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Food Safety Basics
The following safety basics help you produce safe
food products.
Examine food and its packaging when they are
delivered to your plant and again when you are
ready to use it. Avoid using damaged packages
as the contents may have been exposed to
bacteria or pest infiltration. When in doubt,
throw it out!
Sanitize counter tops, cutting boards and utensils
just before use. Avoid cross contamination of
surfaces and utensils by cleaning and sanitizing
after each use. Keep a separate cutting board for
each type of meat used.
Keep the refrigerator at 4°C or less and the
freezer at -18°C or less. Check your refrigerator
and freezer with a thermometer. Thermometers
that are not sealed units should be frequently
calibrated in an ice-water bath until there is a
level of comfort with its accuracy, thereafter as
required.
Don’t let potentially unsafe food linger at
temperatures where bacteria can grow. The
danger zone is between 4°C (40°F) and 60°C
(140°F).
Always wash your hands with soap and hot
water before you handle food. Use disposable
towels for drying.
Don’t spread it around! Keep foods, like meat
and their juices, separate from others during
storage and preparations.
Be sure that all staff are trained in and follow
good personal hygiene and food handling
practices.
Food Safety Management
Good Manufacturing
Practices
Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) are based on
Health Canada’s code of practice
General Principles
of Food Hygiene for use by the Food Industry in
Canada
. These are internationally recognized
practices and procedures that guide food processing
operating conditions and processing plant
environments to assure the production of wholesome
and safe food.
Detailed in the guidelines are general hygienic
practices for growing, harvesting, processing,
packaging, storing, transporting, distributing and
selling food for human consumption. Each practice
is presented with a rationale and details of
compliance under sections of interpretation. Copies
of the Good Manufacturing Practices can be
obtained from CFIA.
Contact:
Canadian Food Inspection Agency
Edmonton
Room 205, 7000 - 113 Street
Edmonton, Alberta T6H 5T6
Telephone: 780-495-3333
Calgary
Floor 1, Room 102
110 Country Hills Landing N.W.
Calgary, Alberta T3K 5P3
Telephone: 403-299-7680
www.inspection.gc.ca
The code allows for flexibility due to the variation in
processing operations across the country. Companies
need to adapt to their specific operations to ensure
food safety concerns are being addressed. The
following is a brief outline of GMPs.