Good Hygiene Practices (GHP)

GHP (Good Hygiene Practices) is the starting point for hygiene management in all food supply chains. It deals with issues such as employee hygiene practices, sanitation facilities, pest control and prevention of physical and chemical pollution, etc. It is a prerequisite for standards such as Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), HACCP, ISO 22000, etc. Good Hygiene Practices (GHP) aims to ensure food safety by analyzing hazards in the food supply chain. Hazard analysis with GHP, harvesting, production and preparation of processed foods, raw material management; it also prevents contamination by humans during cleaning of the storage and display environment. Sources of hazards can be water used in the food industry, foodborne pathogens, contamination of food processing, and food contact surfaces, etc. Good Hygiene Practices play a critical role in controlling all these hazards and delivering healthy and safe foods to consumers. You can contact Aşan Danışmanlık to get more detailed information about Good Hygiene Practices (GHP) and to learn about GHP verification and certification.

Good Hygiene Practices (GHP) Checks

Some of the critical checks made in the GHP process include:

- Environmental control: Potential sources of contamination must first be identified in the GHP. Food processing facilities should be away from polluted areas, toxic environments or near offensive odors, wastewater discharge, chemical residues or other sources that produce hazardous and toxic substances.
- Food process control: The food produced must be sustainable. Raw materials and ingredients of processed foods should be controlled for contamination from soil, water, fertilizers, pesticides and other primary production levels. Also, food sources should be tested to be free of foodborne contaminants. In addition, the care and storage conditions of foods are also important and must be checked.
- Handling, storage and transportation: After controlling the origin and processing steps of the raw material in the factory, another important part of the control is the storage and transportation of the final product. Food should be stored hygienically away from dangerous and inedible substances that may contaminate or poison the food. This pollution can be caused by chemical, physical, microbiological, fertilizers or toxic sources.
- Personal hygiene: All facilities, warehouses, personnel clothes, equipment and surfaces on the factory site must be cleaned and passed through a hygiene permit. Employees should also consider their own health. In order for the food to be durable during preservation, attention should be paid to the appropriate temperature in all seasons, as well as the humidity of the environment and air conditioning. Therefore, it is necessary to establish the right ventilation and air conditioning conditions.

GHP Audits and GHP Documentation

Businesses that harmonize their food production processes with GHP can obtain GHP Certificate by applying to accredited certification bodies. During the application process, businesses go through GHP audits. Good Manufacturing Practices cover every issue that threatens food safety in a food facility. In this context, not only the production process, but all the steps that food products go through until they reach the production process are included in GHP. Areas of the business such as office, toilet, cafeteria, etc.; Surfaces such as walls, doors, windows, floors and ceilings, disinfection procedures, waste management instructions, etc. are examined in detail in GHP inspections. It may be necessary to create a corrective & preventive action plan for the nonconformities detected in the audits. After the completion of all these steps, companies are entitled to receive the GHP Certificate.

Some of the advantages that the GHP Certificate offers to companies are:

* Minimizing the risks that threaten food safety
* Protecting customer health and thus increasing consumer satisfaction
* Protecting the health of employees by establishing safe food production processes
* Effective waste management and prevention of waste
* Faster compliance with legal regulations on food safety and hygiene
* Increasing trust in the brand and company and providing competitive advantage in the market

All consumers have the right to consume safe, hygienically prepared and quality food. Therefore, at each step of the food supply process, hygiene-related hazards and risks need to be eliminated. Good Hygiene Practices (GHP) are a set of requirements developed to prevent food contamination in order to provide consumers with safe food.