What You Need to Know
Part 117 Subpart B is called Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMPs).
These CGMPs outline the major requirements that a food processor must adhere to, including:
Facility requirements
Employee requirements
Equipment requirements
Cleaning requirements
Warehousing & Distribution requirements
Summary of Current Good Manufacturing Practices
This text is aligned with the coding used in the FDA Regulations so that you can hunt down the corresponding section with ease.
For example, you have a question about my wording in §117.110 (b) (2) then just look up this same code in the CFR.
117.10 Personnel:
For a reduced summary of this section, see Personnel
a. Disease Control: Sick employees must be excluded from operations that could result in food contamination
b. Cleanliness: Employees must have clean practices:
1. Clothing that protects against contamination
2. Adequate personal cleanliness
3. Hand washing
4. Removing unsecured jewelry
5. Wearing gloves in a safe manner
6. Wearing hair restraints
7. Storing other belongings in areas where food is exposed/equipment is washed.
8. Not eating food, chewing gum, drinking beverages, or using tobacco in food areas.
9. Taking other precautions
§117.20 Plants & Grounds
For a reduced summary of this section, see Facility Requirements
a. Grounds: They must be kept in a condition that protects against contamination. Methods include:
1. Eliminate conditions for breeding/harboring pests
2. Maintain roads, yards, parking lots
3. Drain areas (i.e. puddles) that may breed pests or contribute to food contamination
4. Even if the grounds aren’t in your control, you must still mitigate contamination hazards.
b. Plant Construction & Design: The space must be suitable in size, construction and design for food production.
1. Must have adequate space for equipment and storage.
2. Must allow you to take precautions which reduce allergen contamination and food contamination (for example -- by chemicals, filth, other materials). Ways to eliminate contamination include separating operations by: location, time, partition, air flow systems, dust control system, etc.
3. Protect food that is stored outside in bulk containers:
4. Floors, Walls, Ceilings must be constructed in a way that allows them to be cleaned. The construction of the space must allow employees to do their jobs and not contaminate food, packaging, and work areas.
5. There should be adequate lighting in all food and employee areas (including food storage areas and employee locker rooms). All bulbs and glass that is suspended over areas where food is exposed should be shatter resistant.
6. There should be adequate ventilation to minimize dust, steam, odors, and vapors.
7. Provide screens or other protection against pests (door sweeps, air curtains)
§117.35 Sanitary Operations
For a reduced summary of this section see Sanitary Operations in Food Processing Facilities
a. General Maintenance: Your space and everything in it must be in good repair to prevent food from being contaminated (i.e. no leaky ceilings, which could drip in food). Your cleaning processes should protect your food, packaging, and workspace from contamination.
b. Cleaning chemicals:
1. You must only use safe cleaning chemicals. Toxic chemicals may only be allowed in food areas if they are:
i. Required for cleaning
ii. Used in lab testing
iii. Necessary for equipment maintenance
iv. Absolutely necessary
2. You must store toxic chemicals in a way that protects food from contamination (Label it with the everyday name and keep it away from food and packaging)
c. Pest Control - Pests aren’t allowed in any area of the plant. You must exclude pests in the space and only use pesticides when it won’t result in contamination of food, packaging or work spaces.
d. Sanitation - You must clean food contact surfaces, including utensils, tables, equipment, to protect against contamination.
1. If you process low moisture (dry) food, your food contact areas must be clean and dry before use.
2. In “wet processing” food processing areas must be cleaned before use and after any contamination occurs.
3. Paper towels, paper cups and other single-use items must be protected from contamination.
e. Non-food-contact-surfaces (i.e. walls, ceilings or anything that doesn’t touch food) must be cleaned as much as necessary to prevent contamination of food, packaging, or work areas.
f. Portable equipment and utensils must be stored in a way that doesn’t contaminate work areas.
§117.37 Sanitary Facilities and Controls
For a reduced summary of this section see Facility Requirements
a. Water Supply must be from an adequate source. Running water must be of a suitable temperature and pressure and be provided in all food processing/cleaning areas.
b. Plumbing: Must
1. Carry adequate amounts of water around the plant.
2. Remove sewage from the plant.
3. Avoid contaminating food, equipment, water supply, utensils, ec.
4. Provide floor drainage in spaces where floors get very wet
5. Avoid back flow between plumbing systems
c. Sewage Disposal: Sewage must be disposed of adequately
d. Toilet Facilities: Each plant must have clean toilet facilities.
e. Hand-washing facilities: Each plant must provide hand washing facilities.
f. Rubbish: store rubbish to minimize odor, pests, and contamination
§117.40 Equipment and Utensils
For a reduced summary of this section see Equipment and Utensils
a. Equipment and Utensils
1. Equipment and utensils must be designed to be cleanable and maintained to avoid contamination.
2. Equipment and utensils must not contaminate food with lubricants, metal fragments, water, etc.
3. Equipment must be installed in a way that they can be cleaned and maintained.
4. Food-contact surfaces must be corrosion-resistant.
5. Food-contact surfaces must be non-toxic
6. Food-contact surfaces must be maintained to protect food from allergen cross-contact
b. Seams on food-contact surfaces must be seamless to minimize accumulation of particles.
c. Equipment kept in food areas must be constructed so it can be kept clean -- even if it doesn’t contact food.
d. Machinery must be designed in a way that can be kept clean
e. Each freezer and refrigerator must have a thermometer in it.
f. pH meters, thermometers, and other measuring devices must be accurate.
g. Compressed air must be treated in a way that it does not contaminate food.
§117.80 Processes and Controls
For a reduced summary of this section see Processes and Controls
a. General:
1. All operations involving food must align with sanitation principles.
2. Quality control must be used to ensure food and packaging is safe.
3. One or more competent individuals must be responsible for sanitation
4. You must protect your food from allergens and contamination.
5. Testing must be used to identify sanitation failures or possible product contamination.
6. Any contaminated food must be discarded or treated to eliminate the contamination.
b. Raw Materials & Ingredients
1. Ingredients must be inspected for cleanliness and stored safely. If necessary, raw materials should be washed using clean water.
2. Ingredients must be safe for consumption or treated to make them safe (i.e. washed or cooked).
3. Ingredients susceptible to toxins must comply with FDA regulations.
4. Ingredients that are contaminated must comply with FDA regulations if they are to be used.
5. Ingredients must be held in containers that prevent contamination and at an acceptable temperature and humidity level.
6. Frozen ingredients must be kept frozen.
7. Ingredients stored in bulk must be safe from contamination.
8. Ingredients that contain allergens must be identified and held in a way that prevents cross-contact.
c. Manufacturing Operations:
1. Equipment must be maintained in clean condition.
2. All operations should be controlled to minimize growth of bacteria, contamination and spoilage.
3. Food requiring refrigeration must be refrigerated throughout the operation.
4. Measures used to prevent bacteria growth (i.e. cooking, sterilizing, refrigerating) must be adequate.
5. Re-work must prevent contamination and bacteria growth.
6. When ingredients are unprotected they must not be handled in a way that could cause contamination. Food on conveyor belts must be protected.
7. Equipment, containers, and utensils must be constructed and used in a way that doesn’t contaminate food.
8. You must take measures to protect your product from metal or foreign objects.
9. Contaminated food must:
i. Be disposed of OR
ii. Re-worked and re-examined,
10. Food that is being processed must be protected from contamination.
11. Heat blanching --if used-- must be performed properly
12. Foods that are used repeatedly (i.e. dipping sauces, breading) must be protected from contamination and bacteria growth
13. Filling, assembling, and packaging processes must not contaminate food.
14. Dry foods that rely on low moisture for safety must be sufficiently dry.
15. Acidified foods that rely on acid for safety must be sufficiently acidic (pH≤4.6)
16. Ice that touches food must be food quality.
§117.93 Warehousing and Distribution
Storage and transportation of food must protect the food from contamination.
(That’s it!) See source code 21 CFR 117.93 to see for yourself
§117.95 Holding and distribution of Human food by-products for use as animal food
a. By-products held for use as animal food must be protected from contamination:
1. Containers must be safe
2. Food by-products must be protected from contamination
3. By-products used for animal food must be labeled
b. Labeling must use common name
c. Shipping containers must be inspected for contamination prior to use
§117.110 Defect Action Levels
a. Quality control must be used to minimize defects
b.Mixing contaminated food with uncontaminated food to dilute the contamination level is not permitted.
Exemptions
This section applies to most traditional food processors that fall under FDA jurisdiction. However, there are some notable exceptions.
Farms
Fishing Vessels
Establishments who solely hold and transport agricultural products
Establishments who only raw process (i.e. shell or dry) nuts.
Mixed-Type farm facilities (defined in §1.227)
This Article is For You If…
∆ You produce, pack or pack food that is consumed in the US.
∆ Your food product enters interstate commerce
Table of Contents
§117.10 Personnel
§117.20 Plants and Grounds
§117.35 Sanitary Operations
§117.37 Sanitary Facilities and Controls
§117.40 Equipment and Utensils
§117.80 Processes and Controls
§117.93 Warehousing and Distribution
§117.95 Holding and Distribution of Human Food Byproducts for Use as Animal Food
§117.110 Defect Action Levels
Exemptions
More About Operating Requirements
More Posts
References
FDA Regulations on cGMPS