Food Quality Control: Speaker Notes

Food quality control: speaker notes

Slide 1

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Slide 4

Facilitator should quickly summarize this slide (as a revision of the previous day presentation on Risk Management), mentioning that we looked at risks in each phase of warehouse management with actions to be taken to mitigate the risk. In that session, we will see what we can do to mitigate and manage the risk for food items, focusing on quality control management

Slide 5

Facilitator should emphasise the importance of prevention

A preventive action addresses the potential for a nonconformity to occur and a corrective action deals with a nonconformity that has occurred. Always better to prevent rather to cure ( ie vaccines )

Advantages

·  Requires less time than fumigation.

·  Easier to implement by warehouse staff and commodity handlers/cleaners.

·  Costs less than fumigation (as labour is included in cost of commodity handlers and cleaners).

·  Reduces losses as it diminishes the probability of infestation.

What kind of preventive actions to be taken:

Best Practices

·  Protect commodities from humidity and high temperatures by ventilating frequently and consider installing ventilation balls on roofs.

·  Preventive spraying of interior and exterior warehouse walls (1m high). Spray the ground along the outside wall (1m wide). Spray all the aisle and gangways:

·  Periodic preventive spraying: Normally every two weeks, more during the rainy season.

·  Do not spray the packaging.

·  Follow the recommended dosage and procedures as noted by the manufacturer of the chemicals.

·  Wear protective clothing as required during spraying.

·  Ensure tight control and security of chemicals (they should be in a locked cabinet, in a locked room, in a locked building).

·  Maintain warehouse in good condition.

·  Cover ventilation and other warehouse openings.

·  Rat grilles.

·  Wire mesh.

·  Vinyl or rope strips.

·  Protective walls around stacks.

But the more important is REGULAR INSPECTION OF THE FOOD

Slide 6

Facilitator should introduce subject and place inspection process within the overall context of quality control.

“The overall objective of inspection is to provide information as a basis for management action and future planning to ensure that deterioration and loss of stored commodities are kept to a minimum” .

Subjects covered by presentation:

·  Control Points: When and where to inspect.

·  Techniques: How to inspect/what you should be looking for.

·  Other Considerations: BBD. Best Before Date concept

·  Recording, Reporting and Follow-up: Documentation and taking corrective actions as required.

Slide 7

Diagram: The bigger the X, the greater the emphasis/importance.

Greatest emphasis is during off-loading: this is where the greatest risk is present as it is the first time cargo is entering the warehouse - all units should be visually inspected to check for damages, to ensure they meet procurement specifications and to confirm that expiry dates listed on the packing list are correct. Conducting quality control during off-loading reduces the need during storage and dispatch.

There is less emphasis on dispatch than at off-loading and storage given that if inspections were done correctly during the latter two phases, there is very little probability of quality concerns during dispatch.

During storage, cargo should be inspected periodically to ensure there is no deterioration in the product or packaging. Inspections can be carried out either on a regular basis or on an ad-hoc basis while walking through the aisles. For WFP, an inspection should be carried out every time that the physical inventory of a stack is conducted.

In the event of prolonged storage of a cargo, it may be required to:

·  Increase the inspections.

·  Request periodic laboratory analysis.

However, you should make a cost/benefit analysis of organoleptic testing in lieu of performing laboratory analysis. Organoleptic test are subjective as you use your sense:” Organoleptic propertiesare the aspects of food, water or other substances that an individual experiences via thesenses—includingtaste,sight, smell, and touch“

Slide 8

Objectives of Pest Control Practices

·  To protect humanitarian cargo against pests.

·  To reduce losses caused by pests.

·  To detect and eliminate pests from the warehouse in accordance with organisational standards and procedures.

Responsibilities

Warehouse Manager and Storekeeper

·  Preventive actions.

·  Equipment and products.

·  Reporting infestations as soon as insects are detected. The longer the delay the greater the number of insects as they multiply very rapidly.

·  Requesting fumigations: If organisation does not have qualified fumigators they should call upon the services of a contractor.

o  The organisation should have a standing agreement with one or more subcontractors to ensure timely interventions throughout the country.

o  Stack preparation for fumigation.

o  Clean store.

o  Pre-position tarpaulins on stacks ready to be unrolled.

o  Pre-position sand snakes along the outer sides of the outer stacks.

o  Follow-up: Ensure the effectiveness of the fumigation.

o  Less than 100% kill (all stages of life) is a fumigation failure.

o  Qualified staff/fumigation expert

o  Conduct/supervise fumigation and spraying operations

o  Provide chemicals

Slide 9

Pest definition:

Fungus, insect, worms, rodent, weed, or other form of terrestrial or aquatic life form that is injurious to human or farm animal health, or interferes with economic activities such as agriculture and logging.

Sources

·  Origin/supplier: Regional or local purchases arriving directly at the warehouse.

·  Transport: Trucks that are loaded with infested cargo or which get cross-infested during transport.

·  Environment around the warehouse: Long grass, water, debris will attract insects and rodents.

·  Cross infestation: Insects from one stack moving to a second stack.

Detection through inspections

·  Visual observations

·  Audio detection

·  Smell

·  Touch

·  Taste

Reporting

Timely reporting of all infestation is of crucial importance in order to allow timely fumigation.

Any delays in reporting will increase insect population and increase likelihood of loss.

Pest Control

Pest categories include insects, rodents, birds, reptiles, other animals. Effects include the following:

·  Contaminate food.

·  Destroy cargo.

·  Can slow down dispatches/deliveries.

·  Can be harmful to warehouse personnel (rodents spread diseases such as leptisorosis).

·  Cost money and time.

Corrective Actions

·  Spraying

·  Fumigation

·  Poisoning

·  Traps

Slide 10

This is what you should be looking for during an inspection—this covers inspection of food commodities as well as general cargo. The next slide will focus on how you should be looking for it.

1. Contamination from foreign substances

·  Check for packaging that is wet or stained. If there are signs of wetness or stains you should continue the inspection inside the packaging to evaluate scope of contamination.

·  Check inside torn or damaged packaging for signs of contamination.

·  Pay special attention to signs of mould, discolouration and/or stains caused by water or humidity.

·  Pay attention to sign of rodent contamination –saliva and faeces in particular.

2. Infestation

·  Check stacks for presence of insects and other pests.

·  Seek evidence of pests-excreta, webbing, cocoon.

3. Damaged Packaging

·  Check for open or damaged packaging.

·  Check for spillage.

Slide 11

1. Where to inspect

·  Inspect around all the sides of a stack, a box, or a carton.

·  Inspect between sacks, in the seams and ‘ears’ of sacks.

·  Inspect corners of cartons and boxes.

·  Inspect the top and bottom of stacks and underneath pallets.

·  Inspect dark places using a good light.

2. Use your senses to detect contaminated or infested commodities.

·  Visual observations of cargo and packaging.

·  Listen to the sounds of insects.

·  Smell the cargo for deterioration.

·  Touch the cargo for signs of wetness and caking.

·  For some food commodities, you can taste the cargo for signs of deterioration.

3. Equipment

During inspections ensure you have all the required equipment and accessories such as a notebook, light, knife, gloves and sampling spear.

4. Other Considerations

·  Lift the bags/cartons to seek evidence of reheating below sacks/bags (burning of cargo).

·  Seek evidence of theft.

·  Check ventilation: natural or induced.

·  The best time to check is at the end of the afternoon or after rain.

Inspection of the cargo may or may not include the taking and analysis of samples.

Slide 12

Purpose

To confirm the quality of cargo upon receipt, and when inspections identify potential problems related to:

·  Insect infestation

·  Packaging integrity

·  Specs compliance: physical or chemical changes (loss of vitamins, discoloration, oxidation)

·  Determination of moisture content

·  Presence of micro-toxins and/or other contaminants

Considerations

Sampling should be based on:

·  Objectives of the analysis:

·  Confirming the quality of the cargo.

·  Confirming the presence and extent of infestation.

·  Confirming that, upon arrival, the commodity meets the required specifications.

·  Type of cargo—For WFP type and physical state of commodity as well as type of packaging will determine the sampling technique to be utilised.

·  Size of consignment will determine the number of samples required.

·  Should be monitored by qualified personnel/experts - to avoid differences of opinion.

·  For complex food safety issues, sampling must be representative and conform to published international standards. All parties must accept methodology utilised.

Procedural Concerns

·  Sampling must follow recognised protocols.

·  Clean, uncontaminated equipment must be used.

·  Do not use sampling spears for paper/polythene bags.

·  Samples must be conserved in clean, uncontaminated recipients (flasks, cotton, and polythene) that conserve sampling conditions.

·  Samples must be forwarded to the laboratories as soon as possible.

·  The sample can be homogenised for example by using the cone method

Laboratory Selection and Analysis

·  Select among certified laboratories in accordance with procurement procedures.

·  Award contract that includes all services required and costs.

·  Request laboratory staff to take the samples themselves. In the event they cannot (for distance), sample should be done by university staff. As a last resort, sample may be done by an experienced warehouse staff.

·  Samples must be labelled with basic information which helps the laboratory: history, where the problem lies, etc.

·  Obtain laboratory report before making payment for services provided.

·  Know how to read/interpret report.

·  Take appropriate and timely follow-up action.

Slide 13

Although modern production processes ensure that microorganisms are not generated by heating or vacuuming, due to problems such as botulism the following must be checked:

·  If cans/tins present defects determine whether they are due to exogenous causes (dents caused by improper handling or eternal oxidization) or are due to an endogenous problem such swellings due to internal gases -

·  Temperature and humidity can cause rapid oxidization, especially above 25 degrees Celsius

The sampling of cans/tins must be strict

·  It is recommended to carry out sampling in two phases

·  To control temperature and condensation, a gabled ceiling is recommended

·  Handling must be done with great care to avoid breakage of crates and tins

Note: If tinned product seems to be overcooked but in good condition, distribution must be accelerated. In case of doubt, quarantine the lot

Slide 14

No comment

Slide 15

Just go through the slide to look at what to control

Slide 16

Know the Meaning of the ‘Best Before Date’ (BBD)

In order to comply with international accepted regulations, manufacturers include a BBD in their products. With food items, this is sometimes confused with the expiry date. Food items that have passed their BBD should only be considered for dispatch and distribution if there is food quality confirmation through laboratory analysis and a written agreement of the local authorities.

If a BBD date is not provided, it may be a good practice to assign one in consultation with an expert. A BBD may only be assigned following receipt of a positive laboratory analysis report.

Production Date and BBD

Different countries have different regulations concerning the product life of cargo. Before dispatching cargo containing only production date, it is good practice to confirm with local authorities that the commodity to be dispatched can be distributed without risk.

BBD, FIFO, & FEFO

The ideal way to despatch cargo is First In First Out (FIFO). In cases where goods have arrived late to the warehouse and are showing signs of loss of quality or damage to packaging, the FIFO rule can be flexible and/or adjusted.

BBD concerns should take precedence over FIFO.

Slide 17

Recording

·  Complete the inspection report form ensuring that all findings are recorded. This must be done during the inspection.

·  Record infestation problems on stack cards ensuring that the date is noted.

Reporting

Promptly submit all identified quality concerns in written reports to the warehouse manager

Follow-up

·  Take appropriate action as soon as possible to minimize losses.

·  Separate contaminated units, recondition and/or repack as needed.

·  Request fumigation and spraying.

·  Dispose of spoiled cargo.

·  Report any significant losses to County Office, Regional Bureau and HQ.

Slide 18

Fumigation: Emphasize that fumigation should be done by a professional company

Safety and security measures during fumigation and operations:

·  Brief personnel on the dangers of fumigation.

·  Ensure fumigation is conducted by qualified personnel.

·  Ensure use of approved chemicals.

·  Ensure use of approved procedures.

·  Ensure safety of personnel.

·  Ensure security of equipment and chemicals.

·  Ensure maintenance of equipment and protective gear (masks, clothing, and gloves).

·  Post warning signs and forbid access.

·  Ensure proper disposal of chemicals.

Fumigation Procedures can be divided into eight key stages:

Stage 1: Initial preparations

·  Brief staff.

·  Clean floors.

·  Pre-position sheeting and sand snakes.

·  Confirm the tonnages and volumes of the stacks to be fumigated as well as the floor surfaces to be sprayed.

·  Calculate the dosage of the chemicals to be used.

Stage 2: Sheeting the stack

·  Roll down and position the tarpaulins on the stacks.

·  Place store residues or sweepings in a bag under the tarpaulin in order to be fumigated.

·  Lay the sand snakes ensuring that they overlap.