Karoo Meat of Origin standard:

Wholesaler/ Retailer

Wholesaler/ Retailer Standard

Index:

  1. Introduction
  2. General

a)Certificate of Acceptability

b)Management Responsibility

  1. Facilities & premises

a)Design and facilities

b)Personnel facilities, toilets and hand washing facilities

c)Site and premises – Butchery layout

  1. Services, equipment and utensils
  2. Control of Operation

a)Control of food hazards

b)Incoming raw material, packaging material and ingredients

c)Temperature control

d)Quality management

e)Corrective action

f)Recall

g)Traceability

h)Customer complaints

  1. Personnel hygiene and Protective clothing

a)Personnel hygiene and health

b)Visitors and protective clothing

  1. Cleaning and sanitation
  2. Laboratory testing
  3. Maintenance
  4. Waste management
  5. Pest control
  6. Storage
  7. Transport
  8. Document control and specifications
  9. Legislation
  10. Non-conformance to specifications

The Certified Karoo Meat of Origin mark guarantees the origin, flavour and quality of Karoo meat. Only certified meat shall be purchased and processed and sold as Karoo Meat of Origin.

  1. Introduction

This standard/ guideline is applicable to all Karoo Meat of Origin Wholesalers and retailers. It forms the foundation for other quality, safety, legal and hygiene standards. This standard is designed to be compatible with other more demanding food safety standards.

The content of the standard/ guideline has been developed keeping other standards and the South African legal requirements in mind.

All document numbers listed below reference to examples of documents that can be used. The document numbers are in Italics. Please see addendums.

  1. General

a)Certificate of Acceptability (R918)

The facility shall have a certificate of acceptability for the food premises in place and shall be displayed for the information of the public.

b)Management Responsibility

  1. Management shall be committed to implementing and maintaining the food safety and quality systems.
  2. Resources shall be provided to ensure its continued effectiveness. Management shall nominate members of staff to effectively maintain the system.
  1. Facilities & premises

a)Design and facilities

  1. The facility for handling and storing the meat products shall be designed and be suitable for handling food in accordance with R918.
  2. The facility shall be designed for handling food and shall not be used for any other purpose.
  3. It shall be designed so that it is easy to clean.
  4. It shall be designed so that environmental contaminants are prevented from entry e.g. dust, insects, rodents.
  5. All interior surfaces of the facility i.e. floors, walls, ceiling shall be made of smooth, rust-free, non-toxic, cleanable and non-absorbent material that is dust-proof and water resistant.
  6. Each area shall be effectively ventilated either by natural ventilation or artificial ventilation.
  7. The facility shall be effectively illuminated to at least 200 lux at food handling areas.
  8. All lights shall be shielded with covers to contain any breakage of light bulbs or tubes.
  9. The facility shall have wash-up facilities with hot and cold water for the cleaning of the facility.
  10. Floor drainage shall be in place to ensure effective cleaning of the facility. The drains shall be capable of meeting the demands of processing so that there is no pooling of water on the floors.
  11. Drainage at wash basins shall alsobe capable of meeting the demands of processing. If necessary fat traps shall be fitted to be able to remove the fat from the waste water.

b)Personnel facilities, toilets and hand washing facilities

  1. The facility shall have hand wash basins with warm water for hand washing at 45°C.
  2. The taps at the hand wash basins should ideally not be hand operated but rather knee or foot operated.
  3. There shall be anti-bacterial hand soap available at the hand wash basin in a dispenser.
  4. Disposable paper towel shall be available for drying the hands after washing as well as a dustbin for the disposal of the paper.
  5. Hand sanitiser shall be available at the wash basin to apply hand sanitiser to the hands after washing.
  6. Sufficient toilets, urinals and hand wash basins shall be available for the number of staff on site. The general rule is 1 toilet to 10 personnel.
  7. Toilets may not ventilate in the production areas. There shall be a properly ventilated lobby between the toilets and production.
  8. A separate area for use as a staff canteen shall be available and shall not ventilate into the production areas.

c)Site and premises – Butchery layout

Ideal layout for butchery:

  1. Services, equipment and utensils

a)Calibration and verification of measuring equipment:

  1. All scales and thermometers shall be calibrated annually and calibration certificates shall be kept on file.
  2. Mass pieces used for the verification of scales shall be calibrated every two years and calibration certificates obtained. The mass pieces used for the verification of scales shall be a mass that is similar to the final mass of the product being weighed.
  3. Equipment shall be labelled with the calibration details.
  4. Monthly verification of the equipment is to be done on site and records kept.

b)Scale verification:

  1. Once a month the scales must be verified to ensure they are accurate.
  2. Calibrated mass pieces must be put on the scale and the weight recorded. All readings must be recorded on Doc no: BPR18. Any readings that are more than one division out must be reported to Management. All non-conformances must be recorded on the corrective action form, Doc no: BPR1, and the necessary action and follow up recorded.
  3. Management should send the scale to be calibrated by the company servicing the scales. The scale company is to supply a calibration certificate for the scale when it is returned.

c)Thermometer verification:

  1. The verification of the thermometer should be done monthly by using the ice point method.
  2. Ice Point Method:Fill a glass with crushed ice. Add clean cold tap water until the glass is half full and stir well.
  3. Put the probe of the thermometer into the glass. Ensure the sensing area of the thermometer is submerged in the ice water and stir the water and ice with the probe.
  4. Wait at least 30 seconds or until the indicator stops moving.
  5. Record the temperature on the indicator on the verification sheet, Doc no: BPR18.
  6. If the thermometer does not read between +1C and –1C it must be reported to Management. All non-conformances must be recorded on the corrective action form, Doc no: BPR1, and the necessary action and follow up recorded. Management should send the thermometer to the thermometer supplier to be calibrated. The company repairing the thermometer must supply a calibration certificate when returning the thermometer.

d)Fridge, freezer and truck gauges:

  1. Once a month the fridge, freezer and truck gauges must be verified by placing the calibrated thermometer, which has been verified at ice point, inside the fridge, freezer or truck and leaving it there for a few minutes until the indicator stops moving.
  2. The reading on the dial and the thermometer must be recorded on Doc no: BPR18. Should the readings be more than 1C apart it must be reported to management. All non-conformances must be recorded on the corrective action form, Doc no: BPR1, and the necessary action and follow up recorded.
  3. When the gauges are not accurate, an accredited company must calibrate the gauges and supply a calibration certificate.

e)Utensils & production equipment

  1. All tables and working surfaces where open product is handled shall be smooth, rust-free, non-toxic and non-absorbent material that is free of open joints and seams. All work surfaces should preferably be stainless steel.
  2. No wooden utensils or equipment may be used.
  3. No chipped or cracked utensils may be used.
  4. All equipment and utensils shall be clean before use.
  5. Single use items or utensils shall be stored in a dust-free container and only used once.
  1. Control of Operation

a)Control of food hazards

  1. Glass:

To prevent the contamination of the product with glass the following shall be adhered to in the butchery:

  1. No glass bottles or containers may be taken into the butchery.
  2. All lights shall be protected by plastic shielding in butchery.
  3. All UV fly killing equipment will be provided with plastic coated tubes.
  4. Window repair/ replacement will be carried out during non-production hours. Suitable screening will be devised to prevent the spread of glass splinters, shards etc. Staff carrying out the work will be briefed on the requirements necessary to satisfy this glass policy and prevent recontamination risks.
  5. Glass thermometers will not be used in the butchery.
  6. All persons shall be explained the glass policy and glass breakage procedure. Training records will be kept.
  7. Earthenware and china crockery will be restricted from the butchery.
  8. Glass and hard plastic checks shall be carried out daily checking all glass and hard plastic sites identified on the glass register. All findings will be documented on Doc. No.: BPR10and the necessary corrective action taken.
  9. If there is a glass/ brittle hard plastic incident the procedure set out in the document “Glass and hard plastic breakage procedure” will be followed in every detail.
  1. Glass breakage procedure:

In the event of any glass breakage or hard plastic breakage in raw material, production or storage areas, the following procedure must be followed:

  1. Production in the area must be stopped immediately.
  2. Management must be informed immediately.
  3. All product and packaging materials in the butchery must be isolated.
  4. All staff not needed to assist in cleaning up the glass should leave the area until all broken glass has been removed.
  5. On leaving the area staff shoes should be inspected to ensure that they are not contaminated with glass.
  6. A minimum number of cleaners should be used within butchery to pick up/ sweep up all glass fragments.
  7. Broken glass should be placed within a black bag.
  8. All brushes, dustpans and cloths used to clean up the glass should also be disposed of in the black bag.
  9. The black bag must be sealed and disposed of outside.
  10. The cleaners’ shoes should be inspected before leaving the area.
  11. The glass breakage clearance certificate, Doc. No.: BPR11, must be completed and signed off by Management.
  12. Special care must be taken to inspect and check that all food contact surfaces are free of glass.
  13. Any raw materials, packaging or work in progress which is judged to have been at risk should be rejected and destroyed.
  14. A sample of the glass should be retained on file as a reference.
  1. Blades:
  1. All knives and scissors used within the butchery are to be controlled to ensure that there are no metal chips missing from the blades.
  2. All knives and scissors are to be issued at the beginning of the shift and the condition on the blades inspected. Only blades that are intact are to be issued. Doc. No.: BPR12 is to be completed. At the end of the shift the blades are to be inspected again. All staff are to be trained to report any damage to the blades during the shift.
  3. Knives are to be sharpened regularly through the day. Knives are to be washed with sanitiser after sharpening the knives. At least every 30 minutes the knives are to be washed and sanitised or else a 2 knife system to be in place where a second sanitised knife is available for use every 30 minutes.
  1. Stationery:
  1. No stationary may be taken into the butchery except for a pen when needed.
  2. No staples, paper clips etc may be taken into the butchery.
  1. Cloths:
  1. No woven cloths may be used in the butchery as the fraying edges of the cloths pose a foreign object hazard.
  1. Wood:
  1. No wooden items/ utensils shall be used in the butchery.
  1. Allergens control:
  1. An allergen control policy shall be in place stating how allergens will be controlled in the butchery should any allergens be present in any of the raw materials used for boerewors, marinades etc.See addendum 2 at end of document for an example of a policy.
  2. The eight allergens to be managed as per the legislation are: Eggs, Cow’s milk, Soy, Wheat gluten, Nuts, Tree nuts, Fish, Shell fish.
  3. There are often allergens present in spice batch packs purchased so the raw material specifications are to be obtained from the supplier to determine the content of the spices.
  4. Where allergens are present the production needs to be planned around it. As a rule always handle the non-allergens first and then handle product with allergens afterwards.
  5. All utensils and equipment are to be thoroughly washed after handling allergens to remove any traces of allergens.
  6. All staff are to be properly trained on controlling allergens and records kept.
  7. All products are to be appropriately labelled to state which allergens are present in the product.

b)Incoming raw material, packaging material and ingredients

Receiving dry goods and packaging:

  1. All raw materials and packaging received must be recorded on the receiving checklist Doc. No.: BPR4 by the person receiving the raw materials.
  2. The truck must be inspected to ensure it is clean.
  3. The raw materials are to be visually inspected to check for quality and any signs of foreign body contamination or infestation e.g. check for rodent droppings, signs of weevils, broken glass etc.
  4. Record the date marking on the raw material, which would either be the date it was produced or the expiry date.
  5. Record if a Certificate of analysis or a Certificate of conformance is received with the delivery.
  6. Any problems noted must be reported to Management who must complete Doc. No.: BPR5, recording all the relevant information. The document must be faxed to the supplier. The supplier must investigate the problem and implement systems to ensure the raw material/ packaging adheres to the specification when received. The form is to be completed by the supplier and then faxed back.

Receiving carcasses:

  1. All carcasses received shall be recorded on Doc. No.: BPR4.1. Ten carcasses from each load are to be inspected and the findings recorded.
  2. All carcasses must be below 5C and must be rejected if above 6C. The deep leg temperature is to be taken for carcasses.
  3. All chilled products are to be delivered in refrigerated vehicle. The inside temperature of the truck is to be checked and recorded and must be below 5C.
  4. The truck must be inspected to ensure it is clean.
  5. The raw materials are to be visually inspected to check for quality and any signs of foreign body contamination or infestation e.g. check for rodent droppings, signs of weevils, broken glass etc.
  6. All carcasses received are to be inspected for: KMOO lamb mark, no contamination present i.e. faeces, skin/ hair, bruising, dried out carcasses, foreign matter, off smells or discolouration, offal present, visible spoilage or discoloured, cavity clean.
  7. Record the date marking on the raw material,which would be the slaughterdate and tracking number. For carcasses received the carcasses may not be older than 72 hours from slaughter.
  8. Record if a Certificate of analysis (COA) or a Certificate of conformance (COC) is received with the delivery. See Addendum3 for example of COC.
  9. Any problems noted must be reported to Management who must complete Doc. No.: BPR5, recording all the relevant information. The document must be faxed to the supplier. The supplier must investigate the problem and implement systems to ensure the raw material/ packaging adheres to the specification when received. The form is to be completed by the supplier and then faxed back.

c)Temperature control:

The following temperature parameters are to be followed:

Chilled:

  1. All carcasses to be stored in a carcass fridge. The fridge temperature is to be maintained at between 0°C and 5°C. Complete Doc. No.: BPR6.
  2. The processing area where the meat is cut and packed must be maintained at 12°C or below. Complete Doc. No.: BPR6.
  3. All loading and off-loading areas should be maintained at 12°C or below in order to maintain the cold chain of the meat during handling.
  4. The core temperature of the fresh, chilled meat shall at all times be maintained at or below 6°C during handling.

Frozen:

  1. When meat is placed in the freezer it should be frozen down to -12°C as quickly as possible. It is a legal requirement that it must be frozen to -12°C within 24 hours. The temperature of the meat should then be further brought down to -18°C within the next 12 hours but a total of 36 hours. Complete Doc. No.: BPR6.1.
  2. A blast freezer is recommended if the freezer is not capable of reducing the temperature of the meat down fast enough.
  3. The freezer should be maintained at <-18°C.

Taking temperatures:

  1. All chilling and freezing facilities shall be provided with a thermometer which at all times displays the temperature and shall be positioned for easy reading.
  2. To take a temperature reading of meat the thermometer needs to be switched on and the probe pushed inside the meat. For deep bone temperatures the probe must be pushed into the leg of the lamb. Once the indicator on the thermometer has settled on the temperature the reading can be taken.
  3. If the temperature needs to be taken on prepacked product the estimated temperature may be taken by placing the probe of the thermometer for at least one minute between the 2 packs and then the reading taken.
  4. To take a temperature reading of the air the thermometer needs to be switched on and left in the area for at least one minute until the indicator settles. The reading can then be taken.

d)Quality Management

  1. When the products are produced the quality of the product is to be monitored and recorded. Doc. No. BPR7 or BPR7.1 (for further processed product) is to be completed.
  2. Each product type produced on a certain day is to be monitored and recorded.
  3. The temperature of the product is to be monitored as per temperature guideline.
  4. The quality of the product is to be monitored against the specification of the product.
  5. The seal integrity of the pack is to be check by visual inspection to see that it is fully vacuumed and no air is leaking back into the pack.
  6. Random samples are to be kept and stored in the fridge / freezer depending if it is a chilled or frozen product. On the expiry date of the product it is to be assessed and findings noted on Doc. No.: BPR8.

e)Corrective action