BACKGROUND

• Foreign Material is anything that is in the product other than meat pieces as per specification. It includes:
• External sources e.g plastics, pens, knives, string, rubber, paper staples, *first aid dressing strips, pins or needles etc
• Processing sources e.g bone pieces, ligaments, paddywhack etc.
• Food safety is our responsibility to our consumer
• It potentially only takes one incident to ruin a day’s production at the processor / customer.
• Quality failures can be costly – brands, reputation, lives

WORK INSTRUCTION:

INFORM YOUR SUPERVISOR OF MISSING LOOSE ITEMS IMMEDIATELY

“If it is on site it is in the product.”

• If an item is not necessary in the process room to perform your work instruction; do not bring it in.

Personally

• You are responsible for your own equipment.
• Maintain an awareness of your surroundings. If you see an issue tell your Supervisor immediately.
• Never be complacent.
• Food safety is non negotiable
• Always bone, slice and pack meat to specification.
• Use correct coloured and thickness of liner when packing meat.
• Avoid liner entrapment when packing meat
• Ensure the liner fully encloses the meat prior to lidding.
• Follow repack procedures when relidding product to prevent contamination.
• Pallets and bulk bins are to be cleaned and inspected before use.
• Inspect pallets for exposed nails and damage before use.
• Use slipsheets on pallets.
• Do not drill through cartons or carton liners.
• Use the reinspection room for carton inspections in loadout.
• Ensure loads are secured corrected during transport.
• Inspect Meat Transport vehicles and containers for damage prior to loading.
• Follow personal hygiene requirements.
• Use metal detectable band aids.
• *Pens used in open product areas must be company issued pens that are metal detectable and designed without small parts
• Register accountable equipment as required. Report any changes to your accountable items.
• Do not place loose items on packing tables or store above the product.
• *Care must be taken at all times to prevent any foreign material contamination of all raw materials by raw material packaging especially at rebagging, deboxing rework to remove packaging.
• Report missing items to your Supervisor immediately without fear of recrimination however not reporting missing items may lead to disciplinary action and possibly dismissal of employment on food safety grounds.
• Report any maintenance issues or observed non compliances to your Supervisor immediately. When in doubt, ask your Supervisor.
• Report broken or damaged personal equipment eg knives, hooks, whizz knives to your Supervisor immediately.
• If you observe any foreign material while boning, slicing, packing etc hold the product and inform your Supervisor immediately.
• Areas are to be effectively cleaned following any maintenance work and reviewed by QAO / Supervisor before release.
• All maintenance tools and equipment are to be accounted for

CRITICAL LIMITS:

• Loose items are controlled and accountable
• Wholesomeness of product is not to be jeopardised
• No direct or cross contamination risk to product.

CORRECTIVE ACTION:

Based on risk assessment, action shall be taken in the case of the risk of the physical of contamination of product including the breakage of glass, brittle or hard plastic etc. Actions as necessary may include and are not limited to:

• Inform the Supervisor immediately of any missing items
• The Supervisor / QA quarantining the products and production area that were potentially affected and seek AQIS / QAM advice on the disposal or disposition.
• The Supervisor arranging the cleaning the production area.
• The Supervisor inspecting the production area and authorising to continue production.
• The Supervisor directing changing work wear and inspection of footwear .
• The Supervisor / QA recording the breakage incident.
• Corrective action as per the principles as prescribed within SOP 4-14-1.
• Regain control and stop continued non conformance
• Unsatisfactory conditions shall be brought to the attention of the Quality Manager for corrective action
• Correct the cause of any deviation from the approved SOP and verify corrective action
• Evaluate the cause of the non conformance and prevent recurrence
• Document Corrective Action
• In all cases, if glass breakage or the loss of a piece of equipment or any other incident that could result in foreign matter contamination of a product is detected the affected batch must be isolated, inspected and reworked or disposed of. In circumstances where glass breakage occurs the affected area must be isolated, cleaned and thoroughly inspected and cleared by a suitably responsible person prior to the commencement of operations.
• Affected packaging e.g. cartons, liners etc will be removed and disposed of.
• Any contaminated product / packaging material considered to be contaminated will also be considered to be adulterated and condemned
• Action shall be taken to preventive recurrence.
• Reinstruction or disciplinary actions against operatives.
• If necessary recall, rework or withdraw product.
• If necessary inform the customer and regulatory authorities.

MONITORING BY:

• X ray detection
• Metal detection
• Carton and Caracse Meat Hygiene Assessment
• Daily Process Monitoring by QAO / Supervisor
• Weekly Plant Hygiene and Maintenance monitoring by QAO
• Daily pre-operational monitoring by QA / Supervisors.
• Monthly Plant Improvement Monitoring by Maintenance / Supervisors
• Inspections by Electricians / Maintenance of Plant and Equipment prior to commencement of production.
• During production times the QAO / Supervisor will monitor all maintenance events
• The QAM / designee will oversee all advised corrective action relating to missing loose items