in the processes, including food products received and stored
The food safety team shall conduct a hazard analysis for every identified hazard, to identify which hazards are significant. The methodology for determining hazard significance shall be documented and used consistently to assess all potential hazards.
The food safety team shall determine and document the control measures that must be applied to all significant hazards. More than one control measure may be required to control an identified hazard, and more than one significant hazard may be controlled by a specific control measure.
Based on the results of the hazard analysis (refer to 2.4.3.7), the food safety team shall identify the steps in the process where control must be applied to eliminate a significant hazard or reduce it to an acceptable level (e.g., a preventive control {PC} or critical control point {CCP})
In instances where a significant hazard has been identified at a step in the process, but no control measure exists, the food safety team shall modify the process to include an appropriate control measure
For each identified step requiring control (e.g. PC or CCP) the food safety team shall document the limits that separate safe from unsafe product. The food safety team shall validate the critical limits to ensure the designated level of control of the identified food safety hazard(s) and that all critical limits and control measures individually or in combination effectively provide the level of control required (refer to 2.5.1.1).
The food safety team shall develop and document procedures to monitor identified steps requiring control (e.g. PC or CCP) to ensure they remain within the established limits (refer to 2.4.3.12). Monitoring procedures shall identify the personnel assigned to conduct testing, the sampling and test methods, and the testing frequency.
The food safety team shall develop and document deviation procedures that identify the disposition of affected product when monitoring indicates a loss of control at an identified step requiring control (e.g. PC or CCP). The procedures shall also prescribe actions to correct the process step to prevent recurrence of the safety failure
The documented and approved food safety plan(s) shall be implemented in full. The effective implementation shall be monitored by the food safety team, and a full review of the documented and implemented plans shall be conducted at least annually, or when changes to the process, equipment, inputs, or other changes affecting product safety occur.
Non-Conforming Product and Equipment
The responsibility and methods outlining how non-conforming product, raw materials, ingredients, work-in-progress, packaging, or equipment detected during receipt, storage, handling, or delivery and including food found to be damaged and/or returned from customers is handled shall be documented and implemented. The methods applied shall ensure:
Non-conforming product is quarantined, identified, handled, and / or disposed of in a manner that minimizes the risk of inadvertent use, improper use or delivery, or risk to the integrity of the product;
Non-conforming equipment is effectively identified, repaired, or disposed of in a manner that minimizes the risk of inadvertent use, improper use, or risk to the integrity of finished product; and
All relevant staff are aware of the organization’s quarantine and release requirements applicable to equipment or product placed under quarantine status.
Quarantine records and records of the handling, corrective action, or disposal of nonconforming product or equipment shall be maintained.
Product Recoup
The responsibility and methods outlining how product is recouped shall be documented and implemented. The methods applied shall ensure:
Recouping operations are conducted by trained personnel; and
Recouped product is traceable.
Product Release
The responsibility and methods for releasing products shall be documented and implemented. The methods applied shall ensure the product is released by authorized personnel.
Records of all product release shall be maintained.
Source: River Valley Holdings (Community Member)