The Results of Education to Comply with Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP 420) Regulations and Monitoring of Food Production Facilities in Buriram Province

Abstract

Background: The Thai Food and Drug Administration issued the Ministerial Notification No. 420 (B.E.2563) on production, methods, equipment, and food storage, which was proclaimed in the Government Gazette on February 10, 2021. This notification aimed to update the guidelines regarding food production, equipment, and storage. It took effect for new entrepreneurs on April 11, 2021, onward, and applies to existing food producers with valid food production licenses on October 7, 2021. However, in Buriram Province, it was found that some of the same establishments were still unable to comply; the province promoted educational initiatives for processed food entrepreneurs packaging products in ready-to-sell containers, helping them to meet standards stipulated in the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP 420).

Objectives: To compare the knowledge and process standards of food production facilities packaged in ready-to-sell containers in Buriram Province.

Methods: This research was a preliminary experimental study that collected data through inspection and recommendation provided to 41 pre-existing food processing facilities that package ready-to-sell food containers in Buriram Province. The study adhered to the Ministry of Public Health Notification No. 420 (B.E. 2563), issued under the Food Act B.E. 2522, between July and December 2022.

Results: The results indicated that the majority of the sample group was 40-49 years old (34.1%), had a high school education or vocational certificate (36.6%), and were business owners (65.9%). The types of food produced were shrimp paste (41.5%), snacks (22.2%), rice (12.2%), sour sausage (4.9%), and others (19.5%). In addition, it was found that 68.3 percent of the sample group knew that food production facilities must comply with the GMP 420 that were enforced by law. An average knowledge score before training was 9.41, and after training, it increased to 14.46 from a 15 score. This post-training average score increased significantly. The overall scores and scores in three GMP 420 categories—(1) Location, Production Building, Cleaning, and Maintenance; (3) Production Process Control; and (5) Personal Hygiene—showed that the average scores after development were significantly higher than before in the food production facilities (p-value < 0.05). Conversely, for two other categories—2) Equipment, Machinery, Production Tools, Cleaning, and Maintenance; and 4) Sanitation—the average scores after development were higher but not statistically different from the pre-development scores (p-value > 0.05).

Conclusions: The research findings show that the provision of educational programs and subsequent monitoring and evaluation of food production facilities significantly contribute to the development of knowledge and standards in accordance with GMP 420 regulation. Consequently, operators have demonstrated a heightened awareness and understanding of regulatory requirements, resulting in improved standards within production facilities. This, in turn, will lead to enhanced quality and safety of food products at both local and international levels.