Good Manufacturing Practices
Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) or Pre-requisite Programs are the basic operational and environmental conditions required to produce safe foods. They ensure that ingredients, products and packaging materials are handled safely and that food products are processed in a suitable environment.
GMPs address the hazards associated with personnel and the environment during food production. They provide a foundation for any food safety system. Once GMPs are in place, processors can implement a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) system to control hazards that may affect the ingredients and packaging material during food processing.
GMPs Address
- Personnel Practices
- Shipping, Receiving, Handling and Storage
- Sanitation
- Equipment Maintenance and Calibration
- Pest Control
- Recall
- Water Safety
- Environmental control (premises)
Components of GMPs
GMPs have two main components: written programs and implementation. Both are essential for the success of your food safety system.
- Written programs are all the policies and procedures required to meet the standards listed in each GMP program. These include:
- policies and procedures (ex: standard operating procedures (SOPs) (PDF 251KB) )
- sanitation standard operating procedures (SSOPs)
- monitoring procedures
- record keeping (ex: how records are kept and handled)
- Implementation involves conducting the activities required to meet the standards and monitoring them.
Make sure the policies and procedures in your program are performed as described, you need to train your staff in these procedures. Ensure: - training involves everyone in the facility and meets all employees’ requirements
- training is recorded (ex: who was trained, by whom, date, type of training)
- staff is retrained when you modify your programs
To monitor your procedures:
- Review procedures and record your observations (ex: environmental controls checklist, monitor personnel practices).
- Review records to ensure they are completed properly and that appropriate corrective actions are documented.
- Inspect and test for effectiveness (ex: perform microbial testing on cleaned and sanitized food contact surfaces to check the effectiveness of your cleaning and sanitizing procedures).
Where to Start
- Ensure commitment: GMP implementation requires effort and commitment from upper management and/or owner of the company. Confirm the dedication of time and resources for the program.
- Obtain resources: As you start developing and implementing your GMPs you may require the technical knowledge and expertise of a food safety consultant (PDF 200KB).
- Write your programs.
- Implement your programs.
- Validate your GMPs.
