Critical quality points

Critical quality points (CQPs) are actions that can be taken at specific processing steps to control a factor thus ensuring product quality and safety. CQPs will vary between wineries and products within a winery. Except for those involving product safety which must be controlled, specific CQPs should be developed to reflect the overall goals and philosophies of the owners and staff. 

Some examples of different CQPs and their specific microbiological problems along with possible corrective measures are found in Table 10.1. As an example, detection of one cell of Saccharomyces in a bottle of sweet, unfortified wine may be enough to cause refermentation in the bottle. In this case, a preventative measure that could be taken would be assurance that the bottling line was correctly sterilized and that sterile filtration equipment functioned properly. Additional measures would be inclusion of sorbates to limit potential yeast growth. Known as hurdle technology, this concept relies on implementation of several preventative measures as 

Critical quality point Microbiological issue Potential corrective actions 

Harvest/transport Excessive Botrytis, rots, Alter vineyard practices, use 

Alcoholic Sluggish/stuck Adjust nutrients, use proper 

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Conduct an analysis of each step in processing and identify potential quality issues (critical quality points) at each juncture (Section... 

Establish critical limits for each critical quality point (Section... 

Table 10.1. Examples of microbiological issues and potential preventive measures associated with selected Critical Quality Points.

The microbial ecology of water is of great importance in the pharmaceutical industry due to its multiple uses as a constituent of maity products as well as for various washing and cooling processes. Two main aspects are involved the quality of the raw water and any processing it receives and the distribution system. Both should be taken into consideration when reviewing the hazaids to the finished product and aity critical control points. 

While quality was formerly achieved by inspection of final products, it is accomplished now by prevention through controlling critical steps in the production processes along the agri-food chain. Hazard analysis critical control points (HACCP) represent a typical example of such a preventive approach. Although this concept was developed primarily to assure food safety, the basic principle is also applicable to assuring non-safety quality attributes such as color, flavor, and nutritional value. " This section translates the HACCP principles into a critical quality control point (CQP) concept that can be part of a system to assure food quality. 

The issue of anthelmintic use in poultry production is covered in Chapter 12 and quality assurance systems based on hazard analysis by critical control point (HACCP) systems are described in detail by van Elzakker et al. (2004) and in Chapters 22 and 23 and are therefore not addressed here. 

To improve the ability to establish best practice with respect to manure use and prevention of pathogen transfer (especially on farms which are converting to organic farm management), a hazard analysis critical control point (HACCP)-based quality assurance system has been proposed (Haward and Leifert, 1999). This proposed four main critical control points (CCPs) (see Table 19.4). 

Another nontraditional approach to assessing quality systems is the hazard analysis and critical control point (HACCP). The Pillsbury Company conceived the HACCP in the early 1960s with the cooperation and participation of the National Aeronautic and Space Administration. Essentially, HACCP is a system that identifies and monitors specific food-borne hazards that can potentially affect the safety of food. Some medical device and diagnostics companies are implementing the same principles as the HACCP program. 

The hydrocyclone process is applicable for processing hard and soft wheat flours, and perhaps even wholemeal flour.92 In addition to its versatility in processing different wheat classes, other advantages of the hydrocyclone process compared to the Martin process include an increased yield of gluten, lower water and energy requirements, and manageable levels of effluent. To ensure the food safety of wheat starch, quality programs in many companies dictate the implementation of hazard analysis and critical control points in the hydrocyclone process.24... 

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