Storage Temp as a Process Control for Fresh Cut Produce?
So we're working on really dialing in our warehouse/distribution processes. We've always kept food safety plans, flows, risk assessments, etc and have had them checked by 3rd party audits annually but no one has every questioned our temp controls. We store and distribute two main items- whole produce and fresh-cut produce. For the fresh cut item- while we are temp controlled and monitored and all the things, do we need to call this out as a process control? Or in the case of Primus, a CCP? I seem to be getting confusing answers from regulatory and 3rd party opinions. So how has everyone else approached this? With the fresh cut NOT being produced on site. Thanks!
veruca
Can you please clarify?
The fresh cut produce is not produced onsite? Where is it produced and is it temperature-controlled before it arrives at your storage?
Is the temperature-control during storage and distribution the last possible step to control bacterial growth or some other risk?
To me it seems like an obvious CCP for both whole and cut produce to control microbial growth and ensure shelf life, but I don't know your processes.
SQF FSC26 Storage and Distribution of Fruits and Vegetables at our facility. No CCP`s. Temps. are a quality issue not Food Safety for us. 9 coolers with varying
temps depending on commodity. 11 years SQF no auditor issues. Whole produce and 3rd party supplied cut produce from approved vendor.
So we're working on really dialing in our warehouse/distribution processes. We've always kept food safety plans, flows, risk assessments, etc and have had them checked by 3rd party audits annually but no one has every questioned our temp controls. We store and distribute two main items- whole produce and fresh-cut produce. For the fresh cut item- while we are temp controlled and monitored and all the things, do we need to call this out as a process control? Or in the case of Primus, a CCP? I seem to be getting confusing answers from regulatory and 3rd party opinions. So how has everyone else approached this? With the fresh cut NOT being produced on site. Thanks!
veruca
Hi veruca,
I presume the response is required as per Primus.
IIRC this Standard offers considerable Guidance for interpretation of Packinghouse Processes. Is there anything useful ??
woodspro- It sounds like you are really doing what we are. Several temp ranges for raw commodities and set refrigeration for the third party produced fresh-cut. I think I'd be comfortable that if SQF isn't calling it out then putting it in as a monitoring only would get me where I would need to be. Thanks!
Charles- I've been combing the guidance and it does have references to temp control for food safety items like cut tomatoes and melons. It calls it out to be monitored but not what that step would be called out as. The old GHP/GAP was pretty flexible on the topic and our regulatory have been as well. I just wasn't sure what was happening in the rest of the US besides my own little corner. Produce has been a strange world to tranisition into after some of the places I've been.
If anyone has seen the opposite end of the spectrum, I'm interested in what the process to the decision was.
Thanks!
veruca
SQF FSC26 Storage and Distribution of Fruits and Vegetables at our facility. No CCP`s. Temps. are a quality issue not Food Safety for us. 9 coolers with varying
temps depending on commodity. 11 years SQF no auditor issues. Whole produce and 3rd party supplied cut produce from approved vendor.
How does your facility define a CCP? Aren't the temperature controls what controls the risk of microbial growth.