Guidelines to ensure Food Safety
Information of interest to companies in the Food Industry and related areas.
From the National Centre for Technology and Food Safety (CNTA) have developed a series of recommendations, in terms of Food Safety to be taken into account in this period COVID-19, which we want to help disseminate among companies in the sector.
It is important to guarantee the food safety of the processes and of all the products that are put on the market in order to ensure the supply and the health of the people.
1. To prevent the transmission of the virus
In addition to the general ones of any installation:
Be careful with the packaging of raw materials
They are a means of transmission, which is why it is important to establish measures to properly handle the packaging of raw materials received, and thus avoid contagion among staff.
Follow these steps when handling packaging:
1. Open the boxes in a specific area.
2. Use gloves.
3. Throw all the packaging into the wastebasket (in a closed bag).
4. Put things away without outer packaging.
5. When you are done, clean the area with bleach/alcohol and wash your hands.
Reinforce your disinfection plan
- Apply it in areas of high traffic of people and materials (especially areas of loading and unloading, warehouses, changing rooms, canteens and dining rooms ...).
- Disinfection protocol against COVID-19: Application of 0.1% hypochlorite for 10 minutes. Use 70% alcohol on surfaces where hypochlorite cannot be applied.
Click on this link to see an example of a disinfection protocol
2. Concerning food safety control and the management system
1. Maintain the planned control plans and do not relax any of the controls set out in your HACCP.
2. Implement control measures in view of the need to approve new suppliers or raw materials which, in the event of a shortage, must replace the usual ones.
If your company is certified:
1. If you have BRC certificates, review and update, if necessary, your contingency plans (section 3.11.1 of BRC 8).
2. If you are pending an audit during the period in which the restrictions due to the alarm status last, you should contact your certification body, since depending on the certified standard(s) the actions to be taken vary.
3. If you export to the USA:
The FDA has suspended audits in foreign countries because it's enforcing travel restrictions on its personnel, but they'll continue to operate border controls as they have to date.
Likewise, the CNTA has published a guide with guidelines for action before the COVID-19 for importers who have to control suppliers abroad.
Consult the aforementioned guide by clicking on this link.
In addition to this, the CNTA recalls that to date there is no evidence that the virus is transmitted by food, as reported by the FSA: https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/news/coronavirus-no-evidence-food-source-or-transmission-route
Source of information: https://www.cnta.es/noticias-y-eventos/notas-de-prensa/en-cnta-seguimos-activos-pautas-para-garantizar-la-seguridad-alimentaria/
About CNTA:
The National Centre for Technology and Food Safety (CNTA) is a technological centre of reference at national level and contributes to the improvement of the competitiveness and quality of the food sector.
It has almost 300 collaborating partners, FUCHS LUBRICANTES, S.A.U. being one of them.