CGMPs—The Building Blocks for HACCP
The Current Good Manufacturing Prac-
tices (CGMPs) regulations were promulgated
by the FDA to provide criteria for complying
with provisions of the Federal Food, Drug,
and Cosmetic Act, which mandates that all
human foods be free from adulteration.
Emphasis is placed on the prevention of
product contamination from direct and indi-
rect sources.
Good manufacturing practices are the
minimum sanitary and processing require-
ments necessary to ensure the production of
wholesome food. They are broad and general
in nature and can be used to explain tasks
that are part of many jobs. According to Chen
and Wang (2003), Good Manufacturing
Practices are usually written for each of the
following areas:
- Personnel. These practices include direc-
tion for disease control, cleanliness, edu-
cation and training, and supervision. - Buildings and facilities. The building
surrounding grounds, plant construc-
tion design, and sanitary operations are
included. - Equipment and utensils. All plant
equipment and utensils should be
designed of such a material and work-
manship that facilitate adequate clean-
ing and maintenance. - Production and process control. Sani-
tation practices for production-related
functions i.e. inspection, storage, and
cleaning of raw materials ingredients;
and procedures for processing opera-
tions. - Records and reports. Records should
include filing and maintaining for sup-
pliers, processing and production, and
distribution. - Defect action levels. These levels are
defect limits at which the FDA will take
action. The levels are set on the basis of
no hazards to health.- Miscellaneous. These include other
guidelines such as visitor rules.
Sanitation regulations promulgated by the
USDA contain identical or similar require-
ments. Included, is a summary of responsi-
bilities imposed on plant management
regarding plant personnel. Criteria for dis-
ease control, cleanliness (personal hygiene,
and dress requirements), education, and
training are provided. These requirements are
designed to prevent the spread of disease
among workers in the food processing area
and from workers to the food itself. A com-
petent supervisor should ensure compliance
by all personnel.
Good manufacturing practices should be
selected and adopted before HACCP is
implemented. Without the application of
CGMP principles, an effective HACCP pro-
gram cannot be conducted. Furthermore,
CGMPs must be applied in the development
of sanitation standard operating procedures
(SSOPs). Compliance with specific CGMPs
should be included as part of an HACCP
program for meat and poultry plants, as
CGMP regulations and the USDA sanita-
tion regulations address some biological,
chemical, and physical hazards associated
with food production. A CGMP compliance
program should contain documented plans
and procedures.
Good manufacturing practices and SSOPs
are interrelated and an important part of
process control. CGMPs are the minimum
sanitary and processing requirements neces-
sary to ensure the production of wholesome
food. The areas that should be addressed
through CGMPs are personnel hygiene and
other practices, buildings and facilities,
equipment and utensils, and production and
process controls. CGMPs should be broad in
nature.The Role of HACCP in Sanitation 105