12.4 Freezing pork raw material

Found in:

Ham & Cooked Pork / Cold store and vehicle operating procedures

12.4.1 Pork raw material shall not exceed kill+4 days at point of freezing.

12.4.2 The pork material shall be in good condition at the time of freezing and shall be effectively packaged to prevent contamination and degradation of quality.

12.4.3 Pork raw material to be frozen shall be placed into a freezer immediately following receipt.

12.4.4 Frozen pork raw material shall be labelled with a date of kill (where applicable); freezing durability date and it shall not be stored for longer than 12 months.

12.4.5 Where frozen pork raw material is to be defrosted (tempered), this shall be in line with the charter participant’s specification. The tempering process shall be to a documented and validated protocol.

12.4.6 Stock control and defrost records shall be maintained.

Guidance

The integrity of the packaging shall be appropriate for the product. The site may have procedures in place for the control of stock and this shall be supported by stock control checks.

Evidence

Visual inspection of storage area to verify integrity of packaging. Verification of product labelling in storage. Review documented protocol for tempering process. Examples of stock control and temperature control records since the last audit.