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Simply put, food safety is essential when producing foods. Good hygiene and cleaning practices increase food safety. Segregating cleaning equipment, food handling tools and other equipment and utensils into well-planned, colour coded areas enables you to achieve even more in the food safety field by reducing the risk of cross- contamination from one area to another. Colour coding is easy to implement if done correctly from the start. This guide gives you a brief introduction to the benefits of colour coding – and some practical tips on how to put it into practice. If you would like to know more or have specific questions, please contact your Vikan representative. Why use colour coding? Colour coding helps ensure greater food safety by making it easier to more effectively separate processes, zones and equipment in your food production setup and thus minimise cross-contamination. Colour coding can be embedded into your work processes as a natural part of your Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP), or as a proactive risk reduction step as part of your HACCP prerequisite programme.
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What is GMP? GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) describes the conditions and practices necessary for the manufacturing, processing, packing and storage of food to ensure its safety and wholesomeness. There is great emphasis on compliance with GMP in all relevant food legislation and food safety standards. What is HACCP? The HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) system is designed to ensure the correct analysis and control of biological, chemical and physical hazards in the food production chain, from raw material production through to manufacturing, distribution and consumption. Did you know…? Both the EC regulation 852/2004 and the American FDA Food Safety Modernisation Act require food processors to have a written food safety plan, including systematic hazard analysis, risk assessment and implementation of control measures. A must-have for GFSI approval The GFSI (General Food Safety Initiative) approved food standards BRC, FSSC22000, IFS and SQF all require special measures to prevent cross-contact and cross-contamination. Colour coding is ideally suited to this. In the BRC standard it is mandatory that your cleaning equipment is suitably identified for intended use e.g. colour coded. BRCGS Global Standard for Food Safety requires colour coding or labeling for the identification of cleaning equipment. FSSC 22000 is comprised of ISO standards that specify the need for cross-contact and cross-contamination controls. IFS Food Standard mentions that the intended use of cleaning equipment shall be clearly identified. Cleaning equipment shall be used in a way that avoids cross-contamination. SQF Code on Food Manufacturing requires the separation of functions, products and zones based on risk. SORT SET IN OR STANDARDISE DER SHINE LEAN The use of colour coding of tools and equipment is also in line with the 5S LEAN system, which uses five steps – Sort, Set in order, Shine, Standardise and Sustain – to ensure the correct order, systematisation and ownership in a production process or facility. SUSTAIN
