Anticipated Challenges and Planned Responses

ANTICIPATED CHALLENGES AND PLANNED RESPONSES

As our business enters the world of food industry,

INTERNAL QUALITY CONTROL 1. Sanitation

Problem Every food would not be one if it is not clean. It takes several stages to ensure that our products are not only edible or delicious, but most importantly safe for every consumer. This is also a serious matter of all food industries because its good name is at stake. Orion Foods Inc., being a competitive newcomer, will go through big paces to earn the market’s trust, which is too costly. We have to respond to regulatory authorities which provide the compulsory national framework for food or meat hygiene programmes through laws and regulations. Response Hygienic measures are to be taken during the various processing steps in the manufacture of meat products – the Meat Processing Hygiene. This is part of a firm’s Quality Management (QM) based on the following three principles crucial for meat processing operations: * Prevent microbial contamination of raw materials, intermediate (semi-manufactured)goods and final products during meat product manufacture through absolute cleanliness of tools, working tables, machines as well as hands and outfits of personnel. * Minimize microbial growth in raw materials, semi-manufactured goods and final products by storing them at a low temperature. * Reduce or eliminate microbial contamination by applying heat treatment at the final processing stage for extension of shelf life of products

Fig.*** Microbiological contamination in the meat processing chain Figure *** shows the extent of contamination among meat processing operations, and the possible remedies, if any. If these processes were relinquished, it would highly contaminate meat which is unsuitable for further processing. Final products could be unattractive, tasteless or shorter in shelf life. In light of this issue, Quality Management schemes are needed. Such schemes have technical and hygienic components. The former encompasses product composition, processing technologies, packaging, storage and distribution. The hygienic aspect, related to meat processes, focuses not only for the final product, but also for the raw materials in various processes. It has two useful schemes: * Good Hygienic Practices (GHP)
It follows general hygienic rules and applies recognized hygienic principles as well as laws and regulations issued by the competent authorities, referring to meat and meat products, equipment, Premises and personnel. GHP schemes are not factory specific, they apply to all types of meat plants. They are intended to establish and maintain acceptable hygienic standards in relevant meat operations.

* Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP)
HACCP are factory and product specific strictly sanitary control schemes that shall prevent, detect, control and/or reduce to save levels accidentally occurring hazards to consumers’ health. Despite GHP in place, accidental hazards cannot be ruled out and may occur at any processing step of the individual meat product. Specifically for meat processing plants, such hazards may be provoked by failures such as:

* batches of incoming raw meat materials with abnormal tissues or * heavy contamination, * breakdowns in refrigeration, * failure in cooking/sterilization operations, * abnormal pH or a * in raw or finished products, * errors in levels of application of * curing salts and other additives, * technical problems in sealing of * vacuum packages or cans with * the risk of recontamination.