3 JOB DESCRIPTIONS DETERMINE IF YOUR WORKERS ARE FOOD HANDLERS

Running a food business need manpower. A food kiosk needs at least a worker, a restaurant might need 3 - 5 workers, bigger food business needs more, up to 15 -20, food factories need even more.  We often call these workers as worker, staff, crew etc. But do you know that they also have another designation called Food Handler? 

Citing Food Hygiene Regulations 2009, all food handlers should attend 3-hours Food Handlers Training Course organized by certified Food Handlers Training School to obtain Food Handling course certificate.  Food handler who failed to do so could result penalty not more than RM10,000 and not more than 2 years imprisonment.  So, if you are running a food business, do examine who are food handlers in your organization and if they had obtained a Food Handlers Training Course Certificate.

A very straight forward definition of food handler is, a person who is preparing food in a premise. It refers to the cook, kitchen helper, food factory operators, any person who is preparing food and processing food. 

Equipment has food contact surfaces

Besides, a person who is contacting food and food contact surfaces in a premise is a food handler.  Plates, bowl, glasses, chopping board, fork, spoon, chopstick, knife, basket, basins and any other equipment that are used for handling food in a kitchen has surfaces that will be contacted with food. This surface is called food contact surface. A person like dish washers would touch food contact surfaces while she is washing plate. And so, a dish washer is also called a food handler. Besides dish washer, is there any other workers who would contact food contact surfaces?

Finally, a person who is handling packaged or unpackaged food or equipment in a premise is called a food handler. For this definition, you can always think about to bakery staff’s work activity. They are handling packaged or unpackaged bread or cakes on display rack.

By now you had known who would you called Food Handlers. So, a staff in your organization who is working in office ONLY is not grouped as Food Handler.  A cashier, by definition is not a Food Handler, but if business owner sometimes arranging her to “help serving food”, she should be categorized as a Food Handler.

As a kind reminder, do arrange your food handlers to attend Food Handlers Training Course and having anti-typhoid vaccination to avoid penalty.  When your food handlers are attending the course, they would receive proper training on food handling so that they would know how to take care of your food business. 

 

                 

Jacky Chung
Trainer and Consultant
JACKYZ SOLUTION

 

 

 

           

                 

MeSTI UPDATES

It's been a great pleasure to attend a Remote Online Training regarding MeSTI certification by MAA Training Academy PLT in National Training Week. Manage to jot down a few updates for further usage.  

1. MeSTI certification is not sufficient to export. To re-confirm with MOH when company is ready to export

2. Water and ice should be tested once a year according to Schedule 25A (Food Regulation 1985).

3. Health inspector do not allowing to record information in log book.  All records should be in checklist with checklist no.

4. Covid-19 Vaccination record of each food handler should be added into checklist.

5. Health officer would penalty the company if dicovering the staff wearing production uniform outside the processing area.

6. it is best to organize at least 3 internal trainings per year.

7. Drainage must be covered.

8. Toilet and Processing room to be sanitized more frequent (2-3 times) - updates after MCO. 

9. Laundry detergent cannot be used to wash floor. as it is not efficient to wash floor).  Food handler to follow chemical usage's instruction. 

10. Mouse trap must not be put in the processing area.

11. Every packaging material supply must be couple with CoA or MSDS from supplier.

Thanks to MAA.

Jacky Chung

Our Updated Certifications

Food Handlers Training School certification

Food Handling Course Trainer Certification

Jacky Chung
Trainer and Consultant
JACKYZ SOLUTION

 

 

CALIBRATION OF MEASURING DEVICES IN FOOD PROCCESSING

Calibration is the comparison of measurement value between a device under test and a calibrated device according to standard measurement.  There are internal calibration and external calibration.  Internal calibration is self calibration by devices user while external calibration is to be done by laboratory with ISO 17025 certification.
 
All measuring devices degrade after a period of time. As the components age, the stability of the devices reduced even though it may appear to be OKAY physically.  So, continuing calibration assures the equipment is continually meets the specification as performed during installation.         
   
Measurement readings are important data for QCs to judge if the food processing steps are meeting the requirement of food safety or customers.   When the measurement reading is not accurate, QCs might overlooked the problem and ignore the needs to control the process.  For instance, if a thermometer showed reading at 3^oC each time QC tested sea products, even though the sea product is actually in higher temperature. QCs would thought that the product temperature is OKAY and allow the production continues without initiating any control.  This ignorance would result high bacteria load in the sea products.  So, QCs need accurate measuring devices so that they could make prompt  quality control decision in monitoring food processing.
 
Food processors should have a calibration program for all the measuring devices. The calibrations are planned and recorded into a calibration schedule. QCs would then initiate the calibration activities according to the schedule. Each internal calibration results should be recorded and the calibration reports (of external calibration) should be kept properly. QAs are responsible to make sure the calibration of all measuring devices is done up-to-date.  The examples of measuring devices used in food processing are weighing scales, thermometer, pH meters and Chlorine tester.
 
Some devices’ accuracy can be adjusted during calibration. In internal calibration, the deviation of the readings are recorded for QCs to add on the deviations into the readings that they tested each time.  With that, the reading is more reliable for food safety controls.
 
Dates and readings in calibration is crucial.  QAs should make sure the data is correct and up-to-date so that the document is reliable and to be used as supporting documents.         
 
    
Jacky Chung
Trainer and Consultant
JACKYZ SOLUTION

 
 
 
           
                 

HOW WOULD CHECKLIST ASSIST FOOD BUSINESS PERSONNEL TO IMPLEMENT MeSTI PROGRAM?

As we are complying all MeSTI requirement, we need to record every actions we did in every production day so that everybody in the organization knows what is happening in the processing factory and process and it is also for Quality Controllers (QCs) to initiate appropriate actions when the situation is deviate from the SOP.  
 
I visited hospital Emergency and Trauma Department and wads a few times in 2022 as two of my family members are admitted in general hospital.  There were doctors asking me a lot of questions about the patient. After I answered every questions, the doctors recorded all information. Each time when I asked for advice, the doctor referred to their records and gave me feedback regarding the patient (my family members).  There are different doctors handling the same patient everyday. So how would they know the patient’s condition? Yup, they referred the patient’s record. I am impressed with their recording system as I also believe that records tell information and help the personnel to take further actions or to review.
 

Records can be expressed as tick (√) and cross (×). Cross sign means not good or not yet done.  When it is not complying,  we note the situation / reasons and corrective actions that to be taken to correct the situation.  There are also records in measurement such as food temperature readings and product weight readings. Temperature record should be accurate to show the food safety.  When the sea products temperature increased to 4^oC, it is likely that the bacteria will start to grow on the products.  Thus, QCs should cover the sea products with adequate ice to bring the product temperature down again. This is one of the example that QCs to maintain the food safety. Product weight is another essential control to comply product specification. Besides, product size is also determined by it’s individual weight.  So, weight reading must also be accurate.  
 
Another crucial measurement is duration (time). Processes such as freezing and steaming need a standard duration to ensure the product is successfully transformed to another product form, such as frozen or cooked thoroughly.  Therefore at this time, recording is become important. With the record, QCs can confirm is the practice is correctly done. And if product does notadequately processed (Frozen/cooked etc), QC can ignore mis-handling factor and to investigate other factor (such as machine failure, product quantity and so on).
 
Batch numbers and quantity records of packaging material, chemical, raw material and products tell the inventory of each stock and could be used to monitor the First in First Out (FIFO) system. FIFO syterm should be implemented in every storage to maintain the quality, especially food product as each product has shelf life.  In this system, The earlier processed/received item should be managed in advance then the later processed/received item.
 
 
 
Date records tell when does certain controls or actions have been done.  For example, there are records about Food handlers’ training and health inspection records. This date records shows if the tasks had been done. Besides, the calibration date of measuring device is showing when the calibration is done and when the validity ends. With this record, QCs can check whether the task had been completed and when QCs should arrange next calibration.  There date record can assist QC to initiate actions to comply Food Safety Assurance program’s requirement.     
 
Checklist records provide useful information and support to everybody anytime when QCs want to initiate inspection, review and investigation, or to determine the further actions in production.  Each checklist shoudl have a title and a checklist name for easy retrieving. Besides, every checklist should be signed by an executor (normally QC) and a verifier (Normally Quality Assurance (QA) manager or boss) , as verification. The verifier should then file the checklist according to the title and checklist number. Well, would it accumulate a lot of document? Actually, you just need to keep the checklist as long as the product shelf life. For example, frozen sea product has the shelf life of 18 months. So, we keep the document for 18 months. After that, we reuse the document for checklist (photocoping the checklist on the back side of the record) .  Some people ask, why keeping that long? After food product is marketed, if someday certain batch of food product’s quality and food safety is being doubt and Health Department request to investigate, the QA manager can then retrieve the relevant checklist record to initiate investigation recorded checklist should be named with proper name and checklist number and to be signed by an executor and a verifier.  After that, Quality Assurance Manager should file it properly, according to the title, for easy retrieving.  Every checklist should be kept as long as the shelf life of the product batch so that when there is a need to investigate on certain product batch, QA Manager has the supporting document to do it.
 
Records could be a very important supporting document when handling audits, customer complaint and product recall as every records show important information.  Therefore, the quality team should record checklist well and precisely in every findings.      
 
        
 
     
Jacky Chung
Trainer and Consultant
JACKYZ SOLUTION

 
 
 
           
                 

DEC22 STUDENTS' FEEDBACK

I sincerely express my appreciation to December 22 students' feedback. Every feedback is a recognition + encouragement.  However, the most important is the teaching is able to help everybody in maintaining food hygiene and food safety for avoiding food poisoning on your customers. Keep going! 

HOW TO MAINTAIN FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT IN A FOOD PROCESSING FACTORY?

 

Facility is a system or a building that specific activities are performed whereas equipment is an physical stuff, device, machines for performing a specific purpose.  Facilities could be a assembly of varies of equipment.  There are numbers of facilities and equipment in Food processing factory. Each individual item’s functionality and cleanliness should be maintained well to avoid contamination while producing food products.
 
Besides Receiving steps, food handlers should process food product in the processing factory. They should make sure that doors are closed and food handlers who are working in the processing factory, wearing working attire, are not allowed to go outside of the facility.   If they are going outside (for visiting toilet etc), they should re-enter the factory following entrance procedure. So, when there is a need to bringing in or out of stuff, they should communicate and arrange personnel(s) to standby inside and outside of the facility to pass and receive the stuff. Doors are open for passing stuff only. After the task, the door should be closed immediately.  Closing doors could avoid pest or airborne contaminant flow into the processing factory and contaminate anything in the facility.
 
Maintenance for every facility and equipment is crucial. I always use example of car maintenance / service. How frequent we service our car (changing lubricant and oil filter)? Some saying 3 months, 6 months or every 5,000, 10,000 meter journey, depending on the car condition and the type of oil. Correct? Maintenance in processing factory is the same. For examples, maintenance personnel needs to apply grease in hand Jacks  or any equipment that has bearing.  Based on his experience of maintenance, the personal could decide the minimum frequency of maintenance so that  the equipment and facility would not broken down. Maintenance personnel should repair broken equipment and facility after the production, or repairing them outside of the processing area.  No cleaning on the broken items should be done before that.  
 
Facilities and equipment should be cleaned and checked in a period of time, depends on the necessity. For examples, processing tables is used in every processing day and food waste left on it. Thus, food handlers should clean it after production, before they are go home.  The cleanliness of processing tables are checked  before and after the processing.  Dirty equipment or facility could attract pest, causing contamination.  Wooden equipment and any wooden material of facility is not allowed in food processing factory.  Measuring devices, such as thermometer and scale should be calibrated.  Every activity of cleaning and maintenance should be documented.
                            
Maintenance and cleaning is an important element in MeSTI. It is when every facility and equipment is maintained and sanitized, then we will be able to avoid cross-contamination on  the food products.  
               
 
Jacky Chung
Trainer and Consultant
JACKYZ SOLUTION

 

PROCESSING PLANT LAYOUT AND WORKING FLOW

A good food processing plant have organized layout and working flows that could maximize food production as well as to avoid cross contamination.  While designing the layout of a food processing plant, we should consider the proper working flows that fulfill production efficiency and food safety measures.
 

Working flow should be in one direction. Normally showing “I”, “L”, “U” or “S” shape.  The purpose of having one direction working flow is to avoid cross contamination.  For instance, food handlers passing To and Flo while handling food could easily cause contamination.  Likewise, the raw material or dirty in-process product could contaminate finished products if both are moved facing each other.      
 

The orientation of facility should fulfill the correct sequence of  working flow. For instance, the toilet should be installed outside the processing plant and the door should not facing the production area.  The toilet door should be closed automatically.   After that, the changing room, hand washing station and then, the processing area.  Let's refer to an example of processing plant layout.  You might not design accordingly but just to make sure the one direction working flow and  to ease your operation.
 
Human flow is a working flow of food handlers from the point of entry to the processing plant until exit from the processing plant.  Food handlers should go through sanitation steps before entering processing plant. The sequence should be
 
1. Visiting toilet (wearing toilet slippers) or
2. Changing boots¹
3. Changing food processing attire at changing room
4. Stepping into footbath (with Chlorinated water)¹ and wash hand.
5. Dry hands and enter processing.
 
When food handlers come out from the processing plant to visit toilet, they should
 
i. Take off working attire
ii. Take off boots and change to toilet slippers to enter toilet.
 
After that, they would re-enter processing plant according to step 1 - 5 above.  Processing area would be divided to production (dirty) area and production (clean) area. Food handlers that work in dirty area should be isolated from those working in clean area.  They can be differentiate by attire colour.   
 
Material flow is the movement of raw material and products. When determining the material flow, you should had know your process flow very well. Raw material should be moved into processing plant from the entrance other than food handler’s entrance.  The door size could be smaller for raw material entrance only.  The raw material is then processed at dirty production area  before transferring to clean processing area and onwards. At last, the finished product should be distributed from another door.  If they are 2 kind of productions in the plant, such as fish and prawns,  we should try to arrange 2 sets of production facilities and equipment, to avoid cross contamination.
 
 

Other facilities such as packaging material store, equipment store, chemical store, water tank, water filter and so on should be located at the place that ease the operation. For example, packaging material store should be located at the place which is near the packing area / room.  Door which connecting the processing area should be installed plastic curtain to avoid penetration of pest and dirt.      
 

Based on the determined layout and working flow, QC can study and conduct discussion about the production work and food safety measures with food safety team.  When you had finalized your processing plant’s layout and flows, do submit to your local Food Technology officer for verification before submitting to MeSTI application.         
 
 
Note: ¹ For food processing plant that processing floor is wet
 
 
Jacky Chung
Trainer and Consultant
JACKYZ SOLUTION