6.3 Cooling of smoked, heat set or cooked product

Found in:

6.3.1 Standard operating procedures, work instructions and process records shall be documented and maintained for the cooling process.

6.3.2 Product shall be cooled rapidly after completing the specified heating/cooking process to ensure that the safety and quality of the product is not compromised.

6.3.3 All product shall cool to <5°C before further processing

6.3.4 Bacon/gammon heat set/cooked in sealed containers/casings/bags may be cooled in chilled air or by a combination of cold water showering followed by chilled air or brine to <5°C and may be held in these containers until required for further processing or packing.

6.3.5 To allow traceability of the heating/cooking process each batch of heat set/cooked product shall be clearly identified with date and time of heating/cooking and details of cooker and product temperature achieved.

Guidance

Documented procedures shall be in place to ensure product safety/product quality is not compromised. This shall be supported by evidence of temperature monitoring and recording.

If the product is more than 5kg, it shall achieve a core temperature of +5°C or lower in accordance with Campden BRI Guidelines (Review 8) on ‘Identification and Prevention of Hazards associated with Slow Cooling of Hams and Other Large Cooked Meats and Meat Products’. If the product is less than 5kg, 4 hours shall be the maximum time permitted to reach less than +5°C.

This shall be supported by accurate record keeping including traceability of product.

Evidence

Review documented procedures, work instructions and examples of cooling process records since the last audit.

Cooking records since the last audit.