Cold chain manual FFE.pdfVIP

MANAGING THE COLD CHAIN FOR QUALITY AND SAFETY FLAIR-FLOW EUROPE TECHNICAL MANUAL 378A/00 MAY 2000 PREPARED BY MARTIN GEORGECCFRAUK EDITED BY RONAN GORMLEYTHE NATIONAL FOOD CENTRE, DUBLIN E-MAIL: RGORMLEY@NFC.TEAGASC.IE 5 CONTENTS Page  Introduction 6  Quality and safety in chilled and frozen foods: an overview 6  Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) 9  Chilled foods- some pointers for success 12  Freezing foods for optimum quality 15  Temperature abuse and shelf life of chilled and frozen foods 18  A practical guide to the cold chain from factory to consumer 21  The role of food packaging in the cold chain 24  A brief guide to legislation and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) for the cold chain 26  Glossary of terms and frequently asked questions 30  Acknowledgements 32 6 Introduction Refrigerated foods are one of the fastest growing sectors of the grocery and foodservice industries. Continued success relies upon effective management of the ‘cold chain’, a term used to describe the series of interdependent operations in the production, distribution, storage and retailing of chilled and frozen foods. Control of the cold chain is vital to preserve the safety and quality of