Strengthening of the Measures to Control the Production of Ice Cubes in Chainat

Abstract

Objective: To determine the approaches to strengthen the supervision of ice cube production, both at the pre-marketing and post-marketing periods, of Chainat Public Health Office, and to investigate factors contributing to the failure to meet the microbiological standard of ice cubes. Method: This study analyzed the past control of the product by Chainat Public Health Office during the fiscal year 2012-2014 including the inspection results of production sites based on Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) on food, the results on microbiological tests of ice cubes sampled from the production sites and the results from litigations. Moreover, the researcher interviewed officers, reviewed related documents, and conducted focus group discussion among officers in food control working in the 3^rd health area, with the goal of identifying the things needed an improvement in order to strengthen the control of ice cube production. Results: The existing measures at the pre-marketing and post-marketing stages should be improved, including the officer’s call for the documents on chemical tests of surface water source for the production of ice cubes and test of water after treatment ready for the production process. Moreover, inspectors needed an improvement on the knowledge on production process and instruments used in the production. The study also found that general GMP for inspection of the production sites of ice cubes lacked of specificity and comprehensiveness, covering only the area on production control. The study also identified personal hygiene of the personnel involving in the production process as one of the important factors contributing to the failure to meet the microbiological standard of ice cubes. Chainat Public Health Office enforced the law to many entrepreneurs to eradicate the failure to meet the microbiological standard of the product. However, the attempt was not successful, implying that the better measure may be the cooperation between officers and entrepreneurs in improving production sites according to GMP standard. Conclusion: Chainat Public Health Office should improve the skills among GMP inspectors and targets the improvement of hygiene among production personnel. Food and Drug Administration needs to improve specificity and comprehensiveness of the GMP standard. Officers should call the documents relevant to crucial production process for product quality during pre-marketing stage in order to prevent and reduce the failure to meet standard of the product.