Page 61 - FoodFocusThailand No.183 June 2021

STRONG QC & QA

waterborne pathogens. For example, the 5 Keys to Safer Food set extending shelf life of food), or food products with a special dietary
by the World Health Organization include (1) keep clean; (2) separate purpose for consumers. Therefore, those food producers may apply
raw and cooked; (3) cook thoroughly; (4) keep food at safe Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point System (HACCP) to find
temperatures; and (5) use safe water and raw materials. However, appropriate and effective control measures against such hazards in
some food business operators may need to apply Good Hygiene their food production process.
Practice (GHP) in a higher level in order to ensure a safe food For this article, the mentioned 5 Keys to Safer Food established by
production by conducting a hazard analysis and determining a control the World Health Organization are illustrated to give the fundamentals
measure for identified hazards. In case that such food producers are in food safety management.
unable to perform a hazard analysis, they may rely on information
from relevant external sources, such as government agencies related Key 1: Keep Clean
to food safety, experts in academic or research institutes, trade A clean look at food preparation surfaces does not mean that there will
associations, or professional associations. In some cases, some food be no microbial contamination. For instance, the case of 250 ml clear
business operators are needed to follow GHP that requires a greater water detected a turbidity, there will be over 2.5 billion bacterial cell
attention to produce safe food. For example, a meat slicing factory contamination to make that level of visual notice. Therefore, it is
for a fresh food packaging and distributing to consumers may apply important for food producers to underline the importance of cleaning
GHP with greater attention. Especially, the cleaning and sanitizing and sanitizing to the surfaces with the appropriate method and adequate
process of the meat slicer must have a strict disinfecting instruction frequency because some pathogens with the number as low as 10 cells
with a sufficient frequent timeframe. The process also covers the can cause an illness to a consumer. Pathogenic microorganisms are
frequency of monitoring and verification of the program effectiveness commonly found in soil, water, air, animals, and humans. They can
in order to control contamination of Listeria monocytogenes on the spread on surfaces thru hands, fresh foods, cleaning towels, equipment
meat slicer. In some cases, the application of GHP alone may not be and tool surfaces, and also packaging.
sufficient to ensure food safety due to such following conditions; the A sample of hygiene practices is a hand washing including a hand
complexity of the food production process, the specifically significant sanitizing. Hands are an important source of microorganisms spread
hazards associated with the product or process, the advanced food to various surfaces where the hand can move and touch. Therefore,
processing technology (e.g. modified atmosphere packaging for the appropriate hand washing is a sufficient routine practice such as;

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