Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs)

Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) are the basic principles of operation a food processor should follow to produce a consistent, quality food product.  There are eight areas of GMPs, including:

1. Premises - Building exterior, interior, water supply and sanitary facilities;
2. Transportation and Storage - Transportation carriers and conditions, storage facilities and conditions;
3. Equipment - Preventative maintenance and calibration;
4. Personnel - Training for hygiene and handling, sanitation, maintenance, written policies and programs;
5. Manufacturing Controls - Testing for the parameters of product (e.g. pH, water activity, etc.);
6. Sanitation and Pest Control - written programs for pest control and sanitation standard operating procedures (SSOPs);
7. Recall - A written program or protocol for a mock recall to test systems effectiveness;
8. Records - Records to prove all the procedures are being completed, including: production, distribution and shipping, testing records, etc.