Reduced Oxygen Vacuum Package Cook Chill Sous Vide

Food Safety Plan (HACCP) Guidance: Reduced Oxygen Vacuum Package with Cook Chill and Sous Vide

Reduced Oxygen Packaging, Cook Chill, Sous Vide products fall under the regulatory rules of local State Health Departments and the United States Food & Drug Administration’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Preventive Controls for Human Food. This plan guidance page will walk through the basics of developing a HACCP plan for compliance with regulatory authorities.

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Comprehensive HACCP Plan Templates – Quick Start

Want to get started right away with a plan template? We provide comprehensive HACCP plan template which includes Hazards, Controls, Standard Operating Procedures, and Logs.

Click any template link below to get started!

Example Process Flow

The process flow of a HACCP plan is the center of a food product’s food safety story. It tells how a company makes it’s products and also what hazards and controls are associated with each step. Here’s an example process flow for a Poultry Sous Vide:

Example Biological, Chemical, and Physical Hazards

Here is a list of potential hazards:

Beef
  • Enterobacteriacae — Salmonella
  • Enterobacteriacae — Escherichia coli O157:H7
  • Proteobacteria — Campylobacter jejuni
  • Parasites — Taenia saginata
  • Bacteria — Staphylococcus aureus
  • Anthelmintics
  • Antibiotics
  • Environmental chemical contaminants
Chicken
  • Psychotrophs — Listeria monocytogenes
  • Proteobacteria — Campylobacter jejuni
  • Enterobacteriacae — Salmonella
  • Spore formers — Clostridium perfringens
  • Environmental chemical contaminants
  • Antibiotics
  • Anthelmintics
Salmon
  • Biological-Bacillus cereus
  • Biological-parasites- Anisakis
  • Biological- toxin from C. botulinum bacteria
  • Psychotrophs — Listeria monocytogenes
  • Environmental chemical contaminants
  • Allergens
  • Enterobacteriacae — Salmonella sp.

Associated Components of the Food Safety Plan

The following associated food safety components are recommended to achieve compliance with State and Federal rules and regulations.

Good Manufacturing Practices and Other Prerequisite Programs

The HACCP plan is not a stand alone program, but rather part of a larger food safety system. The foundation programs that are part of the food safety system are frequently termed prerequisite programs. The term was coined to indicate that they should be in place before Food Safety Plan based systems are implemented in order to effectively manage risk from foodborne hazards. The Current Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) regulations address requirements for many prerequisite programs. The regulation (117 Subpart B) that outlines the conditions and practices the regulated food industry must follow for processing safe food under sanitary conditions, including personnel, plant and grounds, sanitary operations, sanitary facilities and controls, equipment and utensils, processes and controls, warehousing and distribution, and defect action levels considerations. Elements of GMPs that are not covered in the HACCP plan are still required by regulations.

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

SOPs are related to both GMPs and Controls of Hazards in the Food Safety Plan. SOPs define the specific steps of how GMPs and Controls of Hazards mitigate food safety hazards and define a repeatable process.

Here is a list of suggested SOPs:

  • Using and Calibrating Thermometers
  • Cooling Potentially Hazardous Foods
  • Cleaning and Sanitizing Food Contact Surfaces
  • Storing and Using Poisonous or Toxic Chemicals
  • Preventing Cross-Contamination During Storage and Preparation
  • Receiving Deliveries
  • Cleaning Building and Facility
  • Allergen Control Program
  • Washing Hands – To prevent foodborne illness by contaminated hands
  • Employee Illness Program
  • Using Suitable Utensils When Handling Ready-to-Eat Foods

Records / Logs

Monitoring records and logs must include the actual values or observation that document the actual implementation of a Food Safety Plan . For example, if a temperature is being measured, the actual temperature must be recorded rather than a check mark indicating that the temperature complied with the critical limit. To comply with regulations, information must be recorded at the time it is observed.

Here are suggested record and log types to use:

  • Customer Complaints
  • Corrective Action Forms
  • Employee Training
  • Food Safety Quarterly Audit
  • Food Safety Checklist
  • Raw Materials/Receiving Log
  • Worker Illness Log
  • Freezer Log
  • Thawing Log
  • Refrigerator Log
  • Assembly Log
  • Shipping Temperature Log

Validation / Verification

Verification is an important component of supply chain, sanitation, allergen and critical controls. It confirms that the Food Safety Plan is operating as intended. Validation confirms the effectiveness of the Food Safety Plan in controlling food safety hazards. The purpose of verification is to provide a level of confidence that the Food Safety Plan is 1) based on solid scientific principles that are adequate to control the hazards associated with the product and process, and 2) that the plan is being followed correctly every day of operation.

Plan Templates – How It Works

Loading HACCP / Preventive Control templates is an easy step process saving significant time and hassle to write and maintain your plans.

Kitchen HACCP Plan Software
  • 1. Load Plan Template

    Load plan template which includes process flow, hazards, controls, procedures, and logs.

  • 2. Print Plan Reports

    To submit the plan to retail executives or regulators, print all available reports.

  • 3. Maintain Plan Integrity with Logs / Records

    “If you didn’t record it, it didn’t happen”. Maintain the safety status by maintaining records.

Get Started With Your ROP, Sous Vide, Cook Chill HACCP Plans Today!

Save time by registering for an account with ConnectFood and loading one of the plan templates to get started. Within the software, you will have all of the components (SOPs, Logs, GMPs, and more) accessible to give you a comprehensive and compliant food safety plan. If you ever need additional assistance with writing or get a review of your plan, ConnectFood Expert Services are always available On-Demand.

Click any template link below to get started!

Food Safety Professional Services

If you ever need additional assistance with writing or get a review of your plan, ConnectFood Expert Services are always available On-Demand.