Good Hygiene Practices along the coffee chain Module

Good Hygiene Practices along the coffee chain Module 3. 3 The Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene – Control of Operation

Objectives § Introduce trainees to Section V of the Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene - Control of operations § Demonstrate relevance of the provisions of general hygiene code on the “Control of operation” to the handling and processing of coffee. § Provide understanding of key aspects of control systems in coffee handling and processing 2 Module 3. 3 – The Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene – Control of Operation

Content § Scope, outline and objectives of Section V of Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene, “Control of operation” § Principles governing hygiene control systems and their application to the coffee chain § Responsibilities of various stakeholders in the control of operations in coffee processing and handling 3 Module 3. 3 – The Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene – Control of Operation

Objective of Section V Production of safe and suitable food for human consumption by § Formulating design requirements with respect to raw materials, composition, processing, handling, distribution, and consumer use § Designing, implementing, monitoring and reviewing effective control systems 4 Module 3. 3 – The Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene – Control of Operation

Control of food hazards § Food hazards should be controlled through the use of appropriate food safety management programmes that § § § Identify any steps which are critical to safety of food Implement effective control procedures at those steps Monitor control procedures Anticipate emergencies – development of recall procedures Review control procedures periodically § Systems should be applied throughout the food chain to control food hygiene throughout the product shelf-life 5 Module 3. 3 – The Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene – Control of Operation

Key aspects of hygiene control § Some food safety issues to be controlled in food processing operations § § § 6 Microbiological contamination / food poisoning Chemical contamination Extraneous material Correct use of additives Record-keeping, documentation and labelling requirements Module 3. 3 – The Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene – Control of Operation

Implement control measures § Specific process steps may be designed to exert control of food hazards. Key process parameters may relate to § § § § 7 Thermal processing Chilling /freezing Drying Washing Fermentation Vacuum or modified atmosphere Other process-specific procedures depending on the production system Module 3. 3 – The Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene – Control of Operation

Designing / evaluating control measures § Microbiological, chemical and physical specifications § Must be based on sound science § Considerations in establishing microbiological specifications § § 8 Growth potential in particular medium Infective dose Contamination routes Spoilage Module 3. 3 – The Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene – Control of Operation

Common problems in hygiene control § Microbial cross-contamination § § § 9 Passive transfer by air or water Transfer / contamination by ‘vectors’ Transfer via surfaces Transfer via staff Raw material crossing finished product Packaging faults Module 3. 3 – The Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene – Control of Operation

Common problems in hygiene control § Physical and chemical contamination § Contamination during production operations § Chemical residues and extraneous matter in raw materials § Inappropriate use of additives § Glass or metal shards 10 Module 3. 3 – The Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene – Control of Operation

Building adequate controls into the process § Identification and analysis of potential hazards that could arise is an essential prerequisite for building adequate hygiene controls into the process § All operations involved should be considered: § Raw material receipt § All processing steps § Storage, transport, handling by all intermediate and final users 11 Module 3. 3 – The Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene – Control of Operation

Hygiene control systems General structure of coffee chain - four main segments with different operations in each segment A B C D Primary transformation Primary processing Secondary processing Bagging Storage Fresh cherries Dry product Unsorted beans Graded beans Temporary storage and transport at each segment 12 Module 3. 3 – The Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene – Control of Operation Exportable coffee

Hygiene control systems Segment A: Consists of stabilisation of fresh product by drying. Two basic techniques are used to achieve this goal Wet processing Parchment Fresh cherries Dry processing Dry cherries 13 Module 3. 3 – The Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene – Control of Operation

Hygiene control systems Wet processing - consists of the removal of pulp and mucilage through successive operations and this shortens time of drying § Pulping § Removal of mucilage, mechanically or by fermentation in tanks § Washing, an operation only applied after fermentation to remove pieces of mucilage which could remain 14 Module 3. 3 – The Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene – Control of Operation

Hygiene control - receiving Step 1 - Receiving § Handling of cherries between harvesting and processing may impact on microbiological condition § Processors should ensure that cherries are received in good condition § Records of deliveries / lists of approved suppliers 15 Module 3. 3 – The Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene – Control of Operation

Control of pulping Step 2 - Pulping § Establish specifications for acceptability of fresh cherry to be fed into pulper and ensure that specifications are met § Ensure use of water of acceptable quality § Adjust pulper spacings to avoid crushing of beans § Visually check pulped parchments for damage and admixture with skins to verify functioning of pulper Drum pulper Disc pulper 16 Module 3. 3 – The Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene – Control of Operation

Control of mucilage removal Step 3 – Mucilage removal by fermentation § § § 17 Time of fermentation defined by local conditions (temperature) Assure availability of clear water Ensure adequate removal of skins from parchment Confirm adequate degradation of mucilage at end of fermentation Records should include start and end of fermentation and any pertinent comments Module 3. 3 – The Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene – Control of Operation

Control of mucilage removal Step 3 – Mucilage removal by mechanical action § Establish specifications for acceptability of fresh cherry to be fed into demucilaginator and ensure that specifications are met. § Ensure that water is of acceptable quality § Visual check on condition of outgoing parchment and adjustment of equipment as necessary § Daily removal of residual parchment 18 Module 3. 3 – The Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene – Control of Operation

Control of washing Step 4 – Washing (after fermentation) to eliminate residual mucilage adhering to parchment § Ensure use of water of acceptable quality § Check adequacy of washing - the parchment should not be gelatinous Canal 19 Mechanical Module 3. 3 – The Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene – Control of Operation

Drying of parchment Step 5 – Drying of parchment § 1250 kg of wet parchment § § § Contains 600 -700 kg of water to be removed Produces 450 -500 kg of dried beans Produces 110 -120 kg of dry parchment husk § Control of the drying operation involves same considerations as drying of cherries 20 Module 3. 3 – The Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene – Control of Operation

Hygiene control systems in dry processing Drying of fresh cherries § 2500 -2600 kg of fresh cherries: § § § 21 Contains 1450 -1600 kg of water to be removed Produces 450 – 500 kg of dry beans Produces 500 kg of dry husk Module 3. 3 – The Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene – Control of Operation

Control of drying operations § Parameters to be considered for control of drying § § Load of dryer (kg of fresh material/m²) or Thickness of layer § Findings from the global project (drying on tarpaulin) 15 days 15% 22 Load T 1 : 60 kg/m² T 2 : 37 kg/m² Layer thickness Module 3. 3 – The Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene – Control of Operation T 1 : 10. 5 cm T 2 : 3. 5 cm

Control of drying operations Recommended loads in sun-drying of coffee § Fresh cherries: 20 - 40 kg/m 2 or 2 - 4 cm thick layer § Parchment: 30 - 50 kg/m 2 or 3 - 4 cm thick layer Drying layer too deep 23 Correct thickness of drying Furrowing to increase surface layer area Module 3. 3 – The Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene – Control of Operation

Control of drying operations § Measurable parameters to be monitored for control of drying § § 24 Loading on surface (kg of fresh material/m²) or of dryer (kg) Thickness of layer Stirring frequency Temperature, air flow, initial moisture content and residence time (with mechanical drying) Module 3. 3 – The Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene – Control of Operation

Control of drying operations § Drying yard management § § 25 Batches of coffee or parchment in the drying yards should be kept separately Essential information about any batch should be recorded (actions taken, moisture content, etc. ) Module 3. 3 – The Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene – Control of Operation

Control of drying operations § Drying yard management § § 26 Coffee should be covered during the night and when raining The person responsible for covering any batch of coffee should be clearly indicated Module 3. 3 – The Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene – Control of Operation

Storage of dry product § Storage of dry cherry § Rigorous testing to assure newly arrived cherry coffee is adequately dried (<12%) and in satisfactory condition (evidence of prior abuse) § The recommended maximum length of storage of dry cherry (before hulling) being confirmed • Husk is an important source of contamination • But husk is more hygroscopic than bean so may confer rewetting protection • Poor moisture management could lead to increased risk of contamination • Practical limitations imposed by hulling capacity 27 Module 3. 3 – The Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene – Control of Operation

Storage of dry product § Appropriate storage facilities should be provided as outlined in Module 3. 2 § Permitting adequate cleaning and maintenance § Preventing pest access and harbourage § Providing protection against moisture uptake and new contamination § Inadequately dried coffee (m. c. > 12. 0%) should not be put into storage 28 Module 3. 3 – The Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene – Control of Operation

Management of dry product § Records should be kept of dried product accepted into storage (date, moisture content on receipt, condition, etc. ) § Scheduled inspection for insect and rodent infestation made and recorded § Regular inspection for roof / plumbing leaks § Stored products should be subject to effective stock rotation - first in, first out 29 Store bags on pallets but NOT against a wall Module 3. 3 – The Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene – Control of Operation Avoid poor quality bags stored on the floor

Hygiene control systems Segment B: Husking consists of the transformation of dry parchment coffee or dry cherries into beans by husking / hulling Parchment Beans Dry cherries 30 Module 3. 3 – The Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene – Control of Operation

Control of husking § Factors to control in husking 31 § Moisture below 13% to avoid excessive heating and crushing of beans § Adjustment of the machine to avoid physical damage to beans § Good separation of husk and beans § When operating in closed place, good ventilation is required § Husk can be highly contaminated with OTA-producing mould and OTA, badly managed husking operations can create contamination risk Module 3. 3 – The Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene – Control of Operation

Hygiene control systems Segment C: Cleaning, sorting and grading. Consists of the transformation of dry parchment coffee or dry cherries into beans by husking / hulling Sorted coffee Defects Unsorted coffee 32 Module 3. 3 – The Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene – Control of Operation

Hygiene control in grading and sorting § Sorting and grading are primarily related to quality and marketing of coffee § § According to ICO Resolution 407 minimum standards for exportable coffee - < 86 defects in 300 g sample of Arabica; < 150 defects in 300 g sample of Robusta ISO 10470 - definitions and characteristics of main defects and foreign matter in green coffee § Quality defects / foreign matter may also be linked to risk of OTA contamination – this is under investigation in the global project OTA content of defects and sound beans sorted from a single batch of bulk coffee 33 Module 3. 3 – The Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene – Control of Operation

Storage of green coffee § Coffee must be protected from re-wetting during storage § Coffee should be protected from sources of contamination Store bags away from walls 34 Store bags on pallets in ventilated and clean warehouse Module 3. 3 – The Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene – Control of Operation

Storage of green coffee § Green coffee should be stored separately from dry cherry or parchment § Recommended shelf life under ambient conditions of temperature and relative humidity - under investigation in global project 35 Module 3. 3 – The Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene – Control of Operation

Incoming material requirements § No raw material or ingredient be accepted if known to contain hazards which would not be reduced to acceptable levels by normal sorting/processing § Raw material should be inspected and sorted before processing and, when necessary, laboratory tests should be made § Routine OTA testing is unreliable and expensive § Prevention of OTA contamination by adherence to good practices throughout the chain § All actors in the coffee chain should require assurance that they receive material from reliable suppliers following recommended practices § Only sound and suitable material should be used 36 Module 3. 3 – The Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene – Control of Operation

Control of incoming material Strategies for assuring quality of incoming raw material § Periodic evaluation of incoming ingredients § § Written specifications needed and purchasing specifications should meet food laws Statistically representative sample taken and analysed at scheduled frequency § 1 OO% lots inspected § A certificate of analysis for each lot § Predetermined sampling plan to verify adherence to specifications § Vendor certification § Specification requirements 37 Module 3. 3 – The Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene – Control of Operation

Packaging § Packaging design and materials should provide adequate protection § Packaging design should allow proper labelling § Packaging materials and gases must be non-toxic § Reusable packaging should be durable and easy to clean Label certifying that this jute bag is suitable for contact with food 38 Module 3. 3 – The Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene – Control of Operation

Water in contact with food: case of wet processing with coffee Pulper Washing canal § Water quality specifications have not been established - but clear water is recommended § Avoid water polluted with chemical residues and other toxins 39 Module 3. 3 – The Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene – Control of Operation

Management and supervision § Management of food establishments must § Establish and document food quality and safety policy for establishment § Facilitate implementation of quality and safety policy through adequate quality /safety management programmes § Improve awareness of all employees of food quality/ safety issues and encourage participation of all in assuring food safety and quality § Provide training to employees in food quality and safety, as appropriate to their function 40 Module 3. 3 – The Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene – Control of Operation

Management and supervision § Design of appropriate control systems depends on: § Size of business § Nature of activities § Type of food § Constraints in relation to coffee sector § Highly fragmented nature of marketing chain in most producing countries § Predominated by small-holder farms § Limited human, financial and technical resources of most of the economic operators within the chain § Weak or non-existent economic incentives for ensuring quality and safety 41 Module 3. 3 – The Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene – Control of Operation

Documentation and records § Any food quality and safety system must include documentation, record-keeping and monitoring § Where necessary, records should be kept and retained for a period exceeding the shelf-life of product § Records of incoming raw materials received § Records of processing § Records of distribution § Documentation can enhance § Credibility § Ability to react effectively and efficiently in case of a food safety problem 42 Module 3. 3 – The Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene – Control of Operation

Documentation and records Factors affecting record keeping in the coffee sector § A large proportion of the farmers and traders in many coffee-producing countries operate at a micro-scale § Pooling of coffee is widespread in smallholder areas § In many producing countries, regulations governing the condition of coffee traded within the country are outdated or lacking § Instruments for reliable and accurate measurement of moisture in coffee are not widely available for use in the field 43 Module 3. 3 – The Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene – Control of Operation

Ensuring adequate hygiene controls in the coffee sector Role of industry § To design and implement hygiene control systems covering their entire operation § Industry groups can play an important role in encouraging good practices § Participate in discussions with relevant government agencies on industry concerns, priorities, and provide data as appropriate 44 Module 3. 3 – The Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene – Control of Operation

Ensuring adequate hygiene controls in the coffee sector Role of government § Use a risk-based evaluation to ensure best use of available resources for the implementation of good practices within the sector § To establish a sound science-based regulatory framework that ensures food safety without unnecessarily encumbering the industry § Assist industry to meet food safety requirements by providing practical guidelines and training § Commit resources for the implementation of monitoring programmes to allow early detection of problems and other technical support programmes to address key issues § Ensure effective use of resources in addressing problems as they arise 45 Module 3. 3 – The Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene – Control of Operation

Next steps… § Reflect on coffee processing operations that you are familiar with - is there adequate control to ensure food safety? § Consider what is your role in ensuring that adequate controls are applied in the processing and handling of coffee? § Next module – ‘Maintenance and sanitation’ 46 Module 3. 3 – The Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene – Control of Operation