record breaking numbers - Ontario Independent Meat Processors

[ Government Relations]
RECORD KEEPING AND FOOD SAFETY
In the meat business, it’s about producing safe food, day in and day out
By: Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA)
Ontario has one of the highest food safety
standards in all of Canada and meat
plants play a vital role in maintaining
our reputation of safe, high-quality meat
products. Record keeping is an important
part of Ontario’s approach to food safety.
Records allow meat plants to spot trends
and areas of possible improvement. In
addition, if something were to go wrong,
records can help figure out what happened.
The following are two examples that
further illustrate the importance of proper
documentation and record-keeping:
• Records that are part of the preventative
maintenance program contribute to
food safety by helping identify gaps that
could lead to product contamination.
• Pre-operational records help identify
issues that may have cropped up
between shifts, for example.
• Record keeping requirements vary
greatly depending on the processes
performed in your plant and the types
of products you process. OMAFRA is
committed to providing flexibility in
record-keeping, while maintaining the
food safety standards contained in the
meat regulation.
Records can be designed in many different
ways and can be adapted to suit your
needs. As examples, OMAFRA has sample
templates which can be used to record
sanitation, pre-operational inspection,
maintenance and pest control activities
as well as temperatures (contact the
Agriculture Information Contact Centre
for copies at 1-877-424-1300 or ag.info.
omafra@ontario.ca). The OIMP also has
sample records for most requirements
under the meat regulation.
Brief Glossary of Terms:
Written programs are documents that you
need to prepare once and to keep on file.
They contain procedures, schedules and
18 BLOCKtalk January/February 2011
methods for maintaining the plant. You
will need written programs for pest control,
maintenance and sanitation, and recall. The
documents need to be updated if you make
any changes to your programs.
Policies describe how the operator will
establish and maintain programs in the
plant. They are generally prepared once and
kept on file, unless changes are required.
Examples include visitor policy, health and
safety policy, good manufacturing practices
policies, etc.
Protocols are required for some highrisk
activities that have the potential to
contaminate other meat products in the
plant (e.g. hunted game, specified risk
material, pet food). Depending on the
protocol, OMAFRA approvals may be
required.
Records are documents you need to fill out
on an ongoing basis, or as programs in
the plant are updated. They may include:
production records (e.g. cooking, smoking,
drying, fermenting, canning); product
assessment (e.g. pH, water activity, product
temperature); calibration of measurement
equipment; processing of pet food; receiving
incoming materials (meat and non-meat
products); distribution records; product
returns; sanitation activities; maintenance
of equipment; pest control activities; etc.
Records such as recipes would need to be
updated only when changed.
For More Information, Contact:
Agriculture Information
Contact Centre
1-877-424-1300 or
ag.info.omafra@ontario.ca
Frank Rizzardo, Operator of Salumeria Tagliere—
Record keeping is an important part of Ontario’s
approach to food safety. Photos by Alan Yee, OMAFRA
www.oimp.ca