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This standard replaces GB 8950-1988 Hygienic Specifications of Cannery.
The following main changes have been made with respect to GB 8950-1988 (the previous edition):
——This standard is renamed as "National Food Safety Standard - Specifications for Production Sanitation of Canned Food";
——The empty can is revised as packaging vessel, including relevant requirements for metal cans, glass bottles, compound flexible pouch, boxes, cups, bowls and bottles;
——The management requirements for tools and instruments containing fiber materials are added;
——The water supply system is subdivided, and the water quality control and inspection items of the enterprises supplied by the urban water transporting and distributing pipe network and self-provided water source are separately specified;
——As for the sanitary control during manufacturing process, the requirements that the enterprise prepare the operation specifications for seaming are added, the relevant requirements for establishing process specification for thermal-sterilization are modified, and the specific contents of retort and its configuration are partly deleted;
——The water quality control requirements for sterilization cooling water with different water sources and different cooling methods are added;
——The technical requirements for the sterilization safety assessment procedure are added;
——The requirement that the sterilization equipment be subjected to heat distribution testing after installation is added;
——The cooling requirement "For some products with poor thermal sensitivity (such as canned porridge), the central temperature can be cooled to below 45°C" is added.
National Food Safety Standard -
Specifications for Production Sanitation of Canned Food
1 Scope
This standard specifies basic requirements and administration rules for sites, facilities and personnel of material purchasing, processing, packaging, storage and transport in the process of canned food production.
This standard is applicable to the production of canned food.
2 Terms and Definitions
For the purposes of this standard, the terms and definitions in GB 14881-2013 apply.
2.1
commercial sterilization
the food state in which the food contains neither pathogenic microbe nor non-pathogenic microorganisms that can breed in it under normal temperature after moderate thermal sterilization
2.2
sterilization process specification
the technical parameters and operation requirements of thermal sterilization that enables the products to meet the commercial sterilization requirements under certain production conditions
2.3
residual chlorine (free residual chlorine)
the chlorine that remains in water as hypochlorous acid, hypochlorite or chloride ion
2.4
sterilization deviation
any phenomenon failing to meet the thermal sterilization process specification during thermal sterilization
2.5
key factor of thermal sterilization
the nature, characteristics, conditions, form or other parameters that affect the heat transfer of the product; since the slight change in such factors will directly affect the commercial sterilization effect of the products, they are the basis for the establishment of sterilization procedures
3 Site Selection and Plant Environment
Site selection and plant environment shall be in accordance with the relevant requirements of Chapter 3, GB 14881-2013.
4 Plant Building and Workshop
They shall be in accordance with the relevant requirements of Chapter 4, GB 14881-2013.
5 Facilities and Equipment
5.1 Generic requirement
It shall be in accordance with the relevant requirements in Chapter 5, GB 14881-2013.
5.2 Basic requirement
5.2.1 The equipment, conveyors, operating table, transport vehicles, tools and vessels that are in contact with food in the processing workshop of canned food shall facilitate cleaning and maintenance, and shall be made of non-toxic, odorless, corrosion-resistant and nonabsorbent materials which are smooth in surface, hard-to-peel and easy for cleaning. Tools and instruments as well as vessels made of bamboo or wood shall not be used. The tools and instruments made of fiber materials, such as cotton gloves, cloth filter bags, nets, clean rags, etc. shall not be used in the workshop, however, if they are necessary for production, the enterprises shall formulate corresponding management systems to strengthen safety and sanitation management.
5.2.2 In the canned food processing workshop, the structures of equipment and tools as well as the installation position of fixed equipment shall facilitate thorough cleaning and disinfection.
5.2.3 Vessels shall not be used to contain both waste and food. The waste vessel shall be provided with obvious markings and shall be made of materials which are corrosion-resistant and easy for cleaning.
5.3 Water facilities
The cooling water for canned food sterilization shall be good in water quality and sufficient in flow, for which purpose, the domestic drinking water meeting the requirement of GB 5749 can be directly used. Chlorination shall be performed if the water supplied through non- centralized water supply or water transporting and distributing pipe network enters into the intermediate links such as pools, towers and tanks, or the cooling is achieved by external circulation, but the residual chlorine content at the cooling water discharge outlet shall not be lower than 0.5mg/L.
5.4 Ventilation and temperature control device
5.4.1 The canned food processing workshop shall be equipped with ventilation equipment to maintain the ventilation within it. During the production process, processes that generate large amounts of steam or soot shall be relatively concentrated and the steams and soot shall be exhausted from the workshop through well-ventilated equipment or other effective treatment measures. The vents shall be equipped with corrosion-resistant mesh covers and kept clean.
5.4.2 Canned food processing workshop shall be equipped with temperature control equipment according to different product processing temperature requirements.
5.5 Sterilization equipment
5.5.1 The sterilization equipment shall comply with the sterilization process requirements; and the retort shall comply with the relevant standards specified by the nation for pressure vessels.
5.5.2 After installation, the sterilization equipment shall be subjected to heat distribution testing and may not put into use unless the heat distribution is confirmed to be uniform. The heat distribution test shall be carried out at least once every three years on the premise of guaranteeing the unobstruction of heat supply and heat transfer medium. The heat distribution test shall be re-conducted if there's any changes in the equipment structure, pipeline, valves, procedures, etc., or if necessary.
5.5.3 Ancillary facilities for sterilization
5.5.3.1 Temperature indicator
Each sterilization equipment shall be equipped with at least one mercurial thermometer or other temperature indicator to determine the reference temperature for sterilization.
Mercurial thermometers shall at least meet the following requirements: the minimum scale shall be 0.5°C, with the scale range per centimeter no more than 4°C; the mercurial thermometer shall be sent to the legal measurement units for verification at least once a year and affixed with the label indicating the verification date, validity period, verification director and other information.
5.5.3.2 Temperature and time recording device
Each sterilization equipment shall be equipped with a set of temperature-time recording device. The temperature recorded during sterilization shall be equal to or less than the reference temperature for sterilization, and shall not be higher than the reference temperature, and the deviation, if any, shall be recorded. The automatic temperature recorder shall be calibrated by specially-assigned person. Measures shall be taken to prevent the temperature recorder from being arbitrarily changed.
5.5.3.3 Automatic steam controller
Each sterilization equipment shall be equipped with automatic steam controller.
5.5.3.4 Pressure gauge
Each retort shall be equipped with at least one pressure gauge. The safe working pressure of the retort shall be 2/3 of the full scale of the pressure gauge. The dial, of which the scale is 0.01MPa, shall be no less than 100mm in diameter and shall be calibrated at least once a year.
Foreword i
1 Scope
2 Terms and Definitions
3 Site Selection and Plant Environment
4 Plant Building and Workshop
5 Facilities and Equipment
6 Sanitation Management
7 Food Material, Food Additives and Food-related Products
8 Food Safety Control in Production Process
9 Inspection
10 Storage and Transport
11 Recall Management of the Products
12 Training
13 Management System and Personnel
14 Record and Document Management