CAC/GL 17-1993 Guideline Procedures for the Visual Inspection of Lots of Canned Foods for Unacceptable Defects
EXPLANATORY PREFACE
The safety of canned foods is assured primarily by the application of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP's) in the manufacture of the containers, processing and handling the container in the processing establishment, and storage and distribution of the finished product. When the safety or acceptability of a lot of canned food is in question the first action should be the verification that GMP's were followed. However, there are instances e.g., international trade, when safety or acceptability of a lot may be in question and no evidence is available which would give assurance that GMP's had been followed. In such situations it would be appropriate for a canning expert to assess the acceptability or safety by both inspection and reference to any pertinent documentation relating to processing, shipping, etc. of the lot which may be available. The type of examination carried out under such circumstances will vary and be dictated by the particular problem or situation. The examination may be expected to reflect the experiences of the particular expert engaged.
Some container defects can increase the potential for microbiological contamination of canned foods resulting in spoilage and in some instances in foodborne illness. While some of these defects are hidden, many are visible on the container surfaces permitting their detection without destructive analysis. Control of such defects, that is preventing their occurrence, is exercised in a number of critical control points in the GMP's to assure that the risk of post-process microbial contamination which may result in spoilage and food poisoning is minimized. It is in this sense that inspection of lots of canned foods for visual defects can be a viable means to determine their acceptability. Since such inspection is non-destructive it permits the inspection of larger numbers of containers at minimal cost. However, when such inspections are carried out, only statistical based sampling plans should be used and the choice of sampling plan depends on the nature of the inspection being undertaken.
