Material may be recovered, reworked or reprocessed by an appropriate and authorised method provided that the material is safe and suitable for such treatment, and traceability of original raw materials and part‐processed product is maintained so that the resulting product complies with the relevant specification and that the related documentation accurately records what has occurred.
29.1 Consideration should be given to how reworked material is assessed to ensure that a reworked material is not in itself a potential contaminant. Examples are:
All reworking activities must be undertaken in line with strict procedures to ensure that the resulting finished product is safe and complies with relevant legal and quality criteria.
29.2 As there are so many different circumstances that can arise with different kinds of food products and processes, it is not possible to be specific here about each of them. The matters referred to here, however, may be classified under three main groups, namely systematic, ‘semi‐systematic’ and ‘occasional’. However, as defined in 29.1, in all circumstances appropriate precautions must be taken to avoid microbiological contamination, introduction of undeclared ingredients, cross‐contamination with allergens or the introduction of foreign matter, and to avoid the loss of traceability and provenance.
29.3 The possible carrying forward of perishable material left over from the previous day should be subject to formal risk assessment by the quality control manager. Where a quantitatively known product residue from the previous production is systematically utilised as one of the starting materials for the same or another product (e.g. dough trimmings in biscuit manufacture), that should be written into the master manufacturing instructions, and the rate or conditions of use there specified should not be departed from other than through the established procedure for varying master manufacturing instructions.
29.4 ‘Semi‐systematic’ applies to instances where a variable quantity of intrinsically satisfactory but extrinsically unacceptable product occurs and can be reused (e.g. misshapen or short‐weight moulded chocolate bars) or to instances where a usable starting material can be extracted from wholesome but defective product (e.g. recovery of sugar as a syrup from misshapen or erroneously formulated sugar confectionery). In such circumstances, provision for such recovery should be made in the master manufacturing instructions, specifying a maximum limit to the rate of incorporation.
29.5 ‘Occasional’ instances are any instances other than referred to in 29.3 or 29.4. They should in all cases be subject to risk assessment by the quality control manager before any decision as to disposition. The four main categories are as follows:
29.6 Inevitably, rejection of materials described above will be necessary from time to time, and proper means of disposal should be considered and agreed with the quality control manager, the production manager and any other interested parties, such as the purchasing manager or sales/marketing departments. In determining disposal, due regard should be paid to the needs of securing cost recovery, protecting the company or brand name, protecting the public and complying with appropriate legislative or local authority requirements. For example, disposal subject to appropriate safeguards might range from sale to a third party for relabelling or packing as a lower‐quality product, to staining and selling for including in animal feed or to seeking local authority condemnation and disposal at their hands. Consideration must be given to compliance with all current European Union (EU) or UK environmental and food and feed safety legislation, including Regulation (EC) No. 1774/2002 (enacted in the UK by the Animal By‐Products Regulations 2003). The EU Animal By‐Product Regulation 1069/2009 and Regulation 142/2011 came into force in the UK and are implemented by the Animal By‐Product Enforcement Regulations 2013 and the Animal By‐Product (Miscellaneous) Amendments Regulations 2015 as specific to each country within the UK.
29.7 In any relabelling of packs, any identifying marks carried by the original labels should be carried by the new labels, and where the pack carries a durability indication on the label, the new label should carry a date no later than the original durability indication.
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