GMP and prerequisite programme checklist

Premises and utilities (ISO/TS 22002-1:2009 clauses 4 to 7)

• A valid Certificate of Acceptability (regulation 3 of R638 of 2018) is displayed, and the person in charge named on it is the person who actually controls the premises (see the R638 readiness checklist).
• The site boundary is defined, access is controlled, and the grounds are kept free of standing water, waste and harbourage for pests.
• Product flow moves from raw to finished without crossing back, and the layout separates raw, in-process and finished areas physically or by procedure.
• Walls, floors, ceilings and drains in product areas are smooth, sealed, cleanable and in good repair, with drains flowing away from clean areas.
• Water that touches product or surfaces is potable (SANS 241), tested on a schedule, and the results are on file; steam and ice meet the same standard.
• Compressed air, gases and ventilation that contact product are filtered, and the filters are on the maintenance schedule.
• Lighting is adequate for the task and shatter-protected where product is exposed.
• Waste is identified, held in labelled, lidded containers, removed at a set frequency, and waste routes do not cross product routes.

Equipment, materials and suppliers (clauses 8 and 9)

• Food-contact equipment is of hygienic design: cleanable, no dead spaces, food-grade materials, with a preventive maintenance schedule and records (see the hygienic design and equipment acceptance checklist).
• Lubricants, cleaning chemicals and maintenance materials used in product areas are food-grade where contact is possible, and the data sheets are on file.
• Every supplier of raw materials, packaging and services is approved by a documented process, and the approved supplier list is current (see the supplier approval checklist).
• Incoming materials are inspected against a specification on receipt, with temperature, seal, pest and allergen checks recorded (see the supplier approval checklist).

Cross-contamination, cleaning and pests (clauses 10 to 12)

• Allergens are controlled from receiving to dispatch: segregated storage, colour-coded tools, scheduled production, validated cleaning at changeover and label checks (see the allergen management checklist).
• Microbiological zoning (raw, cooked, high-care) is defined, with controls on people, equipment, air and packaging moving between zones.
• Physical contamination controls are in place: glass and brittle plastic register, blade and metal control, no wood or loose fittings over product, sieves, magnets or metal detection as the hazard analysis requires.
• Cleaning schedules state the surface, method, chemical, concentration, contact time, frequency and the person responsible, and cleaning is verified (visual, ATP or swab) with records (see the cleaning validation and environmental monitoring checklist).
• Pest control covers the site map, bait station register, trend reports, proofing and a response to each sighting, by a trained person or a registered contractor.

People, rework, recall and storage (clauses 13 to 16)

• Hand-wash stations at entrances to product areas have warm water, soap, drying and a sanitiser, and hand washing is observed.
• Protective clothing, jewellery, hair and beard covering, eating, smoking and illness reporting rules are written, trained and enforced, and visitors and contractors follow them.
• Rework is identified, traced, stored and used only in products with the same allergen profile, under a written rule.
• A recall procedure names the recall team and the contacts: customers, the National Consumer Commission (section 60 of the Consumer Protection Act), the Department of Health Directorate: Food Control and the local municipality.
• A mock recall has been run in the last twelve months, with the trace completed within four hours (the BRCGS limit).
• Storage areas keep product off the floor, away from walls, rotated first-expired first-out, at the temperature the label requires, with chemicals stored apart.
• Vehicles are checked for cleanliness, temperature and odour before loading, and the checks are recorded.