Code of Practice for Minimally Processed ReadytoEat Vegetables.docx

Code of Practice for Minimally Processed ReadytoEat Vegetables.docx

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CodeofPracticeforMinimallyProcessedReadytoEatVegetables

CanadianFoodInspectionAgency

CodeofPracticeforMinimallyProcessedReady-to-EatVegetables

Tableofcontents

PartIIntroduction

PartIIGoodAgriculturalPractices

PartIIIPre-Requisites

1.ProcessingEstablishment

1.1Location

1.2PremisesandRooms

1.3SanitationFacilities

1.4QualityandSupplyofWaterandIce

2.TransportationandStorage

2.1TemperatureControl

2.2ConveyancesandContainers

2.3IncomingMaterialsandfinishedproducts

2.4Non-FoodChemicals

3.Equipment

3.1DesignandInstallation

32EquipmentMaintenanceandCalibration

4.Personnel

4.1Training

4.2HygieneandHealthRequirements

5.SanitationandPestControl

5.1SanitationProgram

5.2PestControlProgram

6.Trace-BacksandRecalls

6.1Trace-BackandRecallSystems

6.2RecallCapability

7.DocumentationandRecords

PartIVManufacturingControls

1.ProcessDesign

1.1ShelfLifeValidation

2.ProductFormulation

2.1Specifications

2.2ProductFormula

3.IncomingMaterialControl

3.1IncomingMaterials

3.2IncomingMaterialControlRecords

4.PreprocessingandProcessing

4.1Inspection,Sorting,TrimmingandFirstWash

4.2Cutting,Slicing,ShreddingandGrinding

4.3Washing

4.4AntimicrobialTreatment

4.5AdherencetoProductFormulation

4.6ProductTemperatureduringProcessing

4.7ProductProcessingRecords

5.Packaging

5.1PackagingandContainers

5.2CriticalPackagingFactors

5.3PackagingRecords

6.ContainerCodingandLabelling

6.1ProductIdentification

6.2LabelAccuracy

6.3Coding-"Use-By"Date

6.4Labelling-StorageTemperature

7.DeviationsandCorrectiveAction

7.1DeviationControl

7.2CorrectiveAction

7.3DeviationandCorrectiveActionRecords

8.VerificationofProductSafety

8.1VerificationProcedures

8.2VerificationRecords

9.ComplaintHandling

9.1ProductComplaints

9.2ComplaintRecords

Glossary

PARTI INTRODUCTION

Background

Thehealthbenefitsassociatedwithfreshproducecombinedwiththeon-goingconsumertrendtowardeatingoutandconsumingready-to-eatfoodshavecontributedtoasubstantialincreaseinthepopularityofminimallyprocessedready-to-eatvegetables. Lettuceandothersaladvegetableswhichareminimallyprocessed（washed,trimmedandbagged）byfoodmanufacturersprovideconvenientproductstotheconsumer.

Theminimallyprocessedready-to-eatvegetableindustrywasinitiallydevelopedtosupplyrestaurants,hotelsandotherinstitutionsand,morerecently,wasexpandedtoincludefoodretailersforhomeconsumption.Althoughnodetailedstatisticalinformationisavailableonthevolumeofdomesticproductionorimportation,theseproductsappeartobegaininganincreasedmarketshare.

Whereasmostsaladsandothervegetablesarestillpreparedathome,theinclusionofminimallyprocessedready-to-eatvegetableshasmovedthepreparationoftheseproductsfromtheconsumer.Theincreasedtimeanddistancebetweenprocessingandconsumptionmaycontributetohigherrisksoffood-borneillness.Althoughchemicalandphysicalhazardsareofconcern;suchasthepresenceofagriculturalchemicalsandfoodadditivesabovethemaximumresiduelimitsorthepresenceofmetalsandotherinjuriousparticles;thehazardsspecifictominimallyprocessedready-to-eatvegetablesresidemainlywithmicrobialcontaminants.

SomeofthemicrobialpathogensassociatedwithfreshvegetablesincludeListeriamonocytogenes,Salmonellaspp.,Shigellaspp.,enteropathogenicstrainsofEscherichiacoli,hepatitisAvirus,etc.Thepossiblesourcesofcontaminationintheseproductsinvolvetheincomingrawvegetables,theplantworkers,andtheprocessingenvironment.Whenvegetablesarechoppedorshredded,thereleaseofplantcellularfluidsprovidesanutritivemediuminwhichmicroorganismscangrow.Thehighmoisturecontentoffreshvegetables,thelackoflethalprocesstoeliminatemicrobialpathogens,andthepotentialfortemperatureabuseduringpreparation,distributionandhandlingfurtherintensifytheriskoffood-borneillness.

Inresponsetotheincreasedconsumptionofminimallyprocessedready-to-eatvegetablesandtherisksoffood-borneillnessassociatedwiththeseproducts,governmentsandindustryhaveinitiatedworkinthedevelopmentofacodeofpracticeforthemanufacturingofminimallyprocessedready-to-eatvegetables.

Scope

Thiscodeofpracticehasbeendevelopedforthemanufacturingofminimallyprocessedready-to-eatvegetablesconsistingofrawvegetablesthathavebeenpeeled,sliced,choppedorshreddedpriortobeingpackagedforsaleinCanada.Applicableproductsincludeshreddedlettuce,shreddedcabbage,mixedvegetablesalads,groundbroccoliandpeeledbabycarrots.Packagingincludessingleservingcontainers（e.g.,sealedpouchesorplastictrays）,largerconsumerorinstitutionalsizepackagesandbulkcontainers.Withthepossibleexceptionoftheadditionofdressingorcroutonsbytheend-user,theproductsdonotrequirefurtherpreparationbeforeconsumption.

Productsforwhichthiscodedoesnotapplyincludefreshvegetablesthathavebeentrimmedonlyandslicedpotatoesorothervegetablesthataredestinedforcooking（e.g.,frenchfries）.Manufacturersofproductsthatarepreparedandconsumedonthepremisesthesameday（e.g.,restaurantsanddelicatessens）areexemptedfromthisstandard.

Althoughthereisnospecificregulationforminimallyprocessedready-to-eatvegetablesundertheCanadianAgriculturalProductsAct,theseproductsmustconformwithsections4and7oftheFoodandDrugsAct.Section4statesthat:

Nopersonshallsellanarticleoffoodthathasinoronitanypoisonousorharmfulsubstance;isunfitforhumanconsumption;consistsinwholeorinpartofanyfilthy,putrid,disgusting,rotten,decomposedordiseasedanimalorvegetablesubstance;isadulterated;orwasmanufactured,prepared,preserved,packagedorstoredunderunsanitaryconditions.Section7statesthat:

Nopersonshallmanufacture,prepare,preserve,packageorstoreforsaleanyfoodunderunsanitaryconditions.

UseoftheCode

Thiscodeisintendedtoprovideguidanceforthesafemanufacturingofminimallyprocessedready-to-eatvegetables.Asthereareseveralprocessesavailabletomanufacturetheseproducts,ageneralapproachhasbeentakenindevelopingthiscode.Itisnotintendedtocoverallpossiblemeansofimplementingpreventativemeasures.Alternativeapproachesmayapplyiftheyadequatelyminimizefoodsafetyhazards.Manufacturersareencouragedtousethegeneralrecommendationsofthiscodetotailorfoodsafetypracticesappropriatetotheirparticularoperations.

PartIIofthiscodeoutlinesGoodAgriculturalPracticesfortheprimaryproductionandharvestingoffreshvegetables.Althoughmanufacturersmaynotbeinvolvedintheprimaryproductionofvegetables,thissectionwasincludedinthecodetoraisetheawarenessofitsroleinthesafemanufacturingofminimallyprocessedready-to-eatvegetables.Acodeofpracticefortheprimaryproductionandharvestingoffreshproduceiscurrentlyindevelopment.Thiscodewillprovidefarmerswithguidanceforthehygienicproductionoffreshproduce.

PartIIIandIVofthiscodearecomposedofgeneralsafetyobjectivesfollowedbyspecificrecommendationsonhowtoachievethem.Itisimportanttoassessrecommendationsindividuallyand,whennecessary,consideralternativeapproachesthatmaybemoreappropriatetoparticularoperationsintheachievementofgeneralsafetyobjectives.

PARTIIGOODAGRICULTURALPRACTICES

Microbialandchemicalcontaminationmayoccurduringtheprimaryproductionandharvestingoffreshproduce.Thesafetyofminimallyprocessedready-to-eatvegetablesishighlyinfluencedbythedegreeofpreventativemeasuresusedonfarmtopreventcontamination.Growersshouldbeawareofgoodagriculturalpracticeswhichminimizerisksofmicrobial,chemicalandphysicalcontaminationduringtheprimaryproductionandharvestingoffreshproduce.Manufacturersshouldprescribegrowerstoadoptgoodagriculturalpracticesandprovideevidencethattheproductwasgrownaccordingtospecifications.

Thegeneralaspectsofthegoodagriculturalpracticestopromotesafetyoffreshproduceinclude:

LandUsage

Previousandpresentusageofthegrowingfieldandadjoiningsitesshouldbeevaluated（cropgrown,feedlot,toxicwastesite,etc.）toidentifypotentialsourcesofproducecontaminationsuchasagriculturalchemicals,fecalcontaminationorothertoxiccompounds.Stepsshouldbetakentopreventtheaccessoffarmandwildanimalstothesitestoavoidpotentialfecalcontaminationofthesoilandtheriskofcontaminatingcrop.

NaturalFertilizer

Theuseofnaturalfertilizers（e.g.,manure,organicmaterials,slaughterwastes,sewagesludge,etc.）intheproductionofproduceshouldbemanagedtolimitthepotentialformicrobialandchemicalcontaminationofproduce.Naturalfertilizersshouldbeproperlytreated（composting,pasteurization,heatdrying,（UVirradiation,alkalidigestionorcombinationsofthese）tominimizethepotentialformicrobialpathogens.

AgriculturalWater

Waterusedforirrigationandfumigationisapotentialsourceofcontaminationasitmaycontainmicrobialpathogens,heavymetalsandotherchemicals.Growersshouldevaluatethesourceofwaterusedonthefarm（well,opencanal,reservoir,re-usedirrigationwater,municipality,rivers,lakes,etc.）,monitoritssafetyandcontrolpotentialsourcesofcontamination.

AgriculturalChemicals

Growersshouldonlyuseagriculturalchemicalswhichareacceptableforthecultivationofthespecificproduceandshouldusethemaccordingtomanufacturer’sinstructionsfortheintendedpurpo