GB 31661-2025National food safety standard - Hygienic specification for the production of prepared meat products (English PDF)

1 Scope and terms

1 This standard lays down the basic requirements and the management rules for the sites, facilities, equipment and personnel of the stages of the production of prepared meat products, namely the purchase and the pre-treatment of the raw and auxiliary materials, preparation processing, cooling or freezing, packaging, storage and transport. It applies to the production of prepared meat products.

2 The terms and definitions of GB 14881, GB 2707 and GB 31646, together with the following term, apply to this standard.

2.1 A prepared meat product is a non ready-to-eat meat product made mainly from fresh or frozen livestock and poultry produce, which has been pre-treated as raw and auxiliary material, prepared, cooled or frozen and packed, and which needs to be stored and transported chilled or frozen; it is also called a conditioned meat product. Chilled prepared meat products and frozen prepared meat products are both included.

4 Buildings and workshops

4.1.1 The design and layout shall comply with the relevant provisions of GB 14881.

4.1.2 The layout of the workshops and the equipment shall suit the process requirements of prepared meat products and shall make cleaning and disinfection easy.

4.1.3 According to the process requirements, pre-treatment workshops such as a thawing room and a cutting room, preparation processing workshops such as a curing room, a forming room and a heat processing room, and further rooms such as a cooling room, a freezing room, an inner packaging room, an outer packaging room, a store for raw and auxiliary materials, a store for chilled products, a store for frozen products and a store for packaging materials may be provided.

4.1.4 The pre-treatment of the raw and auxiliary materials shall be carried out in a separate room or a separate area.

4.1.5 The entrance for the raw and auxiliary materials shall be separate from the exit for the semi-finished and the finished products.

4.1.6 The store or the storage area for raw and auxiliary materials shall be divided according to the different categories and characteristics of those materials, such as their smell.

4.1.7 Inner and outer packaging materials shall be stored in separate stores or separate areas.

4.2.1 The internal structure and the materials of the building shall comply with the relevant provisions of GB 14881.

4.2.2 The ceiling shall be easy to clean and disinfect, shall be so built that condensation cannot drip down and shall prevent pests and moulds from breeding.

4.2.3 The workshop shall have room and height enough for the installation and repair of the equipment, for production work, for hygienic cleaning, for the movement of materials, for lighting and ventilation and for hygiene inspection.

5 Facilities and equipment

5.1.1 The facilities and equipment shall comply with the relevant provisions of GB 14881 and GB 31646.

5.1.2 The structural design and the placing of the facilities and equipment shall make cleaning and disinfection easy, and shall prevent contaminants that carry harmful micro-organisms from lodging and multiplying.

5.1.3 The facilities and equipment shall be inspected and maintained periodically and damaged parts shall be replaced in good time, so that the product is not contaminated by metal swarf, lubricating oil or similar substances.

5.2 A heat processing room with scalding, steaming, frying, smoking or another heating process shall be provided with good ventilation facilities and equipment.

5.3.1 Workshops with different degrees of cleanliness shall each be provided with the cleaning and disinfection facilities and equipment they need.

5.3.2 The cleaning facilities and equipment for livestock and poultry produce and for the other auxiliary materials shall be provided separately, shall be matched to the processing capacity, and shall each be clearly marked with the use to which they are put.

5.4 Devices for regulating, displaying and recording temperature, humidity and the like shall be installed according to the requirements for the control of the environmental conditions, and shall be calibrated and maintained periodically.

5.5.1 According to the process requirements, cold and hot water pipes shall be provided separately at the points where water is used in the workshop. The cold and hot water pipes shall be clearly distinguished by marking and the direction of flow shall be shown.

5.5.2 The drainage outlets shall be fitted with water sealed floor drains, filter screens and similar devices, so that foul air cannot escape and solid waste cannot block the drains.

5.6 The workshop shall be provided with dedicated facilities for holding waste that are leakproof, corrosion resistant and easy to clean, and that are clearly marked as such.

7 Food raw and auxiliary materials, food additives and food related products

7.1.1 The general requirements shall comply with the relevant provisions of GB 14881.

7.1.2 A dedicated system shall be set up for the purchase, acceptance, storage and use of the food raw and auxiliary materials, the food additives and the food related products, and the corresponding records shall be kept.

7.2.1 Livestock and poultry raw materials shall carry a quarantine certificate, and pork shall also carry a certificate of conformity for the quality inspection of the meat. Imported livestock and poultry produce shall carry the relevant certificates for goods entering the country.

7.2.2 Fresh and frozen livestock and poultry raw materials shall comply with GB 2707 and the related standards.

7.3.1 Auxiliary materials such as starch, seasonings and spices shall comply with the related standards.

7.3.2 The certificates of conformity of the auxiliary materials shall be checked, and the materials may be used only once they have passed acceptance.

7.4.1 Food additives shall comply with the corresponding national food safety standards, and their use shall comply with GB 2760.

7.4.2 When a compound food additive is accepted, the specification sheet giving its scope of use and its maximum amount of addition, or amount of use, shall be obtained; the scope of use and the limits of the food additives in the formulation shall comply with GB 2760.

7.4.3 A system of double checking of the weighing shall be set up for the use of food additives.

7.5.1 Packaging materials shall meet the food safety requirements.

7.5.2 Where a prepared meat product has to be heat treated inside its inner packaging, that packaging shall be of a heat resistant material; where the prepared meat product has to be stored frozen, the inner packaging shall be of a material resistant to low temperature.

7.5.3 The skewers used for prepared meat products shall comply with GB 4806.9, GB 4806.12 and the like.

7.5.4 The smoking material or smoking preparation used for smoking shall comply with the related standards.

8 Food safety control of the production process

8.1.1 The general requirements shall comply with the relevant provisions of GB 14881.

8.1.2 The water used in production shall comply with the relevant provisions of GB 5749.

8.1.3 The temperature and the processing time during the processing of the raw materials and the semi-finished products shall be controlled according to the process requirements of the product.

8.1.4 Where the raw and auxiliary materials have particular requirements for the storage temperature and humidity, effective measures shall be taken to monitor the temperature and humidity of the storage environment and records shall be made. Fresh livestock and poultry raw materials shall be kept in a store at 0 °C to 4 °C, and frozen livestock and poultry produce in a store below minus 18 °C.

8.1.5 The first in first out principle shall be followed in the storage of the raw and auxiliary materials.

8.2.1 The pre-treatment of the raw materials covers all or part of the operations of thawing, deboning, cutting, sorting, mincing and cutting into pieces or strips.

8.2.2 A thawing method suited to the characteristics of the frozen livestock and poultry produce and to the process requirements shall be chosen. After thawing, the core temperature of the livestock and poultry produce shall not be higher than 4 °C.

8.2.3 Where air thawing is used, the ambient air shall be non-toxic, harmless and free of abnormal smell and shall comply with the related standards. In still air thawing the ambient temperature shall not be higher than 18 °C; in moving air thawing it shall not be higher than 21 °C.

8.2.4 Where thawing in water at atmospheric pressure is used, the water temperature shall not be higher than 18 °C in still water thawing and not higher than 21 °C in running water thawing. Raw materials of different livestock and poultry species shall not be thawed in the same body of water.

8.2.5 When livestock and poultry produce is deboned, cut, sorted, cut into pieces or strips or minced, the ambient temperature shall not be higher than 12 °C, the operation shall be as quick as possible, the temperature of the raw meat shall be held below 7 °C, and measures shall be in place to let the product give off heat and to prevent it from piling up.

8.2.6 The auxiliary materials shall be sorted and trimmed as the process requires. Auxiliary materials that have to be washed shall be washed in running water.

8.3.1 Preparation processing covers all or part of the operations of curing, injecting, tumbling, tenderizing, mixing, chopping, emulsifying, forming, including filling and skewering, coating, including breading and battering, steaming and boiling, marinating, deep frying, smoking and roasting.

8.3.2 A suitable curing method shall be chosen and the curing time controlled according to the characteristics of the livestock and poultry produce and the process requirements. During curing the curing agent or the curing solution shall be evenly spread, and the ambient temperature of curing shall not be higher than 4 °C. The curing solution should be prepared and used on the same day.

8.3.3 A suitable mixing and tumbling method shall be used according to the characteristics of the livestock and poultry produce and the process requirements. The core temperature of the product after mixing and tumbling shall not be higher than 12 °C, and the ambient temperature during tumbling shall not be higher than 4 °C.

8.3.4 During breading, battering and coating the auxiliary material shall be spread evenly over the product, and the breading, battering and coating time shall be as short as possible.

8.3.5 The temperature and the heating time of heat treatment operations such as steaming, frying and roasting shall be strictly controlled according to the process requirements. The heating medium, such as the frying oil, shall be held at a suitable heating temperature and adjusted in good time as required. Products that have been heat treated shall be cooled as quickly as the process requires.

8.4.1 In the production of chilled prepared meat products, cooling shall be carried out in an environment at 0 °C to 4 °C and the core temperature of the product shall be brought down to 4 °C or below.

8.4.2 In the production of frozen prepared meat products, freezing shall be carried out in an environment below minus 23 °C and the core temperature of the product shall be brought down to minus 18 °C or below. Where a quick freezing process is used, the processing shall also comply with the relevant provisions of GB 31646.

8.5.1 Before the product is packed, the inner packaging material shall be cleaned and disinfected as required.

8.5.2 The ambient temperature of the inner packaging area should be held below 12 °C.

8.5.3 Packed products shall be put into the store without delay.

8.6 Waste arising in the production process shall be held in dedicated facilities, sorted according to its character, and removed and treated without delay.

9 Control of contamination in the production process

9.1 The general requirements shall comply with the relevant provisions of GB 14881.

9.2.1.1 Processing facilities, equipment and tools shall be cleaned and disinfected without delay once they have been used, so that the products that follow are not cross-contaminated.

9.2.1.2 Where manual work is needed, such as hand skewering, the staff shall observe the hygiene requirements before the shift, including the cleaning and disinfection of the work table and of the hands.

9.2.1.3 The processing workshop shall be cleaned and disinfected periodically.

9.2.1.4 Where hot water is used for cleaning and disinfection, the water temperature for cleaning should not be lower than 40 °C and the water temperature for disinfection shall not be lower than 82 °C.

9.2.2.1 Hazard analysis and critical control point should be used to identify the risks of microbiological contamination that may exist in the production process and the production environment, and those risks should be effectively controlled.

9.2.2.2 Where necessary, a microbiological monitoring programme for the production process of prepared meat products shall be set up, covering the monitoring indicators, the sampling points, the monitoring frequency, the sampling and test methods, the criteria of judgement and the handling of non-conformities; Annex A may be followed.

9.3.1 Tools, facilities and equipment that come into contact with the product shall be made of corrosion resistant and non-toxic materials.

9.3.2 Effective measures shall be taken during processing to control the formation of secondary harmful chemical substances. The process parameters concerned shall be laid down and validated, and the temperature and the time of processes such as frying and smoking shall be strictly controlled.

9.3.3 During frying, the residues in the frying oil shall be removed without delay. A plan for changing the oil shall be drawn up and the frying oil changed periodically according to it. The edible vegetable oil used in frying shall comply with the relevant requirements of GB 2716.

9.3.4 A cleaning and disinfecting agent suited to the chemical character of the facilities, equipment and tools that come into direct contact with the product shall be chosen, so that no chemical reaction takes place with the product contact surface during cleaning and disinfection. After disinfection the surfaces shall be washed thoroughly so that no chemical residue is left.

9.4 The control of physical contamination shall comply with the relevant provisions of GB 14881.

11 Storage and transport

11.1 The general requirements shall comply with the relevant provisions of GB 14881 and GB 31621.

11.2.1 Chilled prepared meat products shall be stored in a chilled product store at 0 °C to 4 °C, and frozen prepared meat products in a frozen product store at not higher than minus 18 °C.

11.2.2 Stored products shall be stacked in areas according to product category, and the stacks shall be kept a suitable distance from the walls and the floor. The height of the stack shall be such that the packing cases are not deformed under the load, and the number of layers shall be suitable. The way the goods are stacked shall not hinder the circulation of the refrigerated air.

11.2.3 Products that may contaminate one another or taint one another shall not be kept in the same store.

11.3.1 Transport shall comply with the relevant provisions of GB 31605.

11.3.2 Refrigerated transport equipment shall be used during transport.

11.3.3 The temperature inside the body of the refrigerated transport equipment shall be pre-cooled to 10 °C or below before loading.

11.3.4 The temperature inside the body of the transport equipment shall be held between 0 °C and 4 °C when chilled prepared meat products are carried, and at minus 18 °C or below when frozen prepared meat products are carried.

11.3.5 The time taken for loading shall be strictly controlled, and the rise in the temperature of the food during loading and unloading shall not exceed 3 °C.

11.3.6 The temperature inside the vehicle body shall be monitored during transport and the monitoring device shall be calibrated periodically. Where the temperature inside the body of the transport equipment goes outside the set range, corrective action shall be taken at once and the extent and the duration of the excess temperature shall be recorded truthfully.

A Annex A Guide to the microbiological monitoring programme of the production process of prepared meat products

A.1 This annex gives the requirements for the microbiological monitoring of the environment and of the in-process product during the processing of prepared meat products; an enterprise may adjust them as the characteristics of the product and the production process require.

A.2 An enterprise shall carry out its testing according to its internal quality control requirements, verify the effect of cleaning, and monitor the raw and auxiliary materials, the semi-finished products, the finished products and the production environment, following Table A.1.

A.3 An enterprise that carries out microbiological monitoring shall be provided with the corresponding test equipment, facilities and reagents. The number of test instruments shall match the production capacity of the enterprise.

A.4 When the environmental microbiological monitoring programme is set up, the relevant provisions of GB 14881 shall be followed. The collection and handling of the samples and the test methods are determined in the light of the actual production situation.

A.5 The sampling points for environmental microbiological monitoring shall be mainly the cooling room and the inner packaging workshop; other workshops may be monitored as required.

A (Table A.1) Table A.1 sets out the requirements for microbiological monitoring during the processing of prepared meat products, listing for each monitoring item the sampling point, the micro-organisms monitored, the monitoring frequency and the limit of the monitoring indicator. The environmental monitoring items are the food contact surfaces, that is the hands, work clothes, gloves of the processing staff, the conveyor belts, the tools, the surface of the work tables and the other equipment surfaces that touch the prepared meat product directly; the contact surfaces adjacent to the food or to the food contact surfaces, that is the outer surfaces of the equipment, the surfaces of the frames, the control panels and similar contact surfaces; the ambient air of the processing area, sampled near the exposed product; and the drainage facilities, that is the drains of the workshops and in particular of low temperature workshops such as the cooling room. The in-process product monitoring item covers the auxiliary materials, the pre-heated semi-finished products and the products awaiting packaging at the end of the production line. The micro-organisms monitored include the aerobic plate count, coliforms, Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella according to the item, the monitoring frequency is at least once a month, with verification of the cleaning effect carried out after cleaning and disinfection, and the limit of each monitoring indicator is set in the light of the actual production situation. The footnotes state that the sampling points may be chosen according to the characteristics of the food and the actual processing situation, that one or more indicator organisms may be chosen for monitoring as required, and that the monitoring frequency may be set according to the risk of the particular sampling point.