Good Manufacturing Practices
GMP in any food manufacturing environment is essential to producing wholesome, safe products.
What Are GMPs?
Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) are the basic operational and environmental conditions required to produce safe food. They ensure that ingredients, products and packaging materials are handled safely and that food products are processed in a suitable environment. GMPs address the hazards associated with personnel and environment during food production. They provide a foundation for any food safety system. Once GMPs are in place, processors can implement a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) system to control hazards that may affect the ingredients and packaging material during food processing.
What do GMPs Address?
- Environment
- Personnel practices
- Shipping, receiving, handling, storage
- Pest control
- Hygiene
- Equipment maintenance
- Recall and traceability
- Water safety
Written programs are all the policies and procedures required to meet the standards listed in each GMP program. These include:
- Policies and procedures
- Hygiene standard operating procedures
- Monitoring procedures
- Record keeping
“Manufacturing in an environment that has implemented GMPs makes monitoring food safety so much easier because many of the controls needed for an effective HACCP plan are already in place.”