Seafood HACCP Alliance Training Course 8-1 Introduction Welcome to Module 8. In this Module we'll learn about the 4th Principle of HACCP Monitoring. In the last module we learned how to set critical limits for significant hazards at each of the CCPs. Now we need to figure out what monitoring procedures we'll use to determine that our critical limits are consistently met. So let's find out what monitoring means, and how to develop a complete monitoring procedure. There are 17 pages, 2 interactive worksheets, and 4 questions in this Module.
Seafood HACCP Alliance Training Course 8-2 What is Monitoring? The definition of monitoring is a planned sequence of observations or measurements used to assess whether a CCP is under control. It is also used to produce an accurate record for future use in verification. Monitoring is the activity that the operator completes in order to show that a hazard is controlled at a CCP. Accurate monitoring indicates when there is a loss of control and a deviation from a critical limit. When a critical limit is not met, a corrective action is needed. Corrective actions will be discussed in the next Module. Monitoring procedures should be planned or determined prior to processing, and should be chosen to demonstrate that the critical limit has been met. Monitoring can include observations and/or measurements of some value associated with the critical limit.
Seafood HACCP Alliance Training Course 8-3 Purpose of Monitoring? The purpose of monitoring procedures is: To demonstrate that the critical limit has been met. To identify when there is loss of control (a deviation occurs at a CCP). To track the operation of the process and enable the identification of trends toward a critical limit that may trigger process adjustments, To provide written documentation of the process control system.
Seafood HACCP Alliance Training Course 8-4 Design of a Monitoring System To be effective, a monitoring system must be detailed. At this stage we have already identified where monitoring will take place at the CCP. We now need to identify: What will be monitored. How the critical limits and control measures will be monitored. When (how frequently) monitoring will be performed. Who will perform the monitoring. Let's look at each of these elements in a monitoring system separately.
Seafood HACCP Alliance Training Course 8-5 What will be Monitored? What is monitored must be directly related to the established critical limit. It may be a characteristic of the product or of the process that will demonstrate that the critical limit has been met. What is usually a measurement or observation to show that the CCP is operating within the critical limit. Examples of Monitoring Procedures that Require a Measurement Measurement of cold-storage temperatures when critical for temperature sensitive products. Hazards such as pathogen growth and histamine formation may have critical limits set for cooler temperature. Measurement of the ph of an acidifying ingredient when critical for the production of an acidified food. Measurement of conveyor belt or line speed when critical to adequate cooking or chilling processes.
Seafood HACCP Alliance Training Course 8-6 Examples of monitoring procedures that require an observation When deciding what to monitor, it may be best to simply observe a condition or set of conditions at a CCP that demonstrate that an effective control measure is in place to control the hazard. Let's look at some examples. Checking for adequate ice when critical to control pathogen growth or histamine formation. Checking the harvest area listed on a tag attached to a container of raw molluscan shellfish to ensure that they were harvested from approved waters. Let's move on to how critical limits will be monitored.
Seafood HACCP Alliance Training Course 8-7 How Critical Limits will be Monitored When determining how to monitor you should select methods that provide realtime and accurate results that will tell you if the critical limit has been met. There is no time for lengthy analytical testing because critical limit failures must be detected quickly and an appropriate corrective action instituted before the product is distributed. Physical and chemical measurements are preferred monitoring methods because testing can be done rapidly. Physical and chemical measurements could include product or process conditions such as ph, time, temperature, salinity, product size or thickness etc. For some critical limits monitoring may require an observation to determine if the conditions necessary to control a hazard at a CCP have been met. For example, a critical limit may require that certain products are stored on ice. Monitoring would involve visually looking to see if there is adequate ice on the product. Microbiological testing is seldom effective for monitoring CCPs. Very often the analytical methods are expensive and it may take several days or more to get test results. Additionally, large sample sizes are usually needed to do a statistically adequate job of finding pathogenic organisms at levels that may cause illness.
Seafood HACCP Alliance Training Course 8-8 Monitoring Devices or Equipment The selection of monitoring devices or equipment is a major consideration during development of a HACCP plan. Equipment used for monitoring CCPs varies with the attribute being monitored. Examples of monitoring equipment can include: Thermometers, thermocouples, and continuous temperature recording devices Clocks, stop-watches Scales ph meters Salometer Water activity meters Rapid chemical tests The equipment chosen for monitoring at the CCP must be accurate enough to ensure control of the hazard. The variability of the monitoring equipment should be considered when setting the critical limit. For example, if a minimum internal temperature of 145 F is necessary to kill pathogens in a product and the thermometer has an accuracy of ± 2 F, then the critical limit should be set no lower than 147 F. Periodic calibration or standardization is necessary to ensure accuracy. This is further discussed in Module 11.
Seafood HACCP Alliance Training Course 8-9 Monitoring Frequency A complete monitoring procedure includes the frequency of monitoring. The frequency can be continuous or non-continuous (intermittent). Continuous Monitoring Where possible, continuous monitoring should be used. Continuous monitoring is possible for many types of physical and chemical parameters. Let's look at some examples of continuous monitoring. The time and temperature of a batch pasteurization process for crabmeat may be continuously monitored and recorded on a temperature-recording chart. Each package of frozen cooked shrimp may be passed under a metal detector. Cooler or freezer temperature can be continuously monitored and recorded using a temperature-recording chart. A monitoring instrument that produces a continuous record of the measured value will not control the hazard on its own. The continuous record needs to be observed periodically and action taken when needed. This too is a component of monitoring. The length of time between checks will directly affect the amount of rework or product loss when a critical-limit deviation is found. In all cases, the checks must be performed in time to ensure that the product is isolated before shipment when a critical limit deviation occurs.
Seafood HACCP Alliance Training Course 8-10 Non-Continuous-(Intermittent or Periodic)- Monitoring When it is not possible to monitor a CCP on a continuous basis, it is necessary to determine an appropriate monitoring interval that will detect possible deviations from critical limits or operating limits. The frequency of intermittent or periodic monitoring should be partially determined from historical knowledge of the product and process. Questions that will help determine the correct monitoring frequency include: How much does the process normally vary (i.e., how consistent is the data)? If the data varies considerably, the time between monitoring checks should be short. How close are the normal values to the critical limit? If the normal values are close to the critical limit, the time between monitoring checks should be short. How much product is the processor prepared to risk if the critical limit is exceeded? Some examples of potential periodic monitoring frequencies include: Measuring temperature of batter on a breading line at specified time intervals (e.g. every 2 hours). Measuring core temperature of a pasteurized product at specified time intervals (e.g. every 15 minutes) Checks of cooler storage temperatures at specified time intervals (e.g. every 2 hours during processing operations) Checking that fish that have the potential for histamine formation are adequately iced in the cooler at specified time intervals. (e.g. every 4 hours during processing operations)
Seafood HACCP Alliance Training Course 8-11 Who will Monitor? To complete the monitoring procedure you need to specify who will be responsible for monitoring. The person who conducts monitoring should be trained to perform that specific monitoring activity. Assignment of the responsibility for monitoring is an important consideration when developing a HACCP plan. In most cases you will not want to identify an individual by name in the HACCP plan, but we'll identify the individual's position such as a retort operator, quality control supervisor, etc. A number of different individuals may then be trained to conduct that monitoring activity on any given day. Examples of the types of individuals who could be assigned to conduct CCP monitoring might include any one of the following: Line personnel Equipment operators Supervisors Maintenance personnel Quality-assurance personnel
Seafood HACCP Alliance Training Course 8-12 Facts to Consider in Determining Who will Monitor. Monitoring by line personnel and equipment operators can be advantageous since they are continuously viewing the product and/or equipment and can readily observe changes from the norm. Also, including line personnel in HACCP activities has the advantage of building a broad base of understanding and commitment to the HACCP program. Those responsible for monitoring a CCP should: Be trained in the specific CCP monitoring techniques that will be used. Fully understand the importance of CCP monitoring. Have ready access to the monitoring activity. Accurately report each monitoring activity. Immediately report critical-limit deviations so that immediate corrective actions (Module 9) can be taken. The monitor's duties should require that all unusual occurrences and deviations from critical limits be reported immediately to make sure adjustments and corrective actions are made in a timely manner. All records and documents associated with CCP monitoring must be signed or initialed by the person doing the monitoring.
Seafood HACCP Alliance Training Course 8-13 Example of a Monitoring Procedure You've seen that monitoring needs to be explicit and spell out the What, How, Frequency, and Who in order to have a complete monitoring procedure. Let's look at some of the general options available for monitoring if we are measuring both time and temperature at a CCP. What to Monitor: Temperature of cooking oil or water, cooler, product, etc. Time cooking time, cooling time, processing time, etc. How to Monitor: Temperature thermometer, thermocouple, continuous temperature recording chart, etc. Time stop watch, wall clock, etc. Frequency of Monitoring: Temperature each batch, every two hours, continuous, etc. Time each batch, every two hours, continuous, etc. Who will monitor: Retort or cooker operator, quality assurance supervisor, cooler storage room employee, etc.
Seafood HACCP Alliance Training Course 8-14 Tools to Help You Develop Monitoring Procedures The monitoring activities identified in a HACCP Plan must be specific for each company's unique operation. One guidance tool that can help you to develop or check your monitoring procedures is the FDA's Hazards Guide. As with each of the other HACCP principles, this Guide has a section on monitoring that describes strategies to complete the what, how, frequency and who components of monitoring. This guidance can be found in Step #15 of each of the chapters that cover both the species and process related hazards that could be associated with seafood. Additional guidance may be available from generic HACCP plans, experts, and equipment or monitoring device manufacturers. It's important to remember that the monitoring procedures that you identify in your HACCP Plan must be appropriate for your own unique operation.
Seafood HACCP Alliance Training Course 8-15 The HACCP Plan Form The monitoring procedure that is developed will be part of your HACCP Plan and should be written down on the HACCP Plan Form introduced in the last module. This form is shown below. Monitoring procedures are written in the columns numbered 4, 5, 6, and 7. What will be monitored. (Column 4) How the critical limits will be monitored. (Column 5) The frequency of monitoring. (Column 6) Who will perform the monitoring. (Column 7)
Seafood HACCP Alliance Training Course 8-16 Interactive HACCP Plan Form for ABC Shrimp Company You will need to return to Module 8 (page 8-16) via the Internet to go through the interactive portion of this Module. Have fun!
Seafood HACCP Alliance Training Course 8-17 Check Your Knowledge Now you need to return to Module 8 via the Internet. Click through the text pages until you get to the Check Your Knowledge page (page 8-19). Submit your answers before moving on to Module 9. Good Luck!