CXP_042e_2014

CODEOFHYGIENICPRACTICEFORSPICESANDDRIEDAROMATICHERBSCAC/RCP42–1995Adopted1995.Revision2014.CAC/RCP42-19952TableofContents1.INTRODUCTION2.SECTIONI–OBJECTIVES3.SECTIONII–SCOPE,USEANDDEFINITION3.1.Scope3.2.Use3.3.Definitions4.SECTIONIII–PRIMARYPRODUCTION4.1.EnvironmentalHygiene4.1.1.Locationoftheproductionsite4.1.2.Wildanddomesticanimalsandhumanactivity4.2.Hygienicproductionoffoodsources4.2.1.Agriculturalinputrequirements4.2.1.1Waterforprimaryproduction4.2.1.2Manure,biosolidsandothernaturalfertilizers4.2.1.3Soil4.2.1.4Agriculturalchemicals4.2.2.Personnelhealth,hygieneandsanitaryfacilities4.2.2.1Personnelhygieneandsanitaryfacilities4.2.2.2Healthstatus4.2.2.3Personalcleanliness4.3.Handling,StorageandTransport4.3.1.Preventionofcross-contamination4.3.2.Storageandtransportfromthegrowing/harvestareatothepackingestablishment4.3.3.Drying4.3.3.1NaturalDrying4.3.3.2MechanicalDrying4.3.4.Packinginthegrowing/harvestarea4.4.Cleaning,MaintenanceandPersonnelHygieneatPrimaryProduction4.4.1.Cleaningprogrammes4.4.2.Cleaningproceduresandmethods5.SECTIONIV–ESTABLISHMENT:DESIGNANDFACILITIES5.1.Premisesandrooms5.2.Equipment5.3Facilities5.3.1.Storage6.SECTIONV–CONTROLOFOPERATION6.1.Controloffoodhazards6.2.Keyaspectsofhygienecontrolsystems6.2.1.Specificprocesssteps6.2.1.1MechanicalDrying6.2.1.2CleaningofspicesanddriedaromaticherbsCAC/RCP42-199536.2.1.3MicrobialReductionTreatments6.2.2.Microbiologicalandotherspecifications6.2.3.Microbiologicalcross-contamination6.2.4.Physicalandchemicalcontamination6.3.Incomingmaterialrequirements6.4.Packaging6.5.Water6.6.Documentationandrecords6.7.Traceability/ProducttracingandRecallprocedures7.SECTIONVI–ESTABLISHMENT:MAINTENANCEANDSANITATION7.1.Maintenanceandcleaning7.2.Cleaningprogrammes7.3.Pestcontrolsystems7.4.Wastemanagement7.5.Monitoringeffectiveness8.SECTIONVII–ESTABLISHMENT:PERSONALHYGIENE9.SECTIONVIII–TRANSPORTATION9.1.Generalrequirementsfortransportation10.SECTIONIX–PRODUCTINFORMATIONANDCONSUMERAWARENESS11.SECTIONX–TRAINING11.1.TrainingProgrammesCAC/RCP42-199541.INTRODUCTIONDried,fragrant,aromaticorpungent,edibleplantsubstances,inthewhole,brokenorgroundform,e.g.spicesanddriedaromaticherbs,impartflavour,aromaorcolourwhenaddedtofood.Spicesanddriedaromaticherbsmayincludemanypartsoftheplant,suchasaril,bark,berries,buds,bulbs,leaves,rhizomes,roots,seeds,stigmas,pods,resins,fruits,orplanttops.Theproduction,processing,andpackingofspicesanddriedaromaticherbsisverycomplex.Forexample,sourceplantsforspicesanddriedaromaticherbsaregrowninawiderangeofcountriesandonmanytypesoffarms,e.g.fromverysmallfarmsto,inrareinstances,largefarms.Agriculturalpracticesforgrowingsourceplantsforspicesanddriedaromaticherbsalsovarytremendouslyfromvirtuallynomechanizationtohighlymechanizedpractices.Dryingofsourceplantsmaybeperformedmechanically(forrapiddrying)ornaturally(e.g.slowerdryingunderthesunforseveraldays).Thedistributionandprocessingchainforspicesanddriedaromaticherbsisalsohighlycomplexandcanspanlongperiodsoftimeandincludeawiderangeofestablishments.Forexample,spicesanddriedaromaticherbsgrownonsmallfarmsmaypassthroughmultiplestagesofcollectionandconsolidationbeforereachingaspiceprocessorandpackerorafoodmanufacturer.Driedproductprocessinggenerallyinvolvescleaning(e.g.culling,sortingtoremovedebris),grading,sometimessoaking,slicing,drying,andonoccasiongrinding/cracking.Somespicesanddriedaromaticherbsarealsotreatedtomitigatemicrobialcontamination,typicallybysteamtreatment,gastreatment(e.g.ethyleneoxide),orirradiation.Processingandpacking/repackingmayalsotakeplaceinmultiplelocationsoverlongperiodsoftime,sincespicesanddriedaromaticherbsarepreparedfordifferentpurposes.Thesafetyofspicesanddriedaromaticherbsproductsdependsonmaintaininggoodhygienicpracticesalongthefoodchainduringprimaryproduction,processing,packing,retail,andatthepointofconsumption.Sporeformingbacteria,includingpathogenssuchasBacilluscereus,Clostridiumperfringens,andClostridiumbotulinum,aswellasnon-sporeformingvegetativecellsofmicroorganismssuchasEscherichiacoli,Staphylococcusaureus,andSalmonellaspp.havebeenfoundinspicesanddriedaromaticherbs.Therehavebeenanumberofoutbreaksofillnessassociatedwithspiceandseasoningconsumption,withmostbeingcausedbySalmonellaspp.thathaveraisedconcernsregardingthesafetyofspicesanddriedaromaticherbs.Thecomplexsupplychainforspicesanddriedaromaticherbsmakesitdifficulttoidentifythepointsinthefoodchainwherecontaminationoccurs,butevidencehasdemonstratedthatcontaminationcanoccurthroughoutthefoodchainifproperpracticesarenotfollowed.Thesafetyofspicesanddriedaromaticherbscanalsobeaffectedbymycotoxin-producingmoulds,e.g.thoseproducingaflatoxin(suchasAspergillusflavusorAspergillusparasiticus)orochratoxinA(suchasAspergillusochraceus,Aspergilluscarbonarius,orPenicilliumverrucosum).Chemicalhazardssuchasheavymetalsandpesticides,aswellasphysicalcontaminantssuchasstones,glass,wire,extraneousmatterandotherobjectionablematerial,mayalsobepresentinspicesanddriedaromaticherbs.2.SECTIONI–OBJECTIVESThisCodeofHygienicPracticeaddressesGoodAgriculturalPractices