List Potential Hazards; Conduct Hazard Analysis; Consider Control Measures (Task 6 / Principle 1)

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List Potential HazardsConduct Hazard
AnalysisConsider Control Measures(Task 6 /
Principle 1)

• Module 4.6

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Objectives and contents

• Objectives
• To emphasize the importance of hazard
  identification and analysis steps in food safety
  management
• To enable trainees to identify potential hazards
  in a process and to find appropriate control
  measures
• Contents
• Examples of hazards
• Carrying out a hazard analysis
• Control measures
• Hazard assessment

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Importance of hazard analysis

• An accurate analysis of hazards is necessary for
  an effective HACCP plan
• Involves technical and scientific expertise in
  various domains
• Hazard analysis must be reviewed when there is
  any change in
• Raw materials
• Formulation
• Processing procedures
• Packaging
• Distribution
• Use

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Potential hazards

• The first step in the development of a HACCP plan
  is the identification of all potential hazards
• Biological, chemical and physical
• At all stages from raw material to consumption

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Biological hazards

• Biological hazards include
• Bacteria and mould (spore-forming)
• Bacteria (non-spore forming)
• Viruses
• Protozoa and parasites

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Biological hazards

• Commonly associated with humans and with raw
  products entering the food process
• Most have the potential to increase spontaneously
  if control measures are inadequate
• Usually killed or inactivated by heat processing
• Fungi include moulds and yeasts
• Some fungi are beneficial
• Others produce toxic substances (mycotoxins)

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Chemical hazards

• Chemical hazards include
• Naturally occurring chemicals
• Added chemicals (intentional and unintentional)
• Chemical contaminants may occur at levels that
  cause
• Acute illness
• Chronic illness

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Physical hazards

• Examples include
• Glass, wood, stones, metal, plastic, etc
• Hard or sharp foreign objects can cause injury
• Poor practices at many points along the food
  chain can lead to the introduction of physical
  hazards

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Hazard analysis

• Sources of information for hazard analysis
  include
• Reference texts
• Company complaints file
• Scientific research and review papers
• Epidemiological data
• Web pages dealing with food safety issues

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Hazard analysis

• Objective
• To determine which hazards need to be addressed
  under an effective HACCP plan
• Overview of approach
• Review incoming material
• Evaluate processing operations
• Observe actual operating practices
• Take and analyse measurements

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Review incoming material

• Review product description form (Form 1) for
  information that could influence the analysis of
  hazards
• Is it ready-to-eat or is further processing
  envisaged?
• Is it intended for a vulnerable group?
• For each incoming material (Form 2) write B, C
  or P directly on the form to indicate the nature
  of all potential hazards

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Review of incoming raw material

• There is wide variation in practices (on-farm and
  throughout the marketing chain) that can
  influence the analysis of hazards in incoming raw
  material

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Review incoming material
Potential hazards identified on Form 2 should be
fully described on Forms 5, 6 and 7
Raw material Packaging material
Coffee fruit (cherry) (B, C, P) 60kg sisal stitched printed sacks or lined / unlined containers (B, C, P)


Date Approved By
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Incoming material biological hazards (Form 5)
Identified biological hazards Controlled at
Ingredients / Materials
Coffee fruit (cherry) Could contain ochratoxin or aflatoxin-producing fungi
Jute bags Could contain spores of toxigenic fungi that might lead to cross-contamination of product Could contain pathogenic bacteria

(For discussion only)
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Incoming material chemical hazards (Form 6)
Identified chemical hazards Controlled at
Ingredients / Materials
Coffee fruit (cherry) Could contain residues of agricultural chemicals (pesticides, fungicides, etc.) Could contain OTA or aflatoxin Could contain heavy metals or other environmental contaminants
Jute bags Could contain hydrocarbons from batching oils Could be contaminated by agricultural chemicals depending on previous use

(For discussion only)
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Incoming material physical hazards (Form 7)
Identified physical hazards Controlled at
Ingredients / Materials
Coffee fruit (cherry) Could contain harmful extraneous materials (stones, metal, glass, wood)
Jute bags Could contain harmful extraneous material, pieces of plastic etc.

(For discussion only)
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Hazards in incoming materials

• Sample questions that guide the identification of
  potential hazards
• Could pathogenic organisms, toxins, chemicals or
  physical objects possibly be present on this
  material
• Are preservatives or additives used in the
  formulation to kill or inhibit growth of
  organisms
• Are any ingredients hazardous if used excessively
  or in adequate amounts
• Do moisture content and Aw in final product or
  ingredients affect microbial growth?

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Evaluating process operations

• Objective
• Identify all realistic potential hazards related
  to each processing operation, the product flow
  and employee traffic patterns
• Review process flow diagram (Form 3) and plant
  schematic (Form 4)

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Hazards associated with process steps

• Assign a number to each processing step on Form 3
• Examine each step and identify potential hazards
  (B, C, P)
• Use plant schematic to assist in identification
  of potential hazards

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Analysing process steps guiding questions

• Could contaminants reach the product during this
  operation?
• Could micro-organisms of concern multiply to the
  point where they constitute a hazard?

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Process steps Form 5 biological hazards
Should be repeated for chemical and physical
hazards
Identified biological hazards Controlled at
Ingredients / Materials
Process steps
1. Harvesting OTA-producers introduced from environmental sources Pathogens introduced from environmental sources, workers
3. Gathering / transporting to beneficio Undue delay in processing after harvest could lead to the proliferation of OTA-producing fungi
4. Storing sacks OTA-producers introduced from cross contamination of by-products Pathogens introduced from pests
5. Floatation separation Inadequate separation of boia from wetter coffee could cause re-wetting of the partially dried boia and proliferation of OTA-producers Introduction of water-borne pathogens by contaminated water Cross contamination by OTA-producers if water is overly re-circulated
(For discussion only)
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Observe actual operating practices

• HACCP team must be familiar with every detail of
  each operation
• Observe operation long enough to be confident of
  usual practices
• Observe employees
• Be attentive of the possibility of cross
  contamination after a kill step
• Identified hazards must be recorded on
  appropriate form

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Take measurements

• Confirm actual processing conditions by taking
  measurements of important process parameters
• Physical properties of the product as Aw,
  temperature, pH, moisture content
• Residence time in processing steps
• Dimensions, volumes
• Storage conditions
• Be sure of accuracy of measuring devices
• Collect samples for microbial challenge studies
  if necessary

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Analyse measurements

• Qualified individual must analyse and interpret
  data to determine impact or processing conditions
  on identified hazards
• For example, plot Aw / moisture content /
  temperature against time as indicated by the
  circumstances
• Compare Aw or pH values with ranges known to
  support microbial growth
• Estimate and evaluate cooling or thawing rates
  and determine influence on bacterial growth
• Evaluate shelf stability of the product

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Control measures

• Control measures are any actions and activities
  that can be used to prevent or eliminate a food
  safety hazard or reduce it to an acceptable level
  
• More than one measure may be required to control
  a specific hazard and
• More than one hazard may be controlled by a
  specified measure

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Controlling biological hazards

• Minimize contamination
• Prevent or minimize growth and toxin production
  using heating/cooling, low Aw, low Eh, high
  acidity, biological processes (e.g.
  fermentation), preservatives, etc.
• Pathogens risk is based on concentration, not
  just presence / absence
• Beware of possible concerted activity of more
  than one organism together

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Controlling chemical hazards

• Source control involving raw material
  specifications and vendor certification
• Proper segregation of non-food chemicals during
  storage and handling
• Control of incidental contamination from
  chemicals
• Formulation control and proper use of additives

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Controlling physical hazards

• Source control raw material specifications and
  vendor certification
• Processing control use of magnets, winnowers,
  screens, etc
• Good maintenance of facilities and equipment

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Hazard assessment

• Use information from hazard analysis to determine
• Severity of the hazard(s)
• Magnitude of consequences that result when a
  hazard exists (high, moderate, low, negligible)
• Risk of hazard(s)
• Probability of an adverse effect (high, moderate,
  low, negligible)

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Hazard assessment

• Use information from hazard analysis to determine
• Which hazards should be addressed under HACCP
  plan
• Hazards of a low probability of occurrence and a
  low severity should not be addressed in HACCP
  plan but through GMPs
• The points or steps at which control could be
  applied to prevent eliminate or reduce hazards to
  an acceptable level (CCPs)

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Health risk assessment model

• Key
• Cr critical
• Ma - major
• Mi minor
• Sa - satisfactory

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OTA contamination of coffee

• A mycotoxin, Ochratoxin A (OTA), produced by
  different species of Aspergillus and Penicillium
• Aspergillus niger
• Aspergillus carbonarius
• Aspergillus ochraceus
• Penicillium verrucosum
• Control of mould growth from primary production
  to shipping in order to reduce the risk of OTA
  contamination
• All steps in the process flow chart must be
  analysed to determine points where control should
  be exercised to eliminate hazards or control them
  within acceptable limits

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Scientific support forHACCP plan development

• Comprehensive identification of potential hazards
  and sound evaluation of control measures requires
  availability of good data
• Scientific support for HACCP-based safety
  management covers
• Mycology ID of OTA-producers investigation of
  conditions of mould growth and OTA- production
• Evaluation of processing and handling
  technologies / equipment moisture measurement
  devices

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Summary

• What are biological, chemical and physical
  hazards
• Systematically identifying hazards
• Control measures
• Deciding which hazards are to be addressed under
  the HACCP plan
• Next step Determining the
• critical control points in a process