The objective of this article to discuss the obstacles facing food production manufacturers who choose to high pressure processing hpp their products post package as a means to clean up their label,extend shelf life,and kill pathogens that affect Food Safety.We have chosen to use as a reference source;The SQF Code,Edition 7,Section 2.4.7 Product Rework,as a platform for successfully addressing the inherent challenges.Rework is defined by ANSI/ISO/ASQ Q9000-2005 as,"an action on a nonconforming product(3.4.2)to make it conform to the requirements(3.1.2)".
Reworked product can be classified into 2 categories:
Category I-product that was put into the HPP vessel,the machine began the high pressure process,but failed before the completion of the designated Hold and Pressure Time.
Category II-product that was put into the HPP vessel,the machine began and completed the designated Hold and Pressure Time successfully.
Section 2.4.7,item(ii)states that,"Reworked product is clearly identified and traceable".
In your Category I of reworked product the primary issue an operator faces is that the user interface will not force the Operator to acknowledge the failed product and re-run the failed product.The Operator has the option to initiate the next cycle of product while acknowledging the alarm that caused the previous cycle to fail.Thus the failed product can move forward to the next process phase,typically boxing,and go undetected.Current Scada production reporting lacks assigning unique identifiers from the product being processed to the successful or unsuccessful cycle to allow for adequate auditing and traceability.
What the HPP Processor needs to address is the linking of the specific product being processed to the specific basket being processed and forcing the Operator to acknowledge the failed cycle and identify the baskets to be reworked.These baskets can then be assigned to the next cycle and the process can be repeated until successful.The HPP production report can then show the audit trail.
The Category II Reworked product can be identified by a compromised seal during the HPP process.On some products a visual inspection can be very apparent as the product will be leaking from the package.Evidence of leakage is especially true with products that are liquid based and has lots of color like fresh fruits.Other products,however,like vacuum packaged meats,with very little juice may not be as noticeable to the human eye.Products like thick deli salads and dips may have water inside the container,thus making it difficult to detect with the human eye.
High Pressure Processors can address these Category II rework issues by putting in place checks and balances on the production line to randomly test the seal integrity prior to HPP processing.The same techniques can be used once the product has completed the high pressure pasteurisation.
In conclusion,the risk involved with pressure pasteurization rework is very significant as these products are being put through the hydrostatic high pressure processing to reduce or eliminate bacteria growth.This process is replacing chemical additives which are no longer an ingredient in the product.Thus the reworked product is very susceptible to the rapid growth of bacteria and in the case of the Category I rework,if the purpose of the HPP process is a Critical Control Point(CCP),the product can be an immediate health hazard.
