Level of Detail in HACCP Product Description
Hi all,
I had a question about the Product Description. Is this going to be specific for every product we have in the facility? Or is this a general product use?
For instance, can I just put TEA AND HERBS in the description (as it is a Tea Company)?
OR should I make multiple ones that state: Earl Grey, English Breakfast, Jasmine Green, etc., etc. for all million products we have. haha
Hi all,
I had a question about the Product Description. Is this going to be specific for every product we have in the facility? Or is this a general product use?
For instance, can I just put TEA AND HERBS in the description (as it is a Tea Company)?
OR should I make multiple ones that state: Earl Grey, English Breakfast, Jasmine Green, etc., etc. for all million products we have. haha
Hi Wayne,
From Codex haccp -
A full description of the product should be drawn up, including relevant safety information such as:
composition, physical/chemical structure (including A w , pH, etc), microcidal/static treatments (heat-
treatment, freezing, brining, smoking, etc), packaging, durability and storage conditions and method of
distribution. Within businesses with multiple products, for example, catering operations, it may be
effective to group products with similar characteristics or processing steps, for the purpose of
development of the HACCP plan.
The Product Description is intended to summarise features which will be relevant to the subsequent haccp plan.
I suggest you have a look at the typical format in some of the examples on this forum.
If the various products have similar process flowcharts / CCPs you may be able to do some grouping as far as the hazard anaysis / haccp plan is concerned.. And the product description(s).
Grouping is acceptable as in product lines. (So says a couple of consultants I have spoken with).
The HACCP training I went through said that "like products" can be grouped together in the Product Description. Quoting directly from my personal notes, "Like products have similar characteristics as finished products (ex: different flavored cheesecakes that come in various sizes can all be in one plan)." As in, the finished products are similar. Going with the example I had in my notes, chocolate cheesecake would have a different PD than chocolate cake, because they're different as finished products (different composition, storage temperature requirements, allergen warnings, packaging etc. Not to mention the different process steps, as well).
If the tea varies greatly in characteristics other than flavor and also have different process steps, I think there should be separate Product Descriptions.
-Christina
Thank you all so much. I really appreciate all the help. My SQF Desk Audit is in two weeks and I have to get these docs DONE. I am almost done, but my consultant and I saved the HACCP plan for the end. Weird, huh?