Operational guideline: Poultry and rabbit chilling and water retention

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1.0 Purpose

The purpose of this document is to provide guidance to Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) inspection staff on verifying compliance with regulatory requirements related to chilling and water retention of poultry and rabbit meat products.

This guideline provides information on the inspection activities a CFIA inspector will carry out in relation to the following:

  • chilling of poultry and rabbit
  • delayed evisceration time before chilling
  • water retention in poultry and rabbit
  • crust and liquid freezing of poultry

This document is intended to be used in conjunction with other guidance documents as referenced in section 3.0 of this document.

2.0 Authorities

The inspection powers, control actions and enforcement actions authorized by the above legislation are identified and explained in the Operational guideline – Food regulatory response guidelines.

3.0 Reference documents

4.0 Definitions

Definitions are located in the following documents or as a defined word where it is intended to supersede the definitions within the glossary documents:

5.0 Acronyms

Acronyms are spelled out the first time they are used and are consolidated in the Food business line acronyms list.

6.0 Operational guideline

Licence holders must identify and analyze the biological hazards that present a risk of contamination of their food (SFCR 47(1)). They must use control measures shown by evidence to be effective to prevent, eliminate, or reduce to an acceptable level the identified hazards, including any treatment or process (SFCR 47(2)). Licence holders who slaughter animals must prepare, keep, and maintain a written preventive control plan (PCP) (SFCR 89(1) (c)). As per SFCR 88, any person who is required to prepare, keep and maintain a PCP must implement that plan.

In addition, the licence holder's PCP (89(1)(a) and 89(1)(b)) must describe the measures for ensuring that the SCFR 201 (common name) and SFCA 6(1) (is not misleading) are met. The licence holder must demonstrate how their product meets the Canadian Standards of Identity: Volume 7 – Meat Products, Section 20, which specifies the maximum weight increase of dressed poultry carcasses as a result of contact with water.

Poultry and rabbit meat refrigeration, chilling, and freezing procedures and Poultry water retention control program published by CFIA provide a means for licence holders to verify that their overall control measures are effective in meeting SFCA, SFCR and the Canadian Standards of Identity: Volume 7 – Meat Products. If a licence holder does not follow CFIA guidance and presents a different means of meeting SFCR requirements, the inspection team should consult CFIA specialists to verify the validity of the approach.

Licence holders can use the following to gather and document evidence that the control measures used are validated:

The evidence demonstrating a control measure is effective (validation) should include, among other things, the references used to design the validation protocol and a detailed description of the operational parameters implemented at the time of validation. When collecting data, the licence holder should consider worst-case scenarios and use sampling techniques that are representative of their operation and the control measures being assessed.

Since various intrinsic (product-related) and extrinsic (external conditions-related) factors can affect the shelf life, licence holders should consider revalidating the shelf life to ensure that any change in the process or corrective action procedure does not impact the validated shelf life.

CFIA staff should use Inspection of evidence showing that control measures are effective to assess licence holder's validation.

6.1 Prepare for inspection

Refer to section 6.1 of the Operational procedure: Food preventive control and traceability inspection – System Verification, Food Animal Slaughter PCI Operational Guidance and Operational Guidance: Food Animal Slaughter – Preventive Control Inspection – Implementation Verification for more details on inspection preparation. In addition to the general guidance provided in these documents, the following additional guidance applies.

To verify the licence holder's compliance with regulatory requirements for the chilling (including delayed evisceration time before chilling), water retention and freezing, perform the following tasks at the frequency described in the program direction for preventive control inspection (PCI) frequencies for food listed under Food program work planning documents (accessible only on the Government of Canada network):

Note: additional export requirements may apply to the water retention of the products, including their labelling. Refer to Meat Electronic Export Certification (Ecert) (accessible only on the Government of Canada network) for more details on specific country requirements and to Annex 2: Export food-implementation verification tasks of Operational procedure: Food preventive control inspection – Implementation verification for the verification tasks to be performed.

6.2 Conduct the inspection

Refer to section 6.2 of the Operational procedure: Food preventive control and traceability inspection – System Verification, Food Animal Slaughter PCI Operational Guidance and Operational Guidance: Food Animal Slaughter – Preventive Control Inspection – Implementation Verification for more details on conducting the inspection tasks. In addition to the general guidance provided in these documents, the following applies.

6.2.1 Poultry

6.2.1.1 Chilling

The licence holder may use single or multiple methods to chill the poultry products:

  • water chilling (with or without ice)
  • air chilling
  • combo chilling (combination of water and air)

Refer to the Poultry and rabbit meat refrigeration, chilling, and freezing procedures for the chilling time and temperature standards for carcasses, carcass parts, salvaged portions and giblets.

Refer to the Microbial controls for meat products and food animals for more details on the use of microbial control interventions.

Refer to section Water retention of this document for more guidance on the products and processes subjected to the water retention control program.

Water chilling of carcass parts

The licence holder may collect parts before the beginning of carcass chilling (parts collected on evisceration floor or salvaged portions) or during the chilling process (before the carcasses reach ≤ 4°C). The chilling time standard of carcass parts will start:

  • for parts collected before the beginning of carcass chilling: immediately following evisceration and washing
  • for parts collected during carcass chilling: after the carcass part is cut (the time spent in water chilling of carcass is excluded)

Note: the licence holder using an air chill process to chill carcasses and parts may collect parts either before the beginning or during carcass chilling. This does not affect the chilling time as there is no specific time required to reach 4°C when using air chill, provided the chilling is continuous.

Alternate chilling procedures

As per section 3.4 Alternate chilling procedures of the Poultry and rabbit meat refrigeration, chilling, and freezing procedures, the licence holder may implement alternate chilling procedures, provided the chilling process is validated according to licence holder's PCP.

An alternate chilling procedure, such as an alternative chilling time, is a procedure implemented by the licence holder for regular chilling activities, sometimes only for specific product categories (for example, specific weights of carcasses). However, an alternate chilling procedure is not to be used as corrective measure when critical limits of critical control point (CCP) are not met.

The inspection team should consult CFIA specialists to verify the licence holder's proposal, as alternate chilling procedures may require assessment by Health Canada.

Validation

A validation is required to ensure that the licence holder's PCP effectively controls food safety hazards. After validation, ongoing monitoring ensures that validated process remains effective. The following processes require validation:

  • chilling of carcasses, parts and giblets including:
    • all chilling processes
      Note: the licence holders may validate two or more separate chilling processes for carcasses or carcass parts, with defined parameters governing the use of each of these processes (for example, specific average weight of carcasses or line speed).
  • alternate chilling procedures, including:
    • packaging of poultry carcasses and portions before an internal temperature of 4°C is reached
    • shipping of carcasses before chilling is completed
  • alternate delayed evisceration time (more than 30 minutes)
    Note: the validation study should compare the microbial indicators of control and test carcasses within the delayed evisceration environment, (specifically the evisceration room) before applying the antimicrobial agent and chilling.

Revalidation

Repetitive deviations may suggest that the control measures are not effective and may require their revalidation.

When an implemented process undergoes significant changes, revalidation of this process might be required to ensure that the control measures are effective in controlling hazards on an on-going basis. A significant change could be, for example:

  • slaughtering of new species of food animal or different weight categories
  • modification of the method to chill the poultry products (for example, from air to water chilling, addition or removal of ice)
  • implementation of an alternate chilling procedure
  • modification of the process, such as a significant increase of the line speed, removal of the ice, interruption of the chilling process

Modification of the chilling process (air or water chilling) may require revalidation of the following:

  • water retention control program (to ensure the product meets the regulatory requirement for the maximum weight increase and the declaration of retained water on the label)
  • shelf-life studies
  • poultry pathogen reduction programs (to ensure the modification does not negatively impact the microbial load)

When performing the PCI for sub-element 1.1bc: Product formulation, specifications and processing task (D: Chilling of poultry) of the Appendix 1 – Poultry and Rabbit Slaughter PCI Operational Guidance, the CFIA should verify that the required revalidations were completed.

Determination of food safety and suitability of the products

The licence holder must assess the food safety and the suitability of the products when:

  • performing validation for:
    • alternate chilling processes
    • alternate delayed evisceration times
  • there is a delay in evisceration time:
    • if the delay exceeds 30 minutes and has not been validated
  • there is a failure of chilling standards

To determine the food safety and suitability of the products, the licence holder can use the Sampling procedures which contains useful information on sampling process.

Salt addition to water or ice

Refer to section 5.3 of Poultry and rabbit meat refrigeration, chilling, and freezing procedures for more details when the licence holder uses salt in water or in ice.

Reclaimed and reused chiller tank water

The licence holder may choose to reuse the water from the chiller tank, provided that the water circulated for reuse is treated and maintained in a condition such that its use will not pose a risk to the safety and suitability of meat products. Refer to the section “Reclaimed and reused water” of the Water for use in the preparation of food document for more details. The licence holder must gather and document evidence that the control measures used are validated. The inspection team should consult CFIA specialists to verify the validity of the approach.

6.2.1.2 Water retention

The SFCR does not allow raw, single-ingredient meat products to retain water as the result of post-evisceration processing in excess of naturally occurring moisture except for dressed poultry carcasses as outlined in Canadian Standards of Identity: Volume 7 – Meat Products . However, CFIA gives an exemption for retention of moisture in poultry carcass parts, salvaged portions, and giblets.

For details on moisture retention in carcasses, refer to section 20 of Canadian Standards of Identity: Volume 7 – Meat Products and Table 1 Maximum Weight Increase of Dressed Poultry Carcasses of Poultry water retention control program.

For details on moisture retention in poultry parts, salvaged portions and giblets, refer to Table 2: Maximum weight increase of carcass parts, salvaged portions and giblets of Poultry water retention control program.

The licence holder must prepare, keep, maintain, and implement a PCP to demonstrate that the final product meets regulatory compliance on an on-going basis for all raw single-ingredient poultry products including dressed carcasses, parts of dressed carcasses including detached necks, giblets and salvaged portions.

Refer to Poultry water retention control program for more details on:

Written control program

A written control program is required for all raw single-ingredient poultry products including dressed carcasses, parts of dressed carcasses including detached necks, and salvaged portions which have come in contact with water following their evisceration regardless of the chilling method (air or water).

Thawing poultry in water and water immersion of poultry carcasses and parts for rehydration are not exempted and require a retained water control program. Refer to sections 5.4 and 5.5 of Poultry and rabbit meat refrigeration, chilling, and freezing procedures for more details.

If needed, inspection team can consult CFIA specialists to evaluate licence holder's written water retention protocol, including list of poultry products and how water is used, when the licence holder is unsure whether the resulting products require a water retention control program.

Validation

A validation is required to ensure that the written program is effective in controlling water retention and that the final products meet regulatory compliance on an on-going basis.

  • Initial validation
    • determines the water retention of the products
    • assesses if the weight increases meet regulatory requirements
    • identifies if ongoing monitoring is needed
    • specifies which products require ongoing monitoring
    • determines the retained water declaration
  • Annual revalidation
    • is required for products chilled using water, air, or a combination of methods (refer to the Written control program section of this document when the product does not retain water)
    • is required when the chilling process remains under control (as determined by product testing) for 12 months, including for carcasses, carcass parts, and giblets with low water retention
  • Immediate revalidation
    • is required when significant changes are made to the implemented process (refer to the Poultry water retention control program for examples)
    • is required when repetitive deviations suggest that control measures are ineffective (for example, failure of three consecutive corrective measure evaluations under ongoing monitoring)

Note: the Retained Water Verification task of the Appendix 1 – Poultry and Rabbit Slaughter PCI Implementation Verification Tasks must be conducted at the frequency described in the program direction for PCI frequencies for food listed under Food program work planning documents (accessible only on the Government of Canada network) regardless of whether an ongoing monitoring is required. When performing this task outside of the licence holder's validation or revalidation activities, verify if the process observed (for example, line speed, type of washing and chilling system, the configuration of the chiller/cooler system, new products) reflects the process details in the written PCP.

Ongoing monitoring of the control program

Ongoing monitoring is required to ensure that the products containing water meet water retention standards on an on-going basis.

For more details on when ongoing monitoring is required and for which products, refer to the following sections of the Poultry water retention control program (4.3 Poultry product – validation of the water retention control program):

  • 1. Initial validation
    • c) Assessment of initial validation
    • d) Low water retention
  • 2. Ongoing monitoring (after a validated water retention control program)

Non-compliant product

A non-compliant product is:

For more details on the appropriate corrective measure for non-compliant product, refer to section 5. Non-compliant product of the Poultry water retention control program. The product with water retention higher than regulatory tolerance may be brought into compliance by:

  • declaring the amount of water retained on the label (this is not required when the carcasses meet section 20 of Canadian Standards of Identity: Volume 7 Meat Products)
  • performing corrective actions to reduce water retention until in compliance (in this case, the amount of water retained does not need to be declared on the label)
  • sending the product for further processing (for example, marinating or cooking)
6.2.1.3 Crust and liquid freezing

Refer to section 7.0 Freezing of the Poultry and rabbit meat refrigeration, chilling, and freezing procedures for more details on crust and liquid freezing processes.

Crust freezing or "surface freezing" is a rapid chilling method that may use liquid immersion or other techniques to temporarily freeze a thin outer layer of skin and muscle of poultry carcasses or their parts. Since the intent is not to completely freeze the product, the licence holder must monitor the freezing process, thawing and label accordingly.

Liquid freezing involves liquid immersion or spray freezing to rapidly chill (crust freezing) or fully freeze the product. Since liquid freezing typically uses refrigerant and coloring agents, the licence holder must monitor the process to prevent contamination of the product with the refrigerant.

Non-Food Chemicals

For more details on non-food chemicals, refer to the following resources:

6.2.2 Rabbit

Refer to section 8.0 Refrigeration of rabbit meat products of the Poultry and rabbit meat refrigeration, chilling, and freezing procedures, for details on rabbit chilling and water retention.

6.2.2.1 Chilling

The licence holder may use similar methods as those used for poultry to chill the rabbit carcasses and their parts. These methods include water, air or combination of water and air. Refer to section 6.2.1.1 Chilling of this document for more details on chilling.

6.2.2.2 Water retention

The licence holder must ensure, at the time of packaging, there is no increase of the weight of the carcass and its parts as a result of water chilling, or the retained water is declared as a part of the product name on the label. The licence holder may use similar controls as for poultry. Refer to section 6.2.1.2 Water retention of this document for more details on water retention.

6.3 Communicate the inspection results

Refer to sections 6.3 of the Operational procedure: Food preventive control and traceability inspection – System Verification, Food Animal Slaughter PCI Operational Guidance and Operational Guidance: Food Animal Slaughter – Preventive Control Inspection – Implementation Verification for more details on reporting results.

6.4 Conduct the follow-up inspection

Refer to sections 6.4 of the Operational procedure: Food preventive control and traceability inspection – System Verification, Food Animal Slaughter PCI Operational Guidance and Operational Guidance: Food Animal Slaughter – Preventive Control Inspection – Implementation Verification for more details on conducting the follow-up inspection.

For inquiries related to this Operational Guidance Document, please follow established communication channels, including submitting an electronic Request for Action Form (e-RAF) (accessible only on the Government of Canada network).

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