GOOD MANUFACTURING

Penn State Berkey Creamery SSOP 2014

GOOD

MANUFACTURING

PRACTICES

Code of GMP Compliance:

Plant employees

Store and Office Personnel

Visitors

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Penn State Berkey Creamery SSOP 2014

I. PURPOSE

Penn State Berkey Creamery has been a significant contributor of dairy foods to Penn State University for over 140 years. Our success comes from establishing and continually earning consumer trust and loyalty. The employees of Penn State Berkey Creamery have gained consumer trust by providing consistent, high quality, dairy food products. This trust has provided us with opportunities from which the Berkey Creamery employees have continued to benefit. Employees taking pride in their work and maintaining strict adherence to the good manufacturing practices (GMP) listed on the following pages will allow us to maintain our customer satisfaction and loyalty.

We operate a dairy food manufacturing plant, the products of which will be consumed by our students, faculty, staff, and friends of the University. Therefore, it is necessary to establish and maintain clear standards of personal hygiene, dress, grooming, appearance, and conduct reasonably related to the needs of a dairy food plant.

The practices listed apply to all employees and visitors. The rules listed are consistent with good manufacturing practice regulations administered by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). These materials have been taken from 9 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), 21 CFR, Pasteurized Milk Ordinance (PMO), local and state regulations. These practices refer to all plant operating and warehouse areas unless otherwise stated.

II. SCOPE

Management is responsible for assuring each individual employed by Penn State Berkey Creamery is familiar with, and complies with the GMP program outlined in this policy. Good manufacturing practices are guidelines to assure that products are manufactured and stored under safe and sanitary conditions. GMP guidelines are established to satisfy regulatory requirements as well as to maintain the high quality standards of our products to our customers. Therefore, these standards are subject to change as a result of Berkey Creamery improvements or changes in state or federal regulatory requirements.

III. DEFINITIONS

1. GMP – Good manufacturing practices

2. Processing area – Any area in which ingredients/materials are received and product is produced and packaged or prepared.

3. Operating area – Any area of the dairy manufacturing plant. This includes, but is not limited to, the warehouse, coolers, freezers, processing, receiving, and shipping areas, case dock and bottle room.

4. Storage area – Any areas in which ingredients, packaging materials or finished goods are stored.

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Penn State Berkey Creamery SSOP 2014

5. Cooler area – Any area utilized for the storage of packaged product or ingredients and its ambient temperature is maintained at or below 45°F.

6. Production personnel – Any employee who will normally come into near proximity to ingredients or product, including management.

7. Visitor – Any person not directly employed by The Pennsylvania State University, or a student enrolled at The Pennsylvania State University.

IV. POLICY

A. Personnel

The wearing of all types of jewelry (i.e. earrings, watches, rings, neck chains, etc.) is strictly prohibited in all plant operating areas. The only exceptions to this rule are a wedding ring without sets, and a medical alert necklace/bracelet, which must be worn under the appropriate outer garment.

Wash and dry hands thoroughly before starting work and after each absence from the work area. All persons must wash and dry their hands after visiting restrooms, eating, smoking, and/or any other times when hands have become soiled or contaminated.

Hairstyles on all employees shall be of a nature that they appear neat, trimmed or fully restrained to a degree that would give a neat, clean and sanitary appearance as becoming a food plant. Hair and beard restraints are required throughout processing areas. These restraints must be Berkey Creamery issued and completely cover employee’s hair and beard. Appropriate hair covering shall be of a tight mesh and be worn in such a manner as to contain all facial hair. All beards and other facial hair, such as muttonchops, must be covered by a beard restraint and conform to government regulations and good manufacturing practices. Side burns, unless covered by a beard restraint, shall be of uniform width throughout their length and be well trimmed to avoid the appearance of being bushy. Side burns shall not extend below the bottom of the earlobe. Facial hair that requires a covering is any visible growth. Access to all processing areas is strictly prohibited unless proper hair covering is in place.

A mustache not covered by a beard guard will be permitted if it is kept neat, well trimmed and does not extend below the corners of the mouth or over the edge of the upper lip.

Cleanliness of body and clothing is required. Fingernails are not to have polish on them, and must be kept clean and neatly trimmed.

Exposed, unwrapped product, as well as packaging materials and equipment which contacts exposed product shall not be handled with:

1. Injured or bandaged hands unless protected by gloves. Gloves must be maintained in an intact, clean and sanitary condition, and changed frequently.

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Penn State Berkey Creamery SSOP 2014

2. Cuts and open sores on fingers unless they are covered by a band-aid with a finger cot or glove.

Avoid use of hands which may result in contamination of food products. Such practices include:

1. Touching of the face, adjusting glasses, wiping forehead, placing fingers on or in mouth, nose or ears.

2. Scratching the head or body

3. Handling products for taste testing in an unsanitary manner.

4. Reaching in to ice cream ingredient containers and consuming pieces of cookies, candies, nutmeats, etc.

Good hygiene must be practiced at all times. Chewing tobacco, trimming fingernails, spitting, use of snuff, chewing gum and open blowing of the nose in the production area or any area exposed to products or packaging materials are examples of poor hygiene which produce unsanitary and undesirable conditions.

Smoking and tobacco usage of any type are not permitted in any area of the facility. Smoking is permitted in designated areas only and employees must wash their hands before returning to the processing area.

Employees shall not hold toothpicks, matchsticks, or similar objects in their mouth while performing their assigned duties. Pencils or other objects held behind the ears are forbidden.

The consumption of food or beverages is strictly prohibited in all plant operating areas. This includes the chewing of gum, candy, soft drinks, cough drops, and breath mints. It is prohibited to store food of any type in employee lockers. Employee lunches must be stored in designated areas only.

Any person who, by medical examination or supervisory observation, is shown to have, or appears to have, an illness, open lesions (including boils, sores, or infected wounds), or any other abnormal source of microbial contamination by which there is a reasonable possibility of product, product contact surfaces, or product packaging materials becoming contaminated, will be excluded from any operations which may result in such contamination until the condition is corrected. Personnel are instructed to report any such health conditions to their supervisor.

If an employee knows that he/she is affected by, or is a carrier of, a communicable disease, he/she may not work in any area in which there is a possibility of a food or food ingredient being contaminated or a reasonable possibility of the disease being transmitted to other employees.

An employee should vacate the processing area during periods of excessive coughing or sneezing until it ceases.

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Penn State Berkey Creamery SSOP 2014

Medication, cough drops, etc. must be stored in personal lockers; they may not be transported or stored in operating areas.

B. Clothing

Berkey Creamery issued uniforms must be worn in all operating areas. Shirts should be completely buttoned to the next to the last button from the top to ensure that no torso body hair is exposed. Only long pants (i.e. below the bottom of the calf) are permitted in the plant. Shorts are not permitted. Office and laboratory personnel that spend more than 5% of a workday in the processing area must be covered by a lab coat.

Clothing of whatever nature, including that supplied by the Berkey Creamery, shall not be tattered or unkempt in keeping with the atmosphere expected in a dairy food plant.

Where clothing may become soiled

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