Final Report of an Audit Conducted in the People's Republic of China to Evaluate Poultry Meat Inspection System and Establishments Producing Stuffed Grain Products
5 Processing

5.1 Thermal Processing

Appropriate heating, cooling, freezing and temperature monitoring devices should be provided based on food production characteristics. The steaming process for dumplings varies by establishment. Poultry meat is cooked in steaming chambers with internal temperature ≥ 75°C for five minutes. All establishments have temperature automatically controlled and displayed on the panel. Manual verifications are conducted after the cooking process.

There are three thermal processes observed from this audit for dumplings:

1. Single layer tunnel steamer: Dumplings are steamed individually in the closed tunnel on the conveyor, with only one layer inside the steamer. The temperature of the steam is set at 100°C. Time and temperature are controlled and displayed on the control panel outside of the steaming tunnel. The whole enclosed tunnel is divided into three parts, the first two parts are for proofing and the third part is for steaming. Quality and the internal temperature of buns are verified manually after the process.
2. Steaming chambers: Products are loaded into carts on trays with identification attached on the carts. One chamber can fit in two carts. Each chamber has a probe attached. The probe is inserted into the cold spot of that specific chamber, which is determined by using a Heat Distribution Detector. Internal temperature of products holds at 80°C for three and a half minutes or 75°C for 5 and half minutes depending on the size of the product.
3. Oil Fryer: Spring rolls are deep fried by going through the heated oil tank at 155°C to reach an internal temperature of higher than 70°C. There is no fixed cooking time for the frying process and the employee judges by observing the colour change. Manual temperature check after frying is conducted per hour. During the audit, internal temperature was recorded at 83°C.

5.2 Chilling/Freezing Controls

As specified in the Specification for Livestock and Poultry Dressing Sanitation (GB 12694-2016), as required by process, post-slaughter carcass and edible by-products should be pre-cooled immediately. After cooling, central temperature should be kept below 4°C for poultry and 3°C for offal products. The chilling temperature of the poultry carcasses was controlled and verified via a CCP immediately after their exit from the chiller. The core temperature of carcasses has to reach less than 4°C in a period of time of 60 to 70 minutes. No chilling controls were present for poultry giblets and feet. These two products are immediately shipped to an external contractor and are not exported to Canada.

It was observed at the audited establishments that both cooked poultry meat and dumpling products are cooled down in the chilling room before freezing. After taking out from steaming chambers, products are pushed into the chilling room displaying a temperature of 8.3°C for about half an hour to let internal temperature reach below 50°C.

All steamed or fried dumpling, go through a spiral or flat Quick Freezer to reach internal temperatures of −18°C within 30 to 90 minutes, depending on the size and shape of the product. Temperatures and time are controlled and displayed on the panel outside of the freezer. The acquired freezing time for the specific product is adjusted by controlling the speed of the conveyor. Temperature verification is conducted manually by inserting a probe into the product after freezing. The temperature of the frozen product is verified automatically controlled and also verified manually every hour.

5.3 Water Retention

In the two slaughter establishments audited, the water retention control program of the poultry meat is validated every year by the operator. It can also be re-validated when any change occurs regarding the equipment used during the evisceration or post-evisceration process. The number of carcasses used during the validation is twenty. The water retention tolerated limit is less than 8%, which meets Canadian requirements. The water retention results audited in one of the slaughter establishment was 6.9%. No water retention validation was completed for offals which are not eligible to export to Canada.

5.4 Allergen Control Program

National Food Safety Standard - General Rules for the Labeling of Prepackaged Food (GB7718-2011) lists the following allergens:

1. Crustacea and crustacean products (such as shrimp, lobster and crab);
2. Fish and fish products;
3. Egg and egg products;
4. Peanut and peanut products;
5. Soybean and soybean products;
6. Dairy and dairy products (including lactose);
7. Nut and nut meat products;
8. Cereals and cereal products containing gluten (such as wheat, barley, oat, spelt or their hybrids).

All audited establishments have written allergen program in place. All materials used in the product are in compliance with Chinese regulations which require verification of the supplier's analysis report. Allergen control programs listed major allergens depending on the exporting countries and regions' requirements. Canada's main allergens are included in the written program. During daily production, establishments have identified allergens of concern for that production day in the dry ingredients room.