Bloom’s Taxonomy: LV, LVI
Definition
- LI. Remembering: Exhibit memory of previously learned material by recalling facts, terms, basic concepts and answers.
- LII. Understanding: Demonstrate understanding of facts and ideas by organizing, comparing, translating, interpreting, giving descriptions and stating main ideas.
- LIII. Applying: Solve problems in new situations by applying acquired knowledge, facts, techniques and rules in a different way.
- LIV. Analyzing: Examine and break information into parts by identifying motives or causes. Make inferences and find evidence to support generalizations.
- LV. Evaluating: Present and defend opinions by making judgments about information, validity of ideas, or quality of work based on a set of criteria.
- LVI. Creating: Compile information together in a different way by combining elements in a new pattern or proposing alternative solutions.
Topic Description
Pre-requisite Program, as defined by International Standard Organization (ISO), is the basic conditions and activities necessary to maintain a hygienic environment throughout the food chain which are suitable for the production, handling and provision of safe end products and safe food for human consumption. There are a wide variety of PRP(s) depending on the product and process. PRPs are often described based on the sectors of the industry such as Good Agricultural Practice (GAP), Good Veterinarian Practice (GVP), Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), Good Hygienic Practice (GHP), Good Production Practice (GPP), Good Distribution Practice (GDP), and Good Trading Practice (GTP). This topic provides managers with the knowledge and skills to develop, establish, implement, and maintain continual improvements of PRP(s) in primary and secondary production. It also describes the roles of managers in identifying the statutory and regulatory requirements related to the company’s product and process.
Learning Objectives
LO1. Select the appropriate Pre-Requisite Programs (PRPs) based on the organization needs.
When selecting the PRP system to be developed, managers must consider certain points to choose the appropriate PRP which answers the needs of the operation and the nature of the products being manufactured and/or handled.
Detailed Competencies = Performance indicators include but are not limited to:
- P1. Identify the appropriate PRP based on the size and type of the operation and the nature of the products being manufactured and/or handled.
- P2. Identify the PRP needed based on the statutory and regulatory requirements related to the organization’s activities, customer requirements, recognized guidelines, Codes Alimentarius Commission principles and codes of practices, national, international or sector standards.
- P3. Set the scope of the PRP which identify where the PRP to be implemented, whether across the entire production system, or as programs applicable in general or as programs applicable to
- a particular product or operational line.
- P4. Make sure the PRP programs cover the following:
- a. Water, Ice Safety, and steam
- b. Allergen Control
- c. Glass and brittle material control
- d. Supplier approval program
- e. Receiving, Shipping Control
- f. Storage in dry, cooling, and freezer
- g. Chemicals storage control
- h. Calibration
- i. Premises location and infrastructure
- j. Drainage system
- k. Wood Control
- l. Traceability, withdrawal, and recall program
- m. Internal Audit
- n. Food defense
- o. Food Fraud
- p. Crisis Management
- q. Transportation
- r. Maintenance
- s. Label Approval and pack control
- t. Weighing
- u. Service provider approval
LO2. Create the various administrative components of the Pre-Requisite Programs.
Establishing PRP(s) assists in controlling the likelihood of introducing food safety hazards to the product through the work environment. It prevents cross contamination between products and controls the food safety hazard levels in the product and product processing environment. PRP(s) can be a stand-alone program or a prerequisite to the implementation of food safety management systems such as Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP), Preventive Control Plan (PCP) or others.
Detailed Competencies = Performance indicators include but are not limited to:
- P1. Identify the resources needed to develop PRPs when implementing HACCP, PCP or other food safety management programs.
- P2. Create a document master system to organize the PRPs.
- P3. Design a template and framework for each PRPs.
- P4. Write PRPs for the comprehensive environmental risks within the facility or modify PRP templates form a relevant food processing authority to meet the requirements within the facility.
- P5. Communicate the standard required to staff.
- P6. Train and motivate staff to ensure their competence to implement the PRPs and produce safe food.
- P7. Provide effective supervision.
- P8. Monitor, verify and perform corrective action based on the PRPs.
- P9. Perform continuous improvement on PRPs and track improvements within a change log.
LO3. Evaluate the premises design and facilities infrastructure relationship to food hygiene and the control of hazards.
To ensure food safety, managers examine the requirements of good hygienic design, lay-out of buildings, construction, including appropriate siting, workplace, employee facilities, supplies of air, water, energy, and other utilities, as well as waste and sewage disposal.
Detailed Competencies = Performance indicators include but are not limited to:
- P1. Identify potential sources of contamination related to the building siting, building lay-out, design and construction, workplace facilities, employee facilities, and associated utilities.
- P2. Identify risk of cross contamination between and during operations of food.
- P3. Identify the employee flow, product flow, waste and other flow as needed.
- P4. Establish procedures to study ventilation and air quality.
- P5. Establish procedures to manage the supplies such as water, air steam, ice, etc.
- P6. Establish requirements for construction materials and non-food chemicals.
- P7. Establish procedures to ensure the safety of the supporting services, including waste management and sewage disposal.
LO4. Create procedures to manage purchasing, receiving, storing, and handling of incoming materials as well as storing and transporting the final products.
Managers should create procedures to manage the factors affecting the control of hazards in the purchasing, receiving, storing, and handling of incoming materials (e.g., raw materials, chemicals, and packaging), as well as storing and transporting of the final products.
Detailed Competencies = Performance indicators include but are not limited to:
- P1. Develop the incoming material procedure which include the requirements for purchasing, receiving, and storing of received goods.
- a. Procedure should include written specification for ingredients, a provision for compliance with the food law, certificate of analysis, quality control actions, and sampling for frequent analysis.
- P2. Develop procedures for receiving, storing, shipping, and transporting of the final products.
- P3. Design monitoring procedures to be used by supervisors.
- P4. Develop record keeping policies.
LO5. Establish equipment preventive maintenance program.
Establishing an effective preventive maintenance program for equipment is critical for food safety and also contributes to the continuous functioning of equipment.
Detailed Competencies = Performance indicators include but are not limited to:
- P1. Design and develop a preventive maintenance program that covers all equipment used in the facility.
- P2. Create a maintenance and calibration schedule.
- P3. Design monitoring procedures to be used by supervisors.
- P4. Develop record keeping policies.
- P5. Provide occupational health and safety training for staff.
- P6. Establish environmental monitoring procedure.
- P7. Evaluate continually the suitability and effectiveness of the preventive maintenance program.
LO6. Design cleaning and sanitizing program.
Cleaning and sanitizing program should ensure that all parts of the facility and equipment are appropriately clean. Managers should be continually and effectively evaluating the suitability and effectiveness of the cleaning and sanitizing program.
Detailed Competencies = Performance indicators include but are not limited to:
- P1. Choose the chemical supplier and identify the appropriate chemicals and cleaning techniques to be used.
- P2. Design and develop cleaning and sanitation procedures.
- P3. Develop a master cleaning and sanitation schedule for all contact and non-contact surfaces including drains within the facility.
- P4. Identify the maximum and minimum limits of each cleaning chemical, contact time, temperature, and frequency of testing of the chemical concentration and quality.
- P5. Design monitoring procedures to be used by supervisors.
- P6. Design and develop verification procedure for cleaning to be used by managers and or supervisors.
- P7. Develop record keeping policies for sanitation programs.
- P8. Provide health and safety training for staff, including WHMIS training.
- P9. Identify the PPE required in chemical handling (such as goggles, gum boot, apron, coverall, and rubber gloves).
- P10. Establish chemical spillage procedure and spillage kits to handle any spillage.
- P11. Create a chemical inventory system to monitor the chemical supply and usage.
- P12. Establish environmental monitoring procedure to measure the efficiency of cleaning and sanitizing program.
- P13. Evaluate continually the suitability and effectiveness of the cleaning and sanitizing program.
- P14. Establish Pre-Op Inspection that identifies the areas, and equipment to be cleaned.
- P15. Design training materials for the cleaners and supervisors and evaluate their competencies periodically.
LO7. Design pest control program.
Pests pose a major threat to the safety and suitability of food. Pest infestations can occur where there are breeding sites and a supply of food. A pest control program should be designed to avoid creating an environment conducive to pests and limit the need for pesticides. Managers should have the competencies to design and develop pest control program according to the facility needs and to the regulations.
Detailed Competencies = Performance indicators include but are not limited to:
- P1. Create a pest control program for the plant.
- P2. Manage pest access sites and eliminate potential breeding sites.
- P3. Establish monitoring and detection procedures.
- P4. Create eradication plan where treatment with chemical, physical, or biological agents is needed and must be carried out without posing a threat to the safety or suitability of food.
- P5. Define a facility map showing the locations of pest control devices for monitoring and verification activities.
- P6. Have the pest controller licensed by the provincial govt. and if the pest control is contracted to 3rd party, and the 3rd party must be licensed as well.
- P7. Ensure that the agreement with the 3rd party licensed company have the scope that covers all pests possible in the facility.
- P8. Create the forms that is used to log the monthly / biweekly inspection and treatment which logs any pest sighting, amount of pesticide consumption with the concentration, time, and date.
- P9. Create overall annual assessment by pest expert to develop strategies with pest eradication.
- P10. Create and graph trends for each type of pest vs the time o the year and the concentration used.
LO8. Establish the personnel hygiene requirements in preventing contamination of food and foster a food safety culture within the organization.
Managers should establish the personnel hygiene requirements to ensure that those who come directly or indirectly into contact with food are not likely to contaminate food. Food handlers must maintain an appropriate degree of personal cleanliness and behave and operate in appropriate manner. Managers play an important role in building food safety culture and inspiring compliance.
Detailed Competencies = Performance indicators include but are not limited to:
- P1. Define and provide personal hygiene requirements such as handwashing, clothing, footwear and protectives coverings, personal cleanliness, personal conduct, personal objects, and substances.
- a. Specify the Personal hygiene requirements (hand washing is after washroom, handling raw foods, touching face, and others)
- b. Protective clothing must include hair net, beard net, gloves (if working in open product area), protective cloth disposable or washed cleaned by approved 3rd party laundry, and footwear.
- c. For High-risk facility type produces high risk products, masks to cover the mouth, and footwear sanitizers must be dedicated to that area.
- P2. Create a health status policy to include reporting of transmissible health conditions, communicable disease, and lesions.
- a. Design a protocol when an employee working in a food business becomes ill with communicable disease.
- b. Reinforce protocols such as cleaning and sanitation measures, sanitizing surfaces and high-touch points, educating staff on cross contamination and how to protect themselves and the products, hand washing, sanitizing hands when handing out documents and other material, etc.
- c. Develop bandaging and injury covering policies.
- P3. Develop a culture of food safety within the organization.
- a. Create a culture change in terms of food hygiene and safety.
- b. Embrace food safety and engage all the teams from all departments.
- c. Increase staff retention by embracing food safety culture which improves staff morale, engages staff at all levels, increases capacity and productivity and organization’s profitability.
- d. Consider the use of anonymous food safety survey to have better understanding of the food safety culture. Base the management actions and training on the survey feedback.
- e. Use one of the following: a box, an e-mail, or phone number that any employee can use to report food safety concerns.
- P4. Provide training and ensure competency.
- a. Identify the necessary competencies for personnel whose activities have an impact on food safety.
- b. Create a training program or take other action to ensure personnel have the necessary competencies.
- c. Ensure that personnel responsible for monitoring, corrections and corrective actions of the food safety management system are well trained.
- d. Evaluate the implementation and the effectiveness of training program implemented or other actions taken.
- e. Maintain records of training and actions taken.
LO9. Establish process control, control of operation and other measures for the prevention of cross contamination.
Managers should have the competencies to address factors affecting the control of hazards and design and develop process control and control of operation to ensure the safety of food. This includes the control of incoming materials, packaging, labelling, recall procedures, as well as supervising and managing activities.
Detailed Competencies = Performance indicators include but are not limited to:
- P1. Design and develop process control procedures.
- P2. Design and develop control of operation procedures, including product formulation, food additive, nutritional requirements, allergen control, additive uses, foreign material control, product preparation and finalization.
- P3. Develop product labelling and identify the type of information that should be provided to consumers regarding the safe handling of foods.
- P4. Establish traceability, recall procedures, biosecurity, and other procedures as needed and appropriate.
- P5. Design monitoring procedures to be used by supervisors.
- P6. Evaluate continually the suitability and effectiveness of the preventive maintenance program.
LO10. Design verification procedures and continual improvement of PRP(s).
Managers should establish a periodic verification of PRP(s) to evaluate the suitability and effectiveness of the program/standard.
Detailed Competencies = Performance indicators include but are not limited to:
- P1. Create verification procedures of PRP(s).
- P2. Evaluate the implementation and the effectiveness of the PRP(s).
- P3. Create a training program or take other action to ensure personnel have the necessary competencies to implement the PRP(s).
- P4. Maintain records of verification and modifications of the PRP(s).
- P5. Identify areas for continual improvement of the PRP(s).
LO11. Create the various components of the Pre-Requisite Programs in the Primary Production Sector.
Managers should be able to develop PRPs to manage potential hazards associated with the primary production of agricultural products including meat, poultry, eggs, milk, grains, fruits and vegetables and seafood. They also should be able to align the company’s work to meet the governments and regulation requirements.
Detailed Competencies = Performance indicators include but are not limited to:
- P1. Choose the use of areas where the environment does not pose a threat to the safety of food.
- P2. Design programs to control contamination, pest and diseases of animals and plants in such way as not to pose a threat to food safety.
- a. Control contamination from air, soil, water, feedstuffs, fertilizers, pesticides, veterinary drugs, or any other agent used in primary production.
- b. Control plant and animal health so that it does not pose a threat to human health through food, consumption, or adversely affect the suitability of the product.
- c. Protect food sources from fecal contamination, and soil and water that may have fecal contamination.
- P3. Develop practices and measures to ensure food is produced under appropriately hygienic conditions; this includes handling, storage, and transport of food.
- a. Develop good practices documents.
- b. Design procedures to sort food and food ingredients and separate between food that are fit from unfit for human consumption.
- c. Create procedures to protect food from contamination during handling, storage, and transport.
- d. Dispose of any rejected material in a hygienic manner.
- P4. Create cleaning, maintenance, and personnel hygiene programs.
- a. Ensure that all necessary cleaning and maintenance is carried out effectively.
- b. Maintain an appropriate degree of personal hygiene.
- c. Train employees periodically on PRP procedures.
- P5. Improve compliance with the regulatory requirements for primary production including regulation of pesticides and veterinary drugs.
- a. Identify areas of noncompliance.
- b. Establish procedures for monitoring through sampling of food products for pesticide residues and veterinary drugs or others as needed.
- c. Communicate periodically with regulatory authority/authorities for implementing inspection programs and laboratory analysis.
Links to existing courses
NA
Approved Accredited Training Programs (Academic, Industries, Private Trainer)
NA
Recognition of worker skills = Certification
NA
Evaluation technics / assessment
- Quizzes
- Written tests
- Multiple choice questions
