Hazard Analysis and Control in Food

Definition of food hazards

Hazard

These refer to factors or agents that have the potential to cause damage or compromise food safety and quality. Such factors include biological, chemical, and physical hazards. They can enter food through various means. Once these factors or agents are not controlled or eliminated, the food can become toxic and pose a threat to human health.

Raw material production and processing procedures

The cultivation and breeding processes of raw materials (agricultural and sideline products) are contaminated (by pesticide residues, veterinary drug residues, heavy metals, etc.).

Improper control of raw material storage processes (deterioration, pest infestation)

Improper control of the raw material processing procedure (microorganisms, foreign objects)

Supplier intentionally adds unsafe substances (purchase price)

Reasons for improper control of the production process

Personnel hygiene management (personal hygiene, attire, and health certificates for on-site operations).
Equipment cleaning: Regular cleaning of surface tanks and oil tanks (for microorganisms, dirt, foreign objects, and pests).
Process Control Management (microorganisms, foreign objects, and excessive addition of food additives).
Production environment: Workshop enclosure control (pests, foreign objects, rodent infestations).
Normal sampling cannot effectively control product defects and safety and health hazards caused by non-uniform distribution.

Our work

Food Microbiology and Basic Knowledge for Preventing Foreign Object Contamination

The main pathways of bacterial contamination in food
Through water pollution: The presence of a large number of microorganisms in water indicates that the water has been contaminated by bacteria. If food is processed using such water, it will become contaminated as well.
Through air pollution: Microorganisms in the air attach to food as dust particles fly or settle.
Contamination via humans and animals: When people come into contact with food, bacterial contamination of food is most commonly caused by hands.
Through contamination by utensils: All utensils used in food preparation have the potential to serve as vectors for bacterial contamination of food, and utensils with rough surfaces tend to become contaminated to a greater extent.

Preventive measures

Strengthen management

Hygiene Management for Food Transportation and Storage: Thoroughly clean and disinfect before use, and ensure dust-proof, heat-proof, and corrosion-resistant treatment.
Production hygiene: Establish sound and standardized hygiene protocols to ensure that the production environment—including air, equipment and facilities, and tools—is hygienic, and that personnel operations comply with hygiene requirements.
Personal hygiene: Develop good hygiene habits, keep your work uniform and hat neat and clean, and undergo regular health checkups.
Hygiene of raw and auxiliary materials and packaging materials: Use qualified raw and auxiliary materials as well as packaging materials, and ensure that no deterioration or cross-contamination occurs during transportation, storage, and use.

Fungicide

Iodine: It is a potent bactericidal agent. An iodine tincture, prepared by dissolving 3-7% iodine in 70-83% ethanol, is an effective disinfectant for skin and minor wounds. Iodine is generally used topically.
Chlorine or chloride: This is one of the most widely used types of disinfectants. When chlorine combines with water, it produces hypochlorous acid (HClO). Hypochlorous acid readily decomposes to release nascent oxygen, a powerful oxidizing agent that exerts a destructive effect on microorganisms.

Anti-corrosion: Methods used to prevent or inhibit the growth and reproduction of bacteria are referred to as preservation or bacteriostasis. Chemical substances employed for preservation are called preservatives. Certain chemical agents act as preservatives at low concentrations but become disinfectants at higher concentrations. KMnO4
Sterile: Refers to the absence of any living bacteria. Methods employed to prevent or eliminate the entry of all microorganisms into an animal’s body or objects are known as aseptic techniques. When these aseptic techniques are applied, the procedure is called aseptic technique. During surgical operations or bacteriological experiments, strictly aseptic techniques are required to prevent bacterial contamination.
Disinfection: Physical or chemical methods can only kill pathogenic bacteria on objects, but may not completely eliminate non-pathogenic bacteria, as well as bacterial spores and vegetative cells. This process is called disinfection. The agents used for disinfection are referred to as disinfectants.

Endogenous food	Foreign objects in food	Exogenous food
Substances that are inherently present in the product’s raw materials or excipients but are required to be removed from the product are referred to as endogenous foreign substances—for example, bones in meat or vegetable roots in vegetables.		Substances that were not originally part of the product’s raw materials or excipients but have inadvertently ended up in the product are referred to as exogenous foreign objects, such as metals, glass, hair, weeds, flying insects, and chemical contaminants. Endogenous substances and exogenous foreign substances are relative, not absolute.

The Dangers of Foreign Objects in Food

There are safety hazards, such as metallic foreign objects of appropriate size, shards of glass, wood chips, pebbles, and bones, which could damage customers’ teeth or scratch or trap themselves in customers’ mouths and throats. Additionally, foreign objects containing chemicals or foods directly contaminated by chemicals may cause discomfort or even poisoning in humans.
There is a hygiene risk: hair, flying insects, and other unclean foreign objects can get mixed into the product, leading to microbial contamination.
There is a potential quality issue. Even if the aforementioned safety and hygiene hazards do not exist—meaning there are no safety risks and foreign objects were already mixed in before heating, and the heating process has already sterilized them—any trace of foreign matter being inadvertently introduced would still leave consumers with an unpleasant sensation, making them feel uncomfortable and dissatisfied.
 

Sources and Prevention of Foreign Objects in Food

Preventing the contamination by foreign objects requires a combination of hardware and management measures. It is essential to fully consider various factors and their combined effects, with prevention taking the lead, in order to minimize the likelihood of contamination to the greatest extent possible.

Safety and hygiene management requirements that must be followed in food production

Personal health and illness

When you feel unwell—such as experiencing a cold, cough, vomiting, or diarrhea—you must report to the workshop supervisor and act according to the supervisor’s instructions.
When you sustain a hand injury, immediately report to the workshop supervisor, handle the corresponding products, machinery, and tools, and determine whether you can continue working based on the situation.
Individuals suffering from the following injuries or illnesses must not continue to engage in food production:
Jaundice; diarrhea; vomiting; fever; sore throat accompanied by fever; visible skin lesions from infection (such as burns, cuts, etc.); discharge from the ears, eyes, or nose.

Personal Health Management

• Pay attention to personal hygiene—take frequent showers, get haircuts regularly, keep your nails trimmed, and change your clothes and bedding frequently.
• Do not bring personal belongings into the workshop—during work, do not wear watches, necklaces, brooches, or other jewelry, and do not apply makeup.
• It is strictly prohibited to drink alcohol before starting work. During working hours, smoking, eating, or engaging in any other activities that may compromise food hygiene is strictly forbidden in the workshop or changing rooms.
• Spitting, sneezing, or coughing toward food or food-contact surfaces is strictly prohibited within the workshop (including the area surrounding the workshop).
• Do not wear work clothes or shoes when leaving the workshop or entering the restroom.
• Use the restroom strictly according to the prescribed procedure: remove work clothes and shoes → put on restroom slippers → enter the restroom → wash and disinfect hands → change back into work clothes.

Workwear Management

The correct way to wash your hands

Rinse thoroughly with running water to ensure complete removal of detergent and prevent any residue. Spray with 75% alcohol for disinfection, thereby preventing recontamination during the hand-drying process. Reminder: After washing your hands, absolutely avoid touching or handling anything indiscriminately to prevent further contamination.

Precautions for hygiene

• Fully understand the difference between contaminated areas and non-contaminated areas.
• Equipment and tools that have been contaminated must be cleaned and disinfected before they can be used again.
• When going to the restroom during work, follow the prescribed procedures.
• You should not continue working after your hands have come into contact with hair, your nose, or other sources of contamination.
• Regularly clean, disinfect, and sanitize tools and equipment as scheduled.
• Do not wipe your hands on your work clothes.
• Fully consider and proactively prevent potential foreign-object hazards posed by raw materials and their packaging.
• Products that have been heated or cooled should not be left at room temperature for extended periods.
• To avoid contact with raw materials, raw materials, semi-finished products, and finished products must be stored in separate areas and must not be mixed.
• When an abnormality is detected in a product, immediately halt production and report it to the person in charge.

Precautions after completing the work

• Confirm that any unused raw materials and excipients have been disposed of in accordance with regulations.
• Confirm that equipment, devices, and tools have been cleaned and disinfected and are placed in the designated locations.
• When a change in location occurs, be sure to inform people of the necessary precautions in advance.
• Clean the workshop according to regulations and keep it tidy.

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