Week 19 Equipment - We've Got SALSA Sussed

Week 19 Equipment

Hi Everyone!

Hope you enjoyed reading about pests!

This week its Equipment. Short and sweet, but with some key information which is really good to know about before purchasing equipment.

Equipment

Purchasing Equipment is costly. Therefore, when doing so, you need to ensure it is the right equipment for your purposes.

I have seen businesses purchase second hand equipment which has not been in hygienic storage. This brought pest problems on site. On one occasion there was a moth infested piece of equipment which needed fogging by the pest contractor, and another example where some mice were brought in with the equipment and tried to set up camp in the kitchen. The moral of the story is; make sure you buy from reputable suppliers, and clean well it before you put it into position!

The equipment itself needs to be Food Grade. What I mean by this is, any parts which are to come into contact with the food, need to be made from food grade materials. You need to have evidence of this too. If you are buying something second hand, ask if it has any paperwork with it. If not, you need to get the paperwork direct from the manufacturer. This applies to all equipment which comes into contact with food.

I have heard one story of a bakery popping down to the local garden centre for a spraying unit for applying glazes onto their products – I am pretty sure the garden equipment was not made of food safe materials…….

Equipment which is not made in line with the legislation (1935/2004 Materials in Contact with Food) can Migrate chemicals into food. Testing carried out on Food Contact Equipment (and Packaging) to ensure there are no migration of chemicals and that it is safe.

We are going to go into detail about how to make sure you are complying, so let’s get started!

What’s coming next…

Week 20 Maintenance

 

Equipment – what do you need to show your SALSA auditor?

Equipment Procedure

Evidence of food contact equipment complying with the legislation 1935/2004 Materials in Contact with Food

Equipment on Cleaning Schedule / Records

Equipment on Maintenance Schedule / Records

 

We have previously mentioned the legislation ‘1935/2004 Materials in Contact with Food’ which has to be adhered for food contact packaging – in the ‘Control of Raw Materials’ section – this is because packaging materials and equipment in contact with food have to adhere to the same legislation.

 

The following is a statement from the European Commission describing what Food Contact Materials are:

 

‘Food comes into contact with many materials and articles during its production, processing, storage, preparation and serving, before its eventual consumption. Such materials and articles are called Food Contact Materials (FCMs). Food contact materials are either intended to be brought into contact with food, are already in contact with food, or can reasonably be brought into contact with food or transfer their constituents to the food under normal or foreseeable use. This includes direct or indirect contact. Examples include:

·         containers for transporting food

·         machinery to process food

·         packaging materials

·         kitchenware and tableware

FCMs should be sufficiently inert so that their constituents neither adversely affect consumer health nor influence the quality of the food. To ensure the safety of FCMs, and to facilitate the free movement of goods, EU law provides for binding rules that business operators must comply with.’

https://ec.europa.eu/food/safety/chemical_safety/food_contact_materials_en

 

The legislation itself can be read here:

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:02004R1935-20090807&from=EN

 

 

Equipment Procedure

When writing the procedure for Equipment, we need to consider and include the following:

 

1.       All equipment will be / is purchased from reputable suppliers and food contact equipment has evidence that its made from food safe materials and complies with 1935/2004 Materials in Contact with Food legislation

2.       The location where equipment is being sited is considered to ensure maintenance and cleaning can be carried out effectively

3.       Equipment is cleaned prior to being put into its location

4.       Equipment is documented on the cleaning schedule and records

5.       Equipment is documented on the maintenance schedule and serviced and maintained on a set frequency

 

Purchasing Equipment & Requesting Documentation

When purchasing equipment, it is your responsibility is to make sure that you have evidence that the equipment is made from food safe materials, and complies with the legislation.

 

To do that, you need a ‘Declaration of Compliance’ statement from the manufacturers, stating the piece of equipment you have purchased, complies with the legislation. 1935/2004 Materials in Contact with Food.

 

You need to do this for each piece of Food Contact Equipment.

 

However, for items such as food containers, there is a symbol that you are probably familiar with, which you can look for and will be printed into it, which looks like this:

European Commission:

‘Article 15 of the Framework Regulation (EC) No 1935/2004 on materials and articles intended to come into contact with food specifies the labelling requirements.  It says that food contact materials shall be accompanied by the words "for food contact" or this symbol’

 

HACCP Review
When commissioning a new piece of equipment, it should trigger a HACCP review. The HACCP team should have a meeting, document the minutes and discuss how the new piece of equipment is going to be installed.

 

The meeting should discuss the following:

 

Where it is going to be located / positioned?

The positioning of the equipment is important, as you need enough space around it to make sure it can be cleaned properly, and that it can be accessed for maintenance. The last thing you want is to position it, then realise you cannot get to the mechanics of the machine to fix it if it breaks down! Also consideration needs to be taken into account as to whether it is going to be sealed to the floor, or if it can it be cleaned underneath?

 

How is it going to be cleaned and installed?

Can the equipment be precleaned prior to taking into the facility? Or will it have to be cleaned once it’s in position?

 

New equipment is more likely to be a certain standard of ‘clean’ before you start. However, second hand equipment is a much higher risk and hygiene needs to be considered. It is essential to make sure that you install the equipment in the most hygienic way possible. This is especially important in high risk areas.

 

You need to plan the installation carefully, and do not put the product being made at the time of installation, at risk from contamination whilst carrying it out. Therefore, production should not be in operation. An engineering check and hygiene check is essential to be completed prior to letting the area be released back into operation. This is to ensure all engineering parts have been removed, and the area, and equipment is hygienic to commence production.

 

Cleaning Schedule, Records & Cleaning Instruction Cards

When installing a new piece of equipment, do not forget it needs adding to the schedule, at a suitable frequency – based on risk.

 

When you know the frequency of the clean, you need to add it to your cleaning checklist, so that it can be signed off after every clean.

 

If it is a complex piece of equipment, you also might want to put together a Cleaning Instruction Card (CIC). This describes how to dismantle parts (if required), chemicals to use, dilutions of chemicals, method, PPE required, record to complete, swabbing required (if applicable), key inspection points and reassembly instructions. Refer to ‘Week 3 Cleaning’, on more detail on how to document a really good cleaning instruction card.

 

Maintenance Schedule, Records & Reports

Next week, we are going into a lot more detail on Maintenance. However, it is important to make sure you add new equipment to your PPM (Planned Preventative Maintenance) Schedule.

 

It will need servicing either inhouse, or by an external contractor, on a set frequency. This can be annual, or more frequent if necessary.

 

Add to the PPM Schedule who is going to maintain (Inhouse or contractor) and the contact details for cases when breakdowns occur and you need to get in touch with someone quickly.

 

After every time a service, general maintenance or a breakdown occurs, it needs recording. A report needs generating of what has been completed. You need to keep these on file. The reports can come in many forms, such as the contractor servicing report, or your own in-house documentation which states what has been carried out to the equipment, by who, dates of when and any further actions needed, or that all actions are closed out.

 

GMP Checks (Good Manufacturing Practice)

GMP checks should take place on a regular basis, which we will discuss in more detail in a future week. These are walk-throughs of the facility and should include checking all equipment is in good repair. Any damages or malfunctions of equipment can be reported, therefore triggering repairs to be carried out in a timely manner.

 

That’s it for now folks!

 

Have a good week!

 

If you need assistance, please feel free to contact me! On that note, that is the end of this section. Please do not hesitate to ask any questions.

 

Be careful and stay safe!

Ruth

Ruthshawconsultingltd@gmail.com

07732 966 836