9 min readConcept sheetOften a 5- or 10-mark answer; also the Unit II activity

GAP, GMP and GHP, and preparing a GMP manual

GAP keeps food safe on the farm; GMP and GHP keep it safe in the factory and kitchen. Together they are the prerequisite programmes for HACCP.

GAPGood Agricultural Practices: safety on the farm and at harvest

GMPGood Manufacturing Practices: safe, consistent production

GHPGood Hygiene Practices (Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene)

Indian baseSchedule 4 of the FSS licensing and registration regulations: hygiene and sanitary practices

GAP: main areas

Area	Good practice
Site and soil	Avoid land polluted by sewage or industrial waste; test the soil if in doubt
Water	Use clean water for irrigation and for washing produce; never untreated sewage
Fertilisers and manure	Use well-composted manure; leave a gap between applying raw manure and harvest
Crop protection	Integrated pest management; only approved pesticides at the right dose; respect the waiting period before harvest (pre-harvest interval)
Harvest and post-harvest	Clean tools and crates; keep produce off the ground; cool it quickly
Workers	Toilets, hand washing and training; sick workers do not handle produce
Records and traceability	Record sprays, fertilisers and harvest dates so each lot can be traced

GMP: main areas

Location and premises: away from dirt, smoke and flooding; smooth, washable walls and floors; good light, ventilation and drainage; separate raw and cooked areas; one-way flow of material.
Equipment: food-grade material such as stainless steel; easy to clean; maintained and calibrated.
Water: potable water, tested at regular intervals.
Raw materials: approved suppliers, specifications, receiving checks, first-in first-out (FIFO) storage.
Process control: written SOPs; time, temperature and other limits; labelled ingredients; no cross-contamination.
Personal hygiene: medical fitness, clean uniform, head cover, hand washing, no jewellery, sick workers kept away from food.
Cleaning, pest control and waste: written schedules; covered bins; pest-proof doors and screens.
Packaging, storage and transport: clean packing, correct labels, proper temperature.
Documents, training, complaints and recall: records for each batch; regular training; a written recall plan.

GMP vs GHP

GMPFocuses on how the product is made: process control, equipment, raw materials and documents, so that every batch is safe and consistent. Used in food factories, dairies and bakeries.

GHPFocuses on hygiene conditions at every stage: cleaning, personal hygiene, pest control, water and waste. Based on the Codex General Principles of Food Hygiene; applies to farms, kitchens, shops and factories.

The two overlap a lot. With GAP they form the prerequisite programmes (PRPs) on which HACCP is built.

Activity: how to prepare a GMP manual

A GMP manual is the written rule book of a food unit. Write one for a real or imagined unit, e.g. a small bakery or a pickle unit.

1★
Title page and document control: unit name, manual number, version, date, approved by; a page that records every change.
2
Scope and quality policy: products covered; the policy signed by the owner; quality objectives.
3
Organisation: a chart showing who is responsible for production, quality, hygiene and maintenance.
4
Premises: site plan and layout showing the flow of raw material, product, people and waste.
5
Equipment: list, cleaning method, maintenance and calibration schedule.
6
Water, utilities and raw materials: water source and testing; supplier approval; specifications; receiving and storage rules.
7★
Production: flow chart and an SOP for each step, with limits (time, temperature, weight) and who checks them.
8★
Hygiene: personal hygiene rules, health checks, cleaning and sanitation schedule, pest control, waste disposal.
9
Packaging, labelling, storage and dispatch: label checks, batch coding, FIFO, transport conditions.
10
Records, complaints, recall, training and audit: blank formats for every record; recall steps; training plan; internal audit and regular review of the manual.

★ one-way, controls the pace

In kitchens and food businesses

A hospital kitchen or college canteen can keep a short GMP manual too: approved suppliers, a cleaning schedule, hand-washing rules and storage temperatures, written in the language the staff read and pinned up where they work.

Exam angle

2 marks: “What is GAP?” Good Agricultural Practices: farm practices (clean water, safe pesticide use, worker hygiene, records) that make produce safe and of good quality.

5 marks: “Explain the main areas covered by GMP.” Premises, equipment, water, raw materials, process control, personal hygiene, cleaning and pest control, packaging and storage, documents, training and recall; one line each.

10 marks: “What is GMP? Explain the steps in preparing a GMP manual for a food processing unit.” Define GAP, GMP and GHP; areas of GMP; the 10 sections of the manual with what each contains; stress document control and staff training; close.

Remember it

GMP covers the 5 Ps: Premises, People, Processes, Products (materials) and Paperwork.