[Pracitical QA Solutions] GMPs, Education and Training

In a previous column, I wrote about why Good Manufacturing Processes increase quality at food plants (“Why Use GMPs in a Food Plant Quality System?” Dec. 2006). My short answer is because they work. GMPs install standards that keep adulteration out of our food supply. The increasing food importation from foreign countries is an increasing concern for food safety. I recently encountered signs at restaurants that tomatoes were not available due to a Salmonella recall. Will the contamination source be in the United States or elsewhere? My guess is it will be outside of our country. It is evident the “elsewheres” are lacking a good understanding of food protection principles. It is also evident the GMPs are not being universally utilized. A solution is to require GMP education for management and GMP training for employees in food plants outside of our country.

WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE? Simply education explains the why and training explains the how. Management provides leadership and direction for GMP conformance. Leaders must understand the why. Management makes GMP policy decisions and guideline clarifications. One example is hair restraints. What types are approved for use? What locations within the food plant are they to be worn? Should hair be restrained in the ingredient receiving area and/or post package shipping area? Enforcement is far easier if the hair restraint is required throughout a food plant. Other examples for management clarification are shoes (no deep groves), disease control (no open sores), clothing (no shirt pockets), gum chewing (not). The list goes on. Answers to common GMP questions must be addressed with a consistent message for employee training delivery.

Employees provide conformance to the GMPs. They can be your best enforcers, not only with themselves but with visitors (especially contractors). If they know what is required, they usually will comply. A leading reason for non-conformance is that employees do not know what is expected of them. Employees need education to explain what and why but need more training explaining the how. A good approach is to provide a monthly training meeting combining food and worker safety topics lasting 60 to 90 minutes. This is a good time for feedback.

WHO DO BOTH? One of management’s responsibilities is to develop and implement policy. It is critical that management clearly understand the GMPs. Management must require GMP training from approved suppliers while providing training to employees and contractors. Management must provide GMP essentials such as proper clothing, shoes, hair restraints, bump hats and hand washing stations. In addition they must provide more complex essentials such as locker rooms, entry vestibules, air handling and other facility design attributes. (I’ll cover more on sanitary design in the next issue.) These essentials require good budgeting. Regular plant-wide training is a practical solution for knowledgeable food protection and good employee communications.

Using the GMPs for management and employee training is a foundation of food protection that helps improve regulatory compliance and better manage risks. Resolving global food safety issues will not be easy. Requiring food protection training at the “elsewheres” is a good start. When you can, provide training either yourself or through an independent contractor. The GMPs are an excellent resource to help you improve your overall quality efforts in a practical manner. We do it, so why don’t they?

The author has spent more than 30 years in food quality assurance. He is a Certified Professional Instructor and can be reached through www.qualitycenteredconsulting.com or by calling 816/436-1627.

Auditor's Soapbox:

Recently I filled my vehicle with gas at more than $4 a gallon. The rising price of fuel will continue to raise the price of corn, soybeans, wheat and  rice, and we can expect even higher prices. Pressure will be on management today to make intelligent budget decisions, and food protection shortcuts could result. More training is a practical solution to reducing risks, and yet training is a typical place to cut a budget. I am concerned that valuable resources will be cut and increase food safety risk. If I pay more for food, I should have a safer food supply.