Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)

The quality and safety of food intended for manufacturing or processing can be ensured by applying good manufacturing practices (GMPs) and good hygienic practices (GHPs) to food processing. When properly applied, these measures ensure quality and safety for all the processing or manufacturing steps from the receipt of the raw materials (primary products and other ingredients) to the shipping and marketing of the final products to the consumers.

Implementation of GHPs entails the use of appropriate sanitary measures to prevent microbial contamination and the assurance of optimum sanitary conditions for processing food products. GHPs involve:

• The use of appropriate cleaning and sanitizing techniques, including the use of approved and effective agents used at the proper level (strength, concentration) and frequency to prevent microbial build-up on processing equipment and utensils or other food contact surfaces.
• Observation of sanitary practices, use of protective clothing and strict observation of rules of personal hygiene by the personnel involved in handling and processing food.
• The use of hand washing and hand-sanitizing dip stations when and where appropriate.
• Having time and temperature controls in place to prevent microbial growth in the susceptible intermediate and finished processed foods.
• The use of other sanitary measures that are specifically needed because of the nature of the food being processed, the processing technology or the facilities in which the processing takes place.

GMPs include measures ensuring that:

• Food materials and ingredients, including food additives, are of the appropriate level of quality and safety before use and are stored properly to prevent contamination and mix-up with other processing material.
• Facilities used in food production are of the appropriate size to prevent overcrowding and to allow proper placement and orderly storage of equipment, raw materials and other product materials such as packaging and labelling.
• The layout of facilities permits the orderly flow of production materials and personnel in processing.
• Facilities are suitably lit.
• Equipment is maintained for proper functioning.
• Temperatures, times, pressures, machine operations and other processing parameters are controlled at the specifications level required to assure proper processing.
• Appropriate labels are used.

These control procedures also include the examination or sampling of intermediate foods from the processing lines and finished foods from final storage. The products are examined or tested analytically for compliance with product specifications and quality and safety requirements.

When properly applied, GMPs also include the establishment of record-keeping systems for recording the results of quality control activities. Information that might be recorded includes:

• Results of quality assurance personnel inspections of production facilities prior to and during production.
• Processing parameters during food processing (cooking times, temperature recordings, pressures).
• Results of specific methods or procedures for online product examination (net weights, can seal tear-down).
• Results of examination of the integrity of the package closure systems.
• Specific laboratory analysis methods to be used for quality and safety determinations, sample size and established criteria for acceptance or rejection of the lot.

Some food processing methods are very complex while others are relatively simple. Each process must be carefully assessed as to its potential for the presence of foodborne hazards and for the impact on food quality and safety if processing failure should occur, which may at times create unacceptable levels of risk for consumers.

GMP guidelines are not prescriptive instructions on how to manufacture products. It is a series of general principles that must be observed during manufacturing. When an organisation is setting up its quality program and manufacturing process, there may be many ways it can fulfil GMP requirements. It is the organisation's responsibility to determine the most effective and efficient quality process. Good manufacturing practices are largely governed by the Foodstuffs, Cosmetics and Disinfectants Act. (Act no 54 of 1972), 27 June 2003.

GMP contains ten principles that introduce employees to critical behaviours established by FDA and industry leaders to maintain good manufacturing practices in plants.

Ten GMP Principles:

1. Writing procedures
2. Following written procedures
3. Documenting for traceability
4. Designing facilities and equipment
5. Maintaining facilities and equipment
6. Validating work
7. Job competence
8. Cleanliness
9. Component control
10. Auditing for compliance.

Additional to GMP, there are also two other standards:

• Hygiene management practices: A set of predefined ‘rules’ and ‘steps’ helps food processors and wholesalers meet their regulatory obligations and ensure food safety.
• Good laboratory practices: The phrase good laboratory practice or GLP specifically refers to a quality system of management controls for research laboratories and organisations to try to ensure the uniformity, consistency, reliability, reproducibility, quality and integrity of chemicals (including pharmaceuticals) pre-clinical safety tests.

Click here to view a video that explains GMP.