process control in smallgoods manufacture for smes · factory layout and operation (gmps and ssops)...

Process control in smallgoods manufacture for SMEs

Steve Bonney and John Sumner

Process control

Two aspects:

1. Control process for product quality (appearance, odour, taste) STEVE

2. Control process for food safety (HACCP) JOHN

Modules we’ll cover

1. Basic unit operations: Ingredient addition, cutting/grinding/emulsifying, cooking, cooling, packing

2. Basics of HACCP: Hazards, Critical Control Points (CCPs), Critical Limits (CLs)

3. Low risk smallgoods: products consumed after cooking

4. High risk products: ready to eat smallgoods

Smallgoods resources

Coming soon

Long Huynh <[email protected]>

Controlling smallgoods processing

1. Process control – validation and verification of each process

2. Factory layout and operation (GMPs and SSOPs)3. Cleandown – trained staff, effective equipment/chemicals4. Microbiological monitoring of environment and product5. Interventions which give reductions in pathogens6. Ingredients to prevent growth of L. monocytogenes7. Sanitary slicing and packing8. Post-process pasteurisation in-pack (thermal and non-

thermal)

There are a number of unit operations which are common to making all categories of smallgoods:

1.Size reduction of meat and fat – grinding – particle size

2.Emusifying – combining fat and meat into a smooth paste

3.Ingredient addition – colour, flavour, texture, food safety, shelf life

4.Filling into casings

5.Temperature control – cooking, cooling, storage

Unit operations combined into a process flow diagram

Module 1: Unit operations

Unit operations

Raw materials

Brining

Ingredient addition*

Cooking* Fermenting

Cooling* Maturing

Slicing/packing

Comminuting

Filling

Curing salts

Nitrite is a chemical hazard – important not to put in too muchCCPs:• Use premix• Weigh in isolation – no distraction – trained person needed• Use nitrite register

Nitrite is also necessary to inhibit germination of ClostridiumAdd so that it’s as close as possible to125ppm after cooking

Process control for consistency

• Preparation of brine -Accurate mixing of ingredients using calibrated scales• Mixing of brine -Curing mix first, salt lastWater temperature: Less than 5° during pumping =

ideally < 2° atmixing

Brine ingredients precisely measured and mixed


• Injection method hand pump or machine, pumping cycles

• Injection rate: green weight, pumped weight

• Product temperature: • < 5° at all times


• Injection rateMust meet target %Starting weight/pumped weightPumping pressure


Evenly cured pork loin

Un cured pork loin


• Massaging/restingHelps with:Cure distributionMechanical massage action activates proteins to assist in muscle bindingResting time/holding cure approx. 48 h at 33% strengthCured product should be protected from light


• Comminuting

• Temperature of product means clean cut & less protein damage

• Machine maintenance sharp blades & plates


Correct mixing time and ingredient addition to activate proteins and achieve:• Solid bind• Uptake of water &

ingredients• Correct texture

Typical mincer/mixer


• FillingCorrect filling techniques ensure:Consistent size/weight

Less oxygen in product

Better casing yield

More visually appealing


• Poor filling technique results in:

Shorter shelf lifeInconsistent sizeLess casing yieldLess visually appealing


• CookingImportant steps for consistency are:ReddeningDryingSmokingSteamingCore temperature

Cooking kills target bacteria and changes meat into food

Australian Standard stipulates 65°C/10 min or an equivalent process at a higher and lower temperature

Cooking

Hams cooked in smoker oven

Cooking

Australian Standard specifies 65°C/10min or equivalent heating at the site of microbiological control

Site of microbiological concern is where bacteria are located:• Entire muscle - bacteria are only on outside (can cook an

unpumped roast “rare”)• Injected muscle, comminuted sausages - bacteria are also

at slowest heating point Validate cooking (one time/worst case) using data logger and

probeVerify each batch using gauge or probeWorst case means items of largest diameter

Cooling

Australian Standard specifies 2-stage process for cured and uncured meats (13.15)

Stage Cured Uncured52-12°C 7.5h 6h12-5°C 24h after cooking 24h after cookingValidate process (one time/worst case) using data loggerVerify each batch by monitoring chiller gaugeWorst case means big items (Mortadella, leg hams) during

peak production – when chiller is flat outNote – you won’t be able to achieve 12-5°C time for large

items – working party examining alternatives

Cooling

• Rapid reduction in core temperature is vital for the control of target bacteria

• Initial product hosing

• Hose, rest, hose, rest

• Exhaust on during initial cooling

• Reducing the potential to re-contaminate• When to transfer to the chiller

Slicing and vacuum packing

Difficult to keep Listeria out of slicing and packing

John will cover this in detail

Slicing and packing

Module 2: HACCP revisited

1. Hazards and risks – what’s the difference?2. Key hazards

– Bacteria– Allergens– Preservatives (nitrite, sulphur dioxide)

Appendix in Guidelines deals with each target bacterium in detail

Hazards and risks

HazardAgent which has bad effects on consumers• Biological – bacteria, viruses• Chemical – preservatives, allergens• Physical – metal, plastic

RiskMix of Severity of the hazard plus Likelihood it will occur

For every hazard we need a Critical Control Point (CCP) and a Critical Limit (CL)

CCPs and CLs

1. A CCP is defined as:

2. A step or operation where the hazard is prevented, eliminated or reduced to an acceptable level

3. A Critical Limit is the boundary at which the hazard is controlled

Bacteria on surface of meat

Bacteria on a stainless steel surface

Bacteria are major hazards

How do bacteria grow?

Module 3 – low risk products

Low-risk products

Low risk products

CCPs, CLs for low-risk

Risk is very low because these products are almost always well cooked

Module 4: high risk products

Two big problems in UK show us what can go wrong

Scottish butcher of the year to Scottish murderer of the year

Cases are described in the Smallgoods Guidelines

Module 4: high risk products

Cured, cooked meats

• Country Product Pathogen Cases

• Aus 1981 Salami Salmonella >300, 1 death

• Aus 1995 Mettwurst E. coli O111 >20, 1 death

• Aus 1997 Cooked meats Salmonella >900, 3 deaths

• Aus 2005 Corned beef Listeria 3 deaths

Target bacteria

Bacterium Source Control

Clostridium Raw meat Chilling regimeperfringens

E. coli Raw meat Process

Salmonella Raw meat Process

Listeria Environment Factory hygieneand traffic

CCPs

For most cured, cooked smallgoods there are CCPs which are common to each process:

• Curing – addition of curing salts• Cooking – Listeria cook• Cooling – Australian Standard

Listeria monocytogenes

Environmental pathogen – likes damp, cold places (chillers, aircon units)

Can move around plant on people, traffic and in drains

Can grow under refrigeration

Grows in long shelf-life smallgoods such as deli meats, pate, franks

Controls:

Cooking process (65C/10 min or equivalent) is a CCP

Chilled storage is not a CCP but is important in slowing it down

GMPs/SSOPs vital

Listeria - the bug from hell

Each year 50-60 cases reported in AustraliaLikely that there are 100-120 cases

Vulnerable groups are affected:• Young (< 30 days old)• Old (>60 years)• Pregnant• Immunocompromised

20-30% of cases result in death

Listeria - the bug from hell

• Tenacious - can colonise butcher shops

• Salt-tolerant - well suited to growing in cured products

• Grows in vacuum packs and MAPs

• Grows at refrigeration temperatures

• Can increase 10-fold in a week if we have 1 present at packing, how many will we have after 42 days?

• Infectious dose – how many will make you ill?

Clostridium

Makes spores which survive cooking and can grow quickly during cooling.

Is anaerobic – can only grow when oxygen is absent

Centre of meat and sausages which have been cooked is anaerobic

CCPs:

Nitrite to prevent spores germinating

Rapid cooling from 50-25°C

Sliced meats

Sliced RTE meats

Recontamination

Recontamination is the big problem in controlling Listeria

Especially difficult in retail butchers because front and back doors let the bug enter

Once in the shop it can colonise surfaces and equipment

Ways that butchers can reduce the risk include:

• Separating slicing and packing in time (e.g. Monday first thing)

• Super clean of slicer and vacuum packer

• Clean clothing and gloves

• Use antimicrobials on surfaces and on product

Read a lot more in the Guidelines

UCFM

• Very complicated products

• History of problems in Australia

• Garibaldi outbreak – 150 ill

22 seriously, one died

• Problems due to poor fermenting or drying of product

• Now mandatory to use starter cultures which work

• Standard 4.2.3 also spells out the hoops manufacturers need to jump through

The Garibaldi Incident

More than 20 children in SA seriously injured after eating Mettwurst

Standard 4.2.3

Australian Meat Standard 4.2.3 says UCFM must be manufacturedby a process which:

(a) has been verified and audited to ensure the number of Escherichia coli organisms in the final UCFM comply with the microbiological limits in Standard 1.6.1 in this Code

n c m ME. coli/g 5 1 3.6 9.2Salmonella/25g 5 0 0

(b) demonstrates that the production process handles the variations of Escherichia coli contamination in the ingoing raw meat ingredients.

Garibaldi outbreak led to heating CFM

Process similar to UCFM - fermenting (starters) and maturing

Cooking step is 65°C/10 minutes at the centre, or an equivalent process

Cooking done after fermenting and before maturing

Cooking is a CCP

Smallgoods are difficult to make.

Safely

Especially UCFM

Smallgoods Guidelines is a great resource for trainers

Two useful tools described for helping make sliced RTE meats

and judging whether a UCFM process meets Standard 4.2.3

Final thoughts

process control in smallgoods manufacture for smes · factory layout and operation (gmps and ssops)...

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