Hygiene management in food factories
Hygiene means keeping germs, dirt and pests away from food.
- Zones: keep the raw area (soil, packaging, raw meat) apart from the clean area (cooked and ready food).
- People: wash hands, wear caps, masks and clean uniforms. Stay home if sick. No jewellery.
- Place and tools: wash and sanitise floors, tables and knives on a schedule. Keep pests out.
- Water, air and waste: use safe water, filter air, remove waste fast.
Good habits like these are called GMP (good manufacturing practice).
Safety management systems
A safety management system is a written plan that everyone follows. The best known is HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points).
- Find hazards: biological (germs), chemical (cleaning liquid, allergens) and physical (glass, metal).
- Find critical control points (CCPs): steps where one control removes the hazard, like cooking or metal detection.
- Set a critical limit: for example core temperature 75 °C.
- Monitor: measure and write down each batch.
- Fix problems: hold or re-cook a batch that missed the limit.
- Verify: check that the plan works.
- Keep records.
International standards such as ISO 22000 combine HACCP with management rules so a factory can be audited.
Food additives
Food additives are substances added on purpose in small amounts for a job.
- Preservative: slows spoilage (for example vinegar-like acids, sorbates).
- Colour: gives or restores colour.
- Sweetener: sweet taste with less sugar.
- Antioxidant: stops fat and oil from going rancid.
- Emulsifier and thickener: keep oil and water mixed, make food smooth.
Rules: an additive must be on an approved list, used within a maximum amount, and shown on the label by name or code number. Safety experts set an acceptable daily intake (ADI), an amount a person can eat every day for life without harm. More is not better.
Key formulas and definitions
- HACCP: 7 steps from hazard analysis to records
- Example CCP: cook to core temperature of 75 °C or higher
- Hazard types: biological, chemical, physical
- Additive rule: approved list + maximum amount + label
Worked examples
1. A pie is cooked and its core reads 68 °C. The critical limit is 75 °C. What should the factory do?
The batch missed the limit. Hold it, cook it again until the core reaches 75 °C or more, measure again and record the new reading. Do not pack it before that.
2. Name one biological, one chemical and one physical hazard in a bakery.
Biological: Salmonella in raw egg. Chemical: cleaning liquid left on a tray, or an allergen such as nuts. Physical: a metal piece from a broken blade.
3. Why is a metal detector before packing a CCP?
It is the last step where metal pieces can be found and removed. After packing, no step can remove them.
4. A jam uses a preservative. Where must the factory show this?
On the label, in the ingredient list, by name or code number, and the amount must stay within the legal maximum.
Common mistakes
- Thinking additives are always bad. Approved additives in allowed amounts are safe.
- Washing hands only once in the morning. Wash every time you re-enter the clean area.
- Treating every step as a CCP. A CCP is a step where one control removes the hazard.
- Skipping records. If it is not written, HACCP cannot prove it was done.