REP13/FH JOINT FAO/WHO FOOD STANDARDS PROGRAMME ...

REP13/FH 11
3.2.3 Personnel Health, hygiene and sanitary facilities
100. The Committee agreed to also indicate that whenever possible harvesting, packing and inspection
processes should be designed to reduce fruit handling.
101. In addition, the Committee agreed to move the last sentence of the first paragraph to the section on
training. In view of this deletion, it was agreed to indicate in the second sentence that hand drying was
necessary before handling of berries.
3.2.3.1 Personnel hygiene and sanitary facilities
102. The section was replaced by more detailed information for purposes of clarity.
3.2.3.3 Personal cleanliness
103. The Committee added text to provide an alternative option for personnel with cuts and wounds when
gloves or other protection were not available.
3.2.4 Equipment associated with growing and harvesting
104. The first bullet point was deleted as more appropriate to training and the third bullet point was
amended to indicate that containers and liners that were not cleanable should be disposed of.
3.3 Handling, Storage and Transport
105. The Committee amended the second paragraph to make it less prescriptive by indicating that the
period of two hours for cooling was not the only means to achieve precooling, but an example of precooling.
Furthermore, it was agreed that growers should use potable water for ice and hydrocoolers when required.
106. The second bullet point was amended by moving the first sentence on training to section 10 as more
appropriate, and to make it more clear that berries that had fallen on the ground should be discarded unless
a microbiocidal step was applied.
3.3.1 Prevention of cross-contamination
107. This section was amended by deleting bullet point 3 as it was already covered by the main Code and
by moving bullet point 4 to the section on training as more appropriate and bullet point 6 to section 5.2.4.
3.3.3 Field packing
108. For purposes of clarity and noting that it was not possible to disinfect pallets, the Committee agreed to
amend the second paragraph to indicate that growers should ensure that clean pallets and containers are
used and disinfected where necessary.
4.1.2 Equipment
109. The Committee agreed to replace “organisms” with “foodborne pathogens” as more correct and to
apply this change throughout the document. The second sentence on written SOPs and cleaning and
disinfection of equipment was moved to a new section 6.1.2 as more appropriate.
4.2.1 Design and Layout
110. The section was amended to clarify the design and layout to keep incoming berries from the field
separate from outgoing washed berries and to indicate that the design should allow thorough cleaning and
disinfection of food contact surfaces.
5.2.2.1 Post-harvest water use
111. The section was amended to indicate the use of testing for indicator organisms and/or foodborne
pathogens for the control and monitoring of the quality of water for washing of berries; the additional controls
for water used in pre-washing and washing tanks; that water for final rinses should be potable; and to
indicate the correct use of antimicrobial agents in water.
5.2.4 Microbial cross-contamination
112. A new sentence was added to clarify that cross-contamination between raw and washed berries for
freezing should be prevented.
Section 8 - Transportation
113. A new section on transportation was inserted with a reference to the Code of Practice for Packaging
and Transport of Fresh Fruits and Vegetables (CAC/RCP 44-1995) as relevant.