Product Quality Assurance
Meat products should be manufactured under strict hygiene and sanitary conditions to avoid public health risks and improve aesthetic appeal of the products. Good Manufacturing Practices and Good Hygiene Practices are designed to assure that the foods are produced under hygienic conditions and that microbiological, chemical and physical hazards are prevented. These are the control factors relating to the entire manufacturing operation, not just processes used, and include programs for facilities and grounds, equipment and utensils, pest control, receiving and storage, process control, product recall and personnel training. Contact of products with floor or any other extraneous matter should be avoided during all stages of manufacture of products. Temperature abuse of products handling and storage at higher temperatures should be avoided to check bacterial growth and spoilage. Drains should be cleaned properly. Solid waste should be collected through suitable screen trap and waste water could be disposed appropriately. The operations should not result in pollution and regulations of pollution control should be followed.
Cleaning of floor and proper upkeep of machinery are important. At the end of day operations machinery should be thoroughly cleaned. Left over materials should be properly stored in case required or should be discarded. Samples of ingredients and finished products should be tested for quality control norms. Food distributors and consumers seek their supplies from the processing plants following preventive food safety and quality assurance systems based on HACCP system and following Food Safety and Standards Act 2006. Practice of OIE/ Codex standards would meet WTO requirements and would boost up export meat trade.