2016

FSQA/GL 2 (2016)

GUIDELINES FOR
FOOD STORAGE
WAREHOUSES

FOOD SAFETY AND QUALITY AUTHORITY | Kotu East, Serrekunda, The Gambia
GUIDELINES FOR FOOD STORAGE WAREHOUSES

SCOPE AND OBJECTIVE

These guidelines are intended to be used by food business operators that own or manage food
warehouses which operates by selling food in wholesale or retail, where foods are stored prior to
reaching the next stage of the food distribution chain. Since food is often stored and transport in bulk
and large quantities it is important that standards and guidelines are set to ensure that the quality
and safety of such large quantities of food is maintained.

The objective of these guidelines is to ensure the application of the food safety and quality standards
set by the Food Safety and Quality Authority of The Gambia. These guidelines will help to ensure
good food handling practices (food warehouse control) in order to minimise the risk of food spoilage
that can happen during the storage of food in the warehouses.

INTRODUCTION
Food warehouses are an invaluable link between the farm, the processing plant, the retailer, and the
consumers. It is important to recognize the existence of potential food safety risks in all the stages
of production, transportation, storage and processing of food. One of the stages of highest
vulnerability is during the pre/ or post processing storage and the threats to food safety in this stage
are based on a number of factors. These factors include: the warehouse’s structural layout, the nature
of the products being stored, zoning of the products in the warehouse, the number and complexity
of the food handlings within the store, and the manner in which products are displayed. It should also
be noted that from a food safety management perspective, and in all instances, the standards and
guidelines set by the Food Safety and Quality Authority of The Gambia should be consulted and
adhered to.

DEFINITIONS
 Food: Any substance used for food or drink for man or other animals
 Warehouse: for the purpose of this document, warehouse means an enclosure that’s used
or will be use for the temporal storage of food.
 The Authority: the Food safety and Quality Authority of The Gambia
 Operators: any person working in a Food Storage Warehouse.
 Equipment: storage cases, tables, counters, shelving, pallets, refrigerators, freezers, lifts,
packaging equipment, and any other items used in the operation of a Food Storage
Warehouse for packaging, handling, displaying, or storing food for sale.
 Easily cleanable: means readily accessible and of such material and finishing that it cause
no difficulty in cleaning.
 Hazardous substance: is a substance or mixture of substances which is/are toxic, corrosive,
an irritant, flammable, or which generates pressure through heat, decomposition or other
means.
 Perishable food: means any food of such type or in such condition or physical state that
may easily get spoil or otherwise become unfit for human consumption.
  Potentially hazardous food: means any perishable food which consists in whole or in part
of milk or milk products, eggs, meat, poultry, fish, shellfish, or other ingredients capable of
supporting rapid and progressive growth of infections or toxigenic microorganisms.
 Safe temperatures: as applied to potentially hazardous food, mean air temperatures of 7
degrees C. or below and 60 degrees C. or above for cold and hot foods respectively.
 Sanitize: An effective treatment to physically cleanse surfaces of equipment, walls,
refrigerators and utensils by a process which has been approved by the competent
authorities as being effective in destroying microorganisms including pathogens.
 Arrangement/zoning: is the partitioning and distribution of stored food within the
warehouse depending on the types of products.

THE WAREHOUSE SITING EXTERIOR AND PHYSICAL GROUNDS

Food warehouses should be located away from inadequately drained areas and excessively dusty
roads, yards, or parking lots which may constitute a source of contamination to food products by
providing a breeding place for insects, microorganisms, or other vermin. In this regard it is
recommended to see the standards set by the Department of Physical Planning and Housing of The
Gambia.

The grounds around a food storage warehouse under the control of the operator or owner should be
free from the following conditions:

 Improperly stored equipment, litter, waste, refuse, uncut weeds, or grass within the
immediate vicinity of the warehouse, which may constitute an attractant, breeding
place, or harbourage for rodents, insects, or other vermin.
 Inadequate and open garbage bins, containers, or cans used for disposal which may
allow pilferage and/or which may be an attraction for insects, rodents, or other
animals.

WAREHOUSE CONSTRUCTION DESIGN AND PHYSICAL LAYOUT

Food storage warehouse buildings should be suitable in size, construction, and design to facilitate
maintenance, free and an uninterrupted mobility and sanitary operations of a food storage
warehouse. The design and construction of the facilities should also:

 Prevent the entrance of insects, birds, rodents, dogs, cats, and other pests.
 Permit the screening of all openings like doors windows and all other openings against
insects and birds etc.
 Allow the sealing of all service connection through the exterior walls of the establishment
including water, gas, electrical and refrigerator connection to prevent the entrance of
insects, rodents, and birds.
 Permits sufficient lightening and ventilation to prevent any undue condensation of water
vapour or objectionable odours.
 Have their floors constructed of easily cleanable and reasonably smooth material. They
must be kept clean and in good repair.
 Have the Walls and ceilings reasonably free of dirt, dust, cobwebs and crack-free.
 Have floor drains with traps or screens to prevent the entrance of rodents and insects
through drainage lines.
To further safeguard the safety and quality of warehouse stored foods, the operator should
implement the four main principles of food warehouse management known as the McKenna’s four
principles for Food storage warehouses these principles are detailed in the following pages

1. PERSONAL HYGIENE AND TRAINING

All operators of food warehouses must wash their hands with company’s supplied soaps (preferably
liquid soap) in sinks or containers equipped with hygienic drying system (or clean dry cloths) .There
should also be a well detailed training program for operators on topics ranging from food safety
personal hygiene, quality awareness, incident and crisis management and traceability. Below is a
detailed training program guide for food warehouse operators.

TRAINING PROGRAM FOR FOOD WAREHOUSE OPERATORS

A detailed description of the actions to be taken by the establishment to realize the objective of food
safety. The program should consider the training needs of the operators of the warehouse and these
necessities should be revised periodically to ensure the operators are well informed in the areas of
food safety. The following must be considered in the program:

 General and specific knowledge for any workplace in areas of hygiene and food safety

 Personal hygiene: body hygiene, hand washing, clean dress code, periodical medical
examination and health certification

 Health status: symptoms, injuries or health conditions that may influence the safety of the
food and the preventive measures to be undertaken (gloves, nose covers)

 Hygienic Habits and Conducts: the operator from the first instances should know what is
expected of him or her in terms of his or her personal habits and conducts. Example respect
of no-smoking zones, no spitting etc.

 Hygienic work practice: the operator should have knowledge of the hygienic work
practices involving his or her work in the warehouse and should be able to strictly apply
these practices in the warehouse operation (cold chain storage, sanitization, handling of
equipment and waste management)

a) Basic knowledge about the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points and the pre-
requisite plans
b) Knowledge on the sanitary requirements and conditions set by the authority
concerning the activities to be carried out
During the planning and elaboration of the training program the following points should be detailed
and recorded:

 The personnel responsible for conducting the training

 The training needs for each and every operator
 The training methodology
 Description of topics the training is to cover
 The group of individuals who should take the training
 Duration of the training program

2. PEST CONTROL
Pest infestation compromises the safety and quality of foods in warehouses. It can impact the
safety of food products via the transmission of zoonotic diseases (e.g. leptospirosis from rodent
urine or droppings). In order to minimize the risks of contamination by pest infestation a pest
control program must be put in place to ensure the prevention and elimination of pests such as
rodents’ insects, birds, ants, cockroaches and other undesirable animals. In developing a pest
control program, the following should serve as a guide:

PEST CONTROL PROGRAM FOR FOOD WAREHOUSES

The actions to be taken in controlling the infestation of pests in the warehouse should be well
detailed in the pest control program. During the design and development of the plan it is important
to have in mind the factors and conditions that attract pests:

 Physical and structural conditions of the warehouse

 Hideouts
 Accessibility
 Environmental conditions
 Temperature and humidity
 Availability of food and water for the pest

THE PEST CONTROL PROGRAM SHOULD INCLUDE:

Description of the hygienic, biological, physical and/or mechanical measures to use against the
infestation of pest in the warehouse indicating:

 Types of pest
 Control area
 Indication of the positions of the equipment (traps etc.) being use for pest control

Examples:
Hygienic measures: always maintain the doors of the warehouse closed, disposing off waste
daily.
Physical measures: meshing and/or sealing of all the openings in the walls of the warehouse
Mechanical means: traps adhesives etc.
Biological measure: traps with bates
VERIFICATION ACTIVITIES:
These activities should be put in place to assure the operator that the activities mentioned in the
program are effectively functioning and rendering the desired results

OBJECTIVE OF THE VERIFICATION EXAMPLE OF VERIFICATION ACTIVITIES

ACTIVITY
 Visual control of the physical barriers,
The actions described in the program should the structural and hygienic condition of
be attained in a systematic way the warehouse
 Verify the functionality of equipment in
place (traps, adhesives etc.)
 Regular and periodic visual examination
of the installations’ corners, walk paths
conduits etc. to detect the presence of
Are the activities carried out efficiently undesired animals (rats, insects etc.) or
any indication of their presence (foot
marks urines faeces etc.)

DOCUMENTATION
From the verification results of the detected incidents to the corrective actions

CONTROL OF THE MAINTENANCE OF THE PHYSICAL AND MECHANICAL ELEMENTS OF

PEST CONTROL
The state of maintenance and
functionality of the physical
barriers (masks screens door
TESTING PROCEDURES WHAT IS TO BE TESTED closures) and mechanical
elements (traps etc.)
MESH Intact without any hole
DRAIN COVERS are in their places
DOORS close completely
ELECTRICAL APPARATUS Functioning normal
TRAPS are intact
HOW IS IT VERIFIED Visually
WHERE IS TO BE VERIFIED On the places where the
physical barriers are placed
FREQUENCY When is the verification to be Weekly
done
Who is assign to perform the The operator of the
RESPONSIBILITY verification warehouse he will also carry
out the corrective actions
The warehouse operator
should take note of all the
THE DOCUMENTATION How is it documented maintenance status of the all
SYSTEM
 the physical and mechanical
elements like traps etc.

CHECKLIST FOR PEST CONTROL PARAMETERS

PEST AND OTHER UNDESIRABLE ANIMAL CONTROL PLAN

WAREHOUSE DETAILS……………………………….

DOCUMENTATION AND FUNCTIONALITY OF THE PHYSICAL AND MECHANICAL ELEMENTS

FOR THE CONTROL OF PEST

Control results Incident Corrective Authorized

Drain covers description actions signature
DATE Mesh doors
c I

C-correct, I- incorrect

3. SANITATION PLAN

The warehouse facility must be properly cleaned and kept tidy at all times. All cleaning and
housekeeping within the warehouse must be thoroughly documented, in a well detailed cleaning
and sanitation plan and these records are to be available when deem necessary. A typical sanitation
plan should contain:

 A sanitation and disinfection program

 Checking and verification activities
 Documentation

SANITATION AND DISINFECTION PROGRAM

Description of all the activities that the warehouse operator carries out during the cleaning and
disinfection of all surfaces, installations, and equipment(s) connected areas, putting special
emphasis on the following:

 What is to be cleaned and or disinfected

 Identification of the Surfaces installations equipment that is to be clean and or disinfected
indicating the location of each
 How is the cleaning and or sanitation done
  Description of the cleaning and disinfection procedure: the flow chat of the cleaning process,
cleaning products being used, the concentration of the cleaning reagent being used (as
recommended by the Authority).
 Sanitation and cleaning methods used: automatically or manually types of equipment
 Time and temperature or other parameters of interest in food safety
 When is the sanitation and disinfestation done
 Time and frequency with which cleaning and disinfection is done
 Who is responsible for the sanitation and disinfection?

TESTING AND VERIFICATION ACTIVITIES

OBJECTIVES OF THE TESTING AND EXAMPLES OF TESTING AND

VERIFICATION ACTIVITIES VERIFICATION ACTIVITIES
 Perform a visual verification of the
cleaning and disinfection activities to
The outcome of the action to be the Make sure the process compile with
predetermined what is pre-established and with the
required frequency
 A control use of the disinfectant and its
concentration
 Perform a periodic microbiological test
of the surfaces that being disinfected
That the performed activities are efficient  Perform a periodic microbiological
analysis of the foods stored in the
warehouse
 Perform microbiological analysis of the
water being use for disinfection

DOCUMENTATION
A complete documentation of the verifications and their results should be kept, this is important
and helpful in evaluating the results of the sanitation and disinfection plan

Documentation can be in the form of:

I. Visual inspection sheets.

II. Verification lists.
III. Microbiological and o physiochemical test results.
EXAMPLE OF AN EQUIPMENT SANITATION INSPECTION SHEET
What is to be verified Equipment sanitation
operation: absence of visible
dirt
VERIFICATION PROCEDURE How is it to be verified Visual inspection
The surfaces of the equipment
Where is it to be verified in the warehouse.
Before the entrance of new
FREQUENCY How often it is done lot.
The operator should be
trained to do the inspection
RESPONSIBILITY Who does it and verification as well carry
out the corrective measures
when necessary.
How is the documentation The warehouse operator
done should fill an inspection and
DOCUMENTATION SYSTEM verification sheet of the
sanitation and disinfection
sheet of all the installation
before the reception of a new
lot in the warehouse.

4. LOT TRACEABILITY PLAN

Every food storage facility must have a system in place for tracing lot, date and codes of products to
ensure a “first in, first out” (FIFO) method and first expired, first out of inventory rotation. The
implementation of the FIFO method allows easy rotation of the food in the warehouse and
discouraging the overstay of products in the warehouse. For a complete and detailed guideline on
traceability and recall procedures refer to the Food Safety and Quality Authority of the Gambia’s
Guidelines on traceability for food establishments.
 WAREHOUSE INSPECTION CHECKLIST
NAME OF COMPANY DATE OF
INSPECTION

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
……………….. …………………………
………

ADDRESS …………………………………………………………
CONTACT…………………………

INSPECTION DESCRIPTION YE N CORRECTIVE

S O ACTION

LOCATION SITE & SURROUNDING

Are premises located away from environmentally polluted

areas?

Surrounding (e.g. drainage, ground etc.) is clean & properly

maintained.

If building is surrounded by vegetation, is it well tended?

Are the premises free from storage of waste & unused items?

Is there any sign of pest infestation?

STRUCTURE, DESIGN & MAINTENANCE

Are walls, ceilings & doors durable, impervious, smooth, and
clean?

Is there flaking of paint?

Are floors smooth, clean, durable, no holes, free from litter &
stagnation of water?

Is there damage or flaking of paint at joint between wall & floor?

Is there an effective loading & unloading system?

Are Overhead fixtures that are designed to prevent dirt &

condensation accumulation clean?

Is there adequate ventilation to prevent unacceptable

accumulation of heat, condensation or odours?

Are all openings to the exterior have tight-fitting doors, windows

& effective screens?

Is lighting adequate & in good working condition?

Are lighting fixtures (inclusive used in electric fly-killing devices)

located in areas where there are open products are protected?

STORAGE FACILITIES & PRACTICES

Is there an appropriate shelving/racking system which are clean

& in good conditions?
If wooden shelving is used, is it maintained smooth & easily
cleanable?

Are food items stored off the floor, away from the roof & away
from wall?

Is there a proper stock rotation (First in First Out) system?

Are food items stored at appropriate temperatures with proper

temperature monitoring & recording? (cold storage)

Is temperature monitoring devices in good conditions &

calibrated periodically?

Are calibration records available? (cold storage)

Are food items stored separately from non-food items?

Is there an appropriate segregation of cooked/ ready-to-be-

consumed products from raw products?

Are chemicals, detergents & other cleaning materials stored in

designated areas away from food items?

Is relevant Material and Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) available?

Are all non-conforming/damaged products clearly identified &

separated in designated area for appropriate disposition?
Is there storage of food items in food storage prohibited areas
such as locker rooms, toilets, garbage rooms, mechanical rooms,
open exterior area etc.?

Is there any gasoline/diesel driven forklift?

To employees practice eating, smoking, spitting or any

unhygienic practices in food storage areas?

PEST CONTROL

Are there signs of pest infestation?

Is pest extermination carried out by external pest

controller/trained staff?

Is toxic rodent baits used in food storage area?

Are insect-expelled type of fly-killing device is used at open

product areas?

WASTE DISPOSAL

Are adequate and appropriate refuse containers provided?

Is all waste removed at regular interval to minimise

contamination?

Are containers used for waste are clearly identified, covered,

leak-proof
 STAFF FACILITIES

Are toilets adequately segregated and do not open directly into

food storage area?

Are toilets provided with hand-washing facilities comprising of

water taps, liquid soap & appropriate hand drying facilities?

Are toilets clean & kept closed?

Are toilet facilities in good working order?

FOOD ITEMS IDENTIFICATION & TRACEABILITY

Are all food items properly labelled?

Is there any effective traceability system and recall capability?

DISPATCH & TRANSPORT

Are food vehicles internally lined with appropriate material &

provided with suitable facilities?

Frozen/chilled food items are transported at proper

temperatures with transportation temperature being monitored
& recorded?
Are vehicles covered, clean, free from pest infestation & other
contaminants?

Are separate food vehicles used for unpacked/high risk raw food
items & packed finished products or vice versa?

TRAINING PROGRAMS

Is good warehouse practices/food handling training provided to

relevant staff?

DOCUMENTATIONS AND RECORDS

Are proper documentation & Records kept?

Are cleaning Schedule & records kept?

Are calibration records for temperature monitoring/measuring

equipment?

(in the case of cold storage)

Is storage temperature monitoring and records kept?

Is pest control documented and records maintained?

Are cleaning of food vehicles and maintenance

records/container inspection records kept?
 DOCUMENT VERIFIED BY

INSPECTOR(S)

NAME SIGNATURE………………………
………………………………………………………………………………………..………… ………
….
SIGNATURE………………………
NAME ………
………………………………………………………………………………………..…………
SIGNATURE………………………
…
………
NAME
………………………………………………………………………………………..…………
….