Avaliação de riscos associados a materiais estranhos em uma indústria de alimentos

Abstract

With the advancement of areas such as food technology, the food industry seeks constant improvements to meet not only the requirements of legislation and certifications, but also the growing expectations of consumers regarding food safety. The presence of foreign materials in food can result in serious health problems, such as physical injuries and illnesses, in addition to negatively impacting consumer confidence. According to food safety standards, it is essential that strict measures are implemented to prevent, control or detect any form of potential contamination, based on a detailed hazard assessment. Given this scenario, this work aimed to thoroughly evaluate the possible risks of physical contamination by foreign materials in a food industry, using the probability/consequence matrix methodology specified in the NBR IEC 31010:2021 standard. As a result, the identified hazards were recorded, and the risk level - high, medium, and low - was determined. Additionally, it was observed that the area, the location and dimensions of objects, as well as existing barriers and identification methods, directly impacted the probability of contamination occurrence. Finally, effective mitigation measures were proposed.