A Scientific poster presented at the Sixth International Date Palm Conference, Emirates Palace Hotel, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates March 19-21, 2018

1. Assessing the Application of GMPs in Date
Factories in Baharia Oasis
Kassem, Aly. Z., PhD1 & Kady, Amgad. A., PhD2
1Institute of National Planning, Egypt, 2 Ministry of Trade and Industry
Aly Zein Elabdeen Kassem, PhD
Institute of National Planning, Egypt
Email: Aly.kasem@inp.edu.eg
Website: www.inp.gov.eg
Phone:+201285803485
Contact
1. Food Export Council, Unpublished data, 2017.
2. Food and Agro Industries Technology Centre (FAITC), Ministry of Trade and Industry, Unpublished data, 2018.
3. FAOSTAT (http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/) Food and Agriculture Organization website. Accessed on 17 March 2018
4. Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) official website; http://www.mygfsi.com/ , Accessed 17 March 2018.
References
This paper aimed at assessing the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) applied in 6
small factories in Baharia Oasis in terms of the basic requirements of the Global
Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), issue 2, June 2012. the paper reached some major
findings, which are: The application percentage of food safety management
systems, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and control of food hazards were
estimated in the study sample factories at 52%, 68% and 64% respectively. The
overall application of the basic GFSI requirements in the study samples were
estimated at 61%. The most important GMP concerns that should be enhanced are:
ensuring that all personnel hygiene requirements are documented and applicable
to all personnel, contractors and victors; The business facilities should be
maintained so as to prevent contamination and enable the production of safe
products; Documented and effective cleaning and disinfection procedures should
be in place and effective; An effective Pest Control programme should be in place;
All date factories need to ensure the quality of water used in the date processing.
Abstract
The percentages of applying the basic GFSI requirements in terms of Food Safety
Management Systems, Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and control of food
hazards were estimated at 52%, 68% and 64% respectively in the study sample
factories. The overall application of the basic GFSI requirements in the study
sample were estimated at 61%.
Introduction
During the last week of February 2018 a number of 6 date processing factories
located in Elwahat Baharia Oasis, specifically in Mandisha and Elzabo villages were
evaluated against the basic requirements of GFSI, issue 2, 2012, which consist of
three main parts: Food Safety Management Systems, Good Manufacturing
Practices and Control of food hazards. The evaluation was arranged with
cooperation with FAITC, where the surveyed date manufacturers were informed
with some of the major findings as a technical assistance in the same time of the
audit. Date manufacturers were asked to provide their objective evidences of
compliance with requirements, i.e. records, suppliers contracts, etc. The direct
observation were employed to assess the hygienic design of food facilities, workers
and contractors Good Hygienic Practices (GHP), etc. the GFSI Global Markets
Manufacturing Basic and Intermediate Level Checklist, issue 2, June 2012 were
downloaded in Microsoft Excel version 97-2003 from the GFSI official website. The
ready-use GFSI checklist is designed to answer the questions with No or Yes by the
user and then the GFSI ready-use checklist calculate immediately the percentage of
compliance under each main part and draw an illustrative figure.
Methods and Materials
Although The first and third sections in Basic GFSI requirements (namely; Food
Safety Management Systems and Control of Food Hazards) are out of this study
scope, it can be said that many of subcategories under those two sections are in
need to be fulfilled or enhanced. Related to the application of GMP in the six date
factories included in the study samples, it can be concluded that:
1) Personnel Hygiene: There were not sufficient processes nor procedures in place
to ensure the implementation of personnel and visitor hygiene practices.
2) Facilities Environment: Although the date facilities of the study sample were
partially located, designed and constructed to ensure product safety, all the
facilities were needed to be more well maintained.
A. All surveyed date factories did not have waste water systems.
3) Cleaning and Disinfection: There were not documented cleaning and
disinfection procedures in place.
4) Product Contamination control: There were partially physical barriers in place
to reduce and avoid the risk of any potential contamination.
5) Pest Control: There were partially effective pest control programme in place
especially inside the ambient or cold storage facilities.
6) Water Quality: There were not documented procedures in place to ensure that
the quality of water, steam does not compromise the food safety of the finished
product.
Discussion
All the surveyed date factories in the study sample are partially applying the basic
GMP requirements included in the GFSI guidelines. The study sample factories in
Wahat Baharia should establish processes and create procedures to ensure the
implementation of personnel and visitor hygiene practices. More efforts are
necessary to be provided to date manufacturers by the technical assistance bodies
in Egypt such as FAITC and Food Technology Research Institute (FTRI).
Conclusions
Egypt is the first producer of date palm worldwide with approximately 1,694,813
tons in 2016 (FAOSTAT, 2017). The Egyptian date exports composed mainly from
Siwi or Sayidi variety that traditionally produced in Siwa city in Matroh governorate,
Wahat Baharia in Giza governorate and New valley governorate. The three above-
mentioned centers of producing the semi-dry Siwi Varity considered together as
well the biggest manufacturers of packed partially dehydrated date that targeted
Morocco, Malaysian and Indonesian markets with an export amounts estimated at
40 thousand metric tons in 2016 (Food Export Council, 2017). The National
strategy of developing the Egyptian date sector aimed at increasing the Egyptian
date exports to 120 thousands metric tones in 2021 via joint efforts alongside the
value chain from farm to fork (Food and Agro Industries Technology Centre
(FAITC), 2018). The date preparation or manufacturing considered a critical stage
in attaining the national strategy aim of increasing date exports. The application of
Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) is a key in penetration new global markets.
So, the assessment of to what extend GMP is applied in Wahat Baharia date
factories was the main question of this paper in order to stand upon and highlight
the gaps in GMP application which are needed to be ridged in order to produce
more safe and competitive date products. The Global Food Safety Initiative
Foundation (the GFSI Foundation) and the Consumer Goods Forum publish
information about GFSI basic and intermediate requirements (GFSI WEBSITE,
2018). The GFSI basic and intermediate requirements could be considered as
globally supplier quality assurance standard valid also for the purpose of self-
assessment.
Results
Chart 1. Assessment summary of complying the study sample with the basic requirements of GFSI issue 2, 2012.
Figure 1. Well designed date pack. Figure 2. New Good Hygienically
designed date Factory.
Figure 3. High Quality Siwi Date.
Institute of National
Planning, Egypt
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
A Food Safety
Management Systems
B Good Manufacturing
Practices (GMPs)
C Control of Food
Hazards
Total Points
52%
68%
64%
61%
Assessment Summary
Amgad Ahmed Elkady, PhD
Food and Agro Industries Technology Centre (FAITC), Egypt
Email: Amgadelkady37@yahoo.com
Phone:+201224317511
Food and Agro Industries technology Centre (FAITC)
Ministry of Trade and Industry, Egypt
Institute of National Planning, Egypt