Week 27 HACCP Process Flow Diagram - We've Got SALSA Sussed
Week 27 HACCP Process Flow Diagram
Hi Everyone!
HACCP Process Flow Diagrams
are an excellent way to plan out, and fully understand your products’ process
flow.
But what exactly is it, I hear
you ask?!
It is a diagram which details
all of the processes you carry out to produce your finished product.
It starts at Goods In, the
point at which you take responsibility for the raw materials, (having already
completed your Product & Supplier Approval).
It flows through the entire production
process, step by step.
It finishes at the point that
the finished product becomes somebody else’s responsibility, i.e. when the
transportation company picks it up for distribution, or, once you have
delivered it to the customer in your own transport.
There are 12 Steps to
completing a good HACCP Plan, the Process Flow is Step 4 & 5, see below…..
Step No Blog No
1. Assemble
the HACCP Team (Week
25)
2. Describe
the product (Week
26)
3. Identify
the intended use and users (Week
26)
4. Construct
a flow diagram (Week
27)
5. Validate
the flow diagram (Week
27)
6. Conduct a
hazard analysis and consider controls
7. Determine
Critical Control Points (CCPs)
8. Establish
critical limits for each CCP
9. Establish
monitoring procedures for each CCP
10.Establish
corrective actions
11.Establish
verification procedures
12.Establish
documentation and record keeping
What’s coming next…
Week
28 HACCP Hazard Analysis
HACCP Process Flow - what do you need to show your
SALSA auditor?
HACCP Process Flow Diagram
There is more than one way to
tackle your process flow diagram.
Product Driven Process Flow
One way is to produce a ‘Product
Driven’ Process Flow Diagram, which is great whilst you are a small business. It
might be practical. But, once your business grows, may become impractical as
you have to redesign a new flow per product.
My advice is, keep it simple. If
your products are similar, have one flow.
Obviously, there are times you
need separate process flows. Such as, if you do two or three completely
different products, such as Sandwiches, Cakes & Ready Meals – three
different flows will be required as the processes are so different.
Process Driven Process Flow
Another method is a ‘Process
Driven’ Process Flow Diagram. Which is a great idea, as long as you do not have
many different Product Categories. If you produce cakes, biscuits, bread,
teacakes and tray bakes, then one process driven flow would be sufficient. Or a
butchery process flow could handle butchering of all meat, and then through to
the production off cuts of meat, sausages, burgers and meatballs, one flow
would suffice.
I am going to describe what I
believe to be one of the simplest, but still with great detail, tried and
tested methods. It will definitely tick all of the SALSA boxes!
Where do you start?
There are three extremely
important steps when completing a Process Flow Diagram:
1.
Document the Process Flow
2.
Walk the Process Flow (with your HACCP Team)
3.
Amend the Process Flow (if required) after the
Walkthrough
The first step is to get something
down on paper to work from. Here is an example of a Bakery HACCP Process Flow
Diagram.
Intake & Storage Processes
All businesses have a ‘Goods In’
Process Step. Then it is followed by some form of storage.
Each one of the boxes below
represents a process step. Each one has different hazards and controls, such as
different temperature ranges to check.
From the research which you
completed last week (Blog 26), for your products and ingredients, you know what
type of storage your ingredients and finished product requires. Therefore, from
the example above, you may need all of the types of storage detailed, or you can
remove the intake and storage steps which do not apply to you.
Production Processes
The next level down to think about
is your specific production process. Production Processes are specific to every
business and every product or product category.
Most businesses are likely to have
some form of preparation process steps. The preparation steps then flow onto
the production process steps where they becomes the finished product. Here are
two examples, one for a Sausage Producer and one from a Bakery.
The Sausage and Meatball HACCP Plan has; Butchery, Mincing and Mixing, before the product is made into its Finished Product of a Sausage or Meatball
BAKERY
The Bakery HACCP Plan has; Ingredient Weighing, Mixing & Traying Up before it is Baked into its Finished Product of a Cake, Biscuit or Tray Bake.
Packing to Dispatch Flow
The final part of the Process
Flow, is usually in a similar form for most businesses. All products have to be
packaged into their Food Contact Packaging, then they have to be sealed in some
way. All products need their Product Labelling Applied, the Coding applied
(Batch Codes and Best Before/Use By Dates). Most products will be packed into
secondary packaging such as boxes for transportation. Then they could possibly
be palletised, ready for dispatch out of the business. Alternatively, you could
complete the transportation, therefore Delivery could be added.
High Risk Facilities Process
Flow Diagrams
If you are producing a high-risk
product, (e.g., a product which is ready to eat, or ready to reheat, requires
chilling to keep it safe), then highlighting where your high-risk area is
located on your Process Flow is a great idea.
High Risk areas should be
physically segregated if possible. Showing this on your Process Flow will help
you, your auditor and EHO inspector to understand where the risks are higher
and you need elevated control measures in place.
Once you have got your first draft
of the Process Flow onto a piece of paper, then take it into Production, and
walk the flow with your HACCP Team. Have all of your product recipes with you,
to check against how you make them all.
Literally walk through the process
of your products and add to your flow anything you have missed.
Getting the HACCP team to do this
with you is a great idea, as they have their expertise to add, then you can
make sure it’s right!
Add to, and adjust the process
flow as required, and agree that the finished Process Flow is correct with your
team!
Many businesses ask the HACCP team
to sign and date the process flow when it is complete, which is best practice.
Best Practice Ideas
When completing your process flow
diagram, have a key on your process flow to define the following:
1. Standard
process steps
2. Critical
Control Point (CCP’s)
3. Optional
Process Steps
4. High
Risk Areas
Other Best practice ideas…
5. Directional
arrows from one process step to the next
6. Add
reference numbers to the process steps, which you will use in your Hazard Analysis
7. Have
a date and sign off for the HACCP Team, to shows it has been validated by the
team and when it was completed
Hazards at the Process Steps
Next week, we will document all of
the hazards at each of the process steps when we start on the Hazard Analysis. After
that, we will document all of the controls required for each hazards. This will
ensure we have covered all Hazards, with appropriate controls, for which we
need documented procedures.
These procedures are called your
Prerequisite Procedures. I have written about all of the Prerequisite
Procedures in Week 1’s Blog through to Week 24’s Blog, so now you can
understand how all of this fits together like a food safety jigsaw!
If there is not a Prerequisite
Procedure documented to control the hazard, that could mean one of two things.
Either it could be a CCP (Critical Control Point), or, it could mean we need to
update the Prerequisite Procedure to ensure it controls the hazard
appropriately.
That’s it for now folks! OK, this
week, Christmas Shopping done, Christmassy mood has started, looking forward to
seeing family throughout or ‘Christmas Release Days’…..! Next week, it has to
be Christmas Tree week doesn’t it?!
Be careful and stay safe!
Ruth
Ruthshawconsultingltd@gmail.com
07732
966 836
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