Food > Meat and Poultry Products > Manual of Procedures > Chapter 4 Chapter 4 - Annex PCFIA Protocol for Evaluating Bulk Container Freezing Processes for Meat Products1. IntroductionThis protocol sets out the steps operators are to follow when developing a method for freezing meat products (eg, carcasses, carcass portions and offal) in bulk containers (hereinafter "bulk container freezing"). In order to validate their Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) systems, operators must show that their processes reduce the core temperature of these products to -18°C within a time frame allowing for the preservation of organoleptic and microbiological qualities. 2. ScopeThe following processes must be evaluated in accordance with the present protocol:
Additional conditions may apply if freezing is intended to prepare products for subsequent treatment (eg, to destroy trichinosis or cysticercosis parasite). The present protocol does not cover situations in which products that have not reached a core temperature of 4°C are placed in bulk containers for freezing purposes. Processes that involve this approach (i.e. placing products that have not yet reached this temperature in bulk containers) are subject to the requirements set out in the "Alternative cooling processes" section 4.10.1 of the Manual of Procedures. 3. Prerequisites for freezing meat products in bulk containers
Once a method has been selected, the test results cannot be used to validate another process. Here are examples of bulk container freezing that an operator might want to validate: A) Pork hams weighing between X and Y kg (market weight animals) are received at a temperature not exceeding 4°C in a cardboard combo with a sealed PVC lining. The maximum quantity per combo bin is 800 kg. Combo bins are stored in a warehouse at -18°C for five days; they are stacked five high on racks with spacing of at least ..... between each combo level and row. Air velocity ... Estimated time to reach -18°C: 48 hours.... B) Cuts of beef (the largest being an outside round weighing x kg), vacuum-packed and received at a temperature not exceeding 4°C, are stored five per box. The boxes are stacked five high, with x boxes per row, and stretch-wrapped. They are kept in a freezer at -25°C with spacing of at least .... between pallets. The air velocity is .... Estimated time to reach -10°C: 48 hours.... Once the temperature is reached, the boxes are palletized without spacers and stored for 10 days...
The inspector will determine whether the proposed method enables him/her to identify containers that undergo testing.
Temperature readings taken during testing will be used to demonstrate that the freezing method, when properly applied, guarantees that the temperatures required in order to control unacceptable bacterial growth are reached within a given time frame. The operator must prove that the data collected during testing represent the worst-case scenario.
If the temperature of the freezer room is uniform throughout the room, the test may be conducted anywhere in the room. If the temperature is not uniform, the data must be collected in the warmest part of the room to reflect the worst-case scenario.
The capacity to systematically cool meat products to a specific temperature within a given time frame depends on how precisely the process under evaluation is applied. When the cooling process is not rigorously implemented, bacteria may have the opportunity to grow, resulting in an unacceptable risk. For each parameter of the bulk container freezing process that is the subject of the request, the operator must identify the hazards that could arise in the event that the process is not strictly followed. To continue with the examples above, the following hazards could pose an unacceptable risk and need to be assessed:
Incorporate each new hazard into the HACCP plan (i.e., apply the decision tree and determine whether the hazard is controlled by prerequisite programs or whether a CCP needs to be established). 4. Submitting the request for in-plant testing to the inspectorBefore a bulk container freezing process can be adopted, testing needs to be done to identify potential shortcomings. The management of the establishment must submit the following documents before testing can be authorized. Item No. 1. A letter from management containing:
Item No. 2. The dated test protocol specifying:
NB: When responsibility for ensuring the microbiological quality of frozen products in bulk containers is to be shared between two or more establishments, the cover letter and the test protocol must be signed by the management of all the establishments concerned. 5. CFIA decision on whether the testing may be authorizedThe inspector who receives the request determines whether it includes all of the information required. With the assistance of the program specialist, the inspector determines whether the request appears to be compatible with sound hygiene practices and whether any changes need to be made to the protocol before the testing can be conducted. Together with the program specialist, the inspector gives the go-ahead for the testing when he/she is satisfied that the test protocol is complete and acceptable. 6. Conducting the testThe operator must conduct the test in compliance with the approved test protocol. The operator must inform the inspector in writing if it becomes necessary to modify the protocol before, during or after the test. The inspector may temporarily halt the test to discuss protocol changes with the program specialist. The inspector may also require that the test be stopped if changes are made to the protocol without his/her knowledge. 7. Test report: analysing and submitting collected dataThe operator is responsible for collecting and analysing data gathered during testing and submitting them to the inspector within the agreed time frame. To this end, the operator will submit a report to the inspector. The report must be prepared in a such manner that anyone who reviews the report (eg, foreign auditor) has all of the necessary information. Therefore, the test report must include the following:
8. CFIA approvalThe inspector will review the report submitted by the operator to ensure that it is complete and to assess its content. This involves determining whether the conditions described in the report clearly reflect what he/she knows to be true about the conditions in which the test was conducted and whether the operator satisfactorily explained all of the results that raised questions, in the "discussion" section. If the report is incomplete, the inspector will ask the operator to review the sections in question. When the report is deemed complete, the inspector will forward it to the program specialist with his/her comments on the reports content. The program specialist will then determine whether the proposed process is acceptable and recommend that the inspector authorize or reject the bulk container freezing process for meat products. |
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