Smallgoods Technical Guideline

About smallgoods

Smallgoods are meat products that undergo cooking and cooling, curing, fermenting or drying processes. The purpose of these processes is to preserve raw meat and maintain it in a state fit for human consumption. Depending on the type of product, they may be ready-to-eat (RTE) or heated prior to consumption. The processes used and the final composition will determine whether they are safe to be stored under ambient conditions or require refrigeration (below 5°C). Some products may be frozen for long term storage.

Traditional processors of smallgoods in Australia initially came from Europe, predominantly from Italy and made products that could not be easily sourced from retail shops. As migrants from other ethnic regions of the Middle East and Asia began settling in Australia, the variety and manufacturing processes of smallgoods evolved. As the popularity and demand for smallgoods increased, the once artisan businesses expanded into today’s flourishing industry.

While artisan businesses remain, today’s manufacturing processes allow for large scale production. As a result of foodborne disease outbreaks in the 1990’s, Australia, along with other countries implemented food safety controls specifically for smallgoods. Although the manufacturing of smallgoods may vary between the different ethnic groups and in the scale of the meat processing facility, standards are applied exactly the same, with the consideration for food safety being paramount

Requirements to manage food safety risks

Food safety risks for smallgoods can be significant (resulting in outbreaks of illness and even death) if the manufacturing process is not correctly designed and controlled

The requirements below highlight the key criteria for approval and manufacture of smallgoods in Victoria. Both the Australian Standard for the Hygienic Production and Transportation of Meat and Meat Products for Human Consumption (AS 4696) and  the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code (the Code) define the requirements for smallgoods. When a prescriptive requirement is given (for example, time and temperature of cooking) in this Guideline or in Standards, an alternate equivalent technique can be used with PrimeSafe’s prior approval. The Australian Meat Industry Council has produced a book, Guidelines for the Safe Manufacture of Smallgoods (3^rd edition) which contains useful information and advice for achieving PrimeSafe’s food safety requirements and how to validate an equivalent technique.

The food safety regulatory requirements for uncooked comminuted fermented meat (UCFM) products have not been included in this guideline. All UCFM approvals are managed directly by PrimeSafe prior to commencement of production.

Summary of requirements

Licensing

1. Every facility that manufactures smallgoods must hold a PrimeSafe licence, except where the smallgoods will only be consumed at the place of production (e.g. restaurants).
2. The licensee must apply in writing to PrimeSafe for approval to manufacture smallgoods.
3. The Licensee must advise PrimeSafe in writing when the facility has ceased manufacturing smallgoods.

Facility construction

4. PrimeSafe will assess the facility’s compliance with the construction requirements described in the Australian Standard for the Hygienic Production and Transportation of Meat and Meat Products for Human Consumption (AS 4696) as part of the process for approval to manufacture smallgoods.

Manufacturing processes

5. The licensee must have an approved HACCP based Food Safety Program identifying the food safety hazards and controls.

6. Raw meat products must be segregated from Ready-to-Eat (RTE) products.

7. Cooked RTE smallgoods must have a core temperature of at least 65°C for 10 minutes or equivalent. Any alternative cooking processes must be validated and approved by PrimeSafe.

8. The Cooling process must meet the requirements of AS 4696:

• uncured products must be reduced from 52°C to 12°C within 6 hours and reduced to 5°C within 24 hours of completion of cooking or equivalent;
• cured products must be reduced from 52°C to 12°C within 7.5 hours and reduced to 5°C within 24 hours of completion of cooking or equivalent.

9. Product must be stored and sold at temperatures that will maintain its safety. Ambient or chilled (at not more than 5°C) are chosen depending on the characteristics (water activity, pH) of the product.

Dried meat products (for example, Jerky or Biltong) must achieve a water activity of no higher than 0.85. Slow cured dried meat products (for example Prosciutto, Speck, Bresaola, Parma Ham) do not have specific physical criteria in the Code or AS4696.

10. For cured products, the curing solution must be stored at or below 5°C.

11. Only additives permitted by Standard 1.3.1 of the Code (Schedule 15, Section 8) may be used.

Listeria management and microbiological testing

12. The Food Safety Program must include a Listeria Management Plan for each group of similar RTE meat products that are processed and packaged with a shelf life of greater than five days. PrimeSafe has published the Listeria Management of Ready-to-eat Meat Products PrimeSafe Technical Guideline to provide further information on the requirements.
13. Specific smallgoods products must be tested for pathogenic bacteria as listed in the Code Standard 1.6.1 (Schedule 27) at least annually.
14. Listeria monocytogenes testing is performed as required by the Code Standard 1.6.1, and the AMRG Regulatory Guidelines for the Management of Listeria (which is the document from which the PrimeSafe Technical Guideline was developed).

Record Keeping

15. Records must be maintained to verify that the requirements of AS 4696, or those approved by PrimeSafe, have been achieved for the following processes:
    • heat treatment and
    • cooling stage 1 -; and
    • cooling stage 2.

PrimeSafe will permit licensees to conduct an annual verification process rather than recording cooling stage 1 details for every batch produced.  A minimum of 5 samples from a batch for each product type produced are monitored through the cooking and two cooling stages.  Cooling stage 1 records will then not need to be recorded for each batch if the verification process confirms that the process is compliant during the annual verification process.

Auditing of smallgoods manufacturing processes

Businesses that manufacture smallgoods are audited twice per year. Businesses that only package and repackage smallgoods have the same audit frequency because the risks to public health are also high. A business that is no longer manufacturing smallgoods will be required to maintain the audit frequency until the term of expiry of the licence. At renewal, a business must advise if they wish to manufacture smallgoods.

Disclaimer

This information is a guide only and must not be used in place of the current Standard. PrimeSafe does not guarantee its accuracy, reliability, currency or completeness, therefore it cannot be used to substitute for legal or professional advice. PrimeSafe accepts no legal liability arising from reliance on any part of this document.