MAKAN SAFETY

Wednesday, July 14, 2010 @ 9:27 PM

Our reflections for package 1 & 2! :)

Zhisin's Reflection

Food safety project is rather different from other projects that we've been doing for the past few semesters. I find that the introduction of this Food Safety project at this period makes it rather challenging. Each group member is attached to different companies for their SIP and this makes discussion between members more complicated. Due to some members who are attached to overseas companies, discussion between members ought to be online or through emails only. This not only slows down the progress as we have to wait for each other’s reply daily, and also there's misunderstandings here and there. To solve all these problems, I have to be patient with replies and also make my statement clear to others.

I’ve also learnt to speak up more if I need help. Nobody will knows what I want if I did not say. For example, in this project, we need to find a product in any of our company and try to get their recipes. At first I was quite scared of my colleagues and dare not ask any of them. Later did I know that actually they’re quite friendly and even corrected my draft that I did for the flow chart. This project not only builds up our communication skills but also increases my knowing on my company’s product knowledge. I've learnt that high treatment like retorting can kill most microorgnism and at the same time enhance the shelf life of products.

During this period, I’ve learnt to plan my time more wisely and manage it well. Though the working hours had tired all of us out, but as a team, I felt motivated and do my part well to help the group as much as possible. As a member of the team, I've to do my part on time so I wont affect other's part and add on the burden to others.This improves my team skills and cooperation with my fellow classmates too.

Kimberly's Reflection

As the packaging of our product is retort pouch, I’ve learnt and understand more about retort pouches through this package. There are only a few products in the market that uses retort pouches as the packaging for products in the market, therefore, through this package, I can understand why the military has been used these retort pouches to package their food. These retort pouches are able to withstand retort temperature and pressure, puncture resistance and able to lengthen the shelf life of the product. Therefore, it is ideal for army men as they may have to rely on these foods during harsh conditions. Moreover, retort pouches are also very convenient when it comes to heating it up.

Through this package, I’ve also learnt how to identify hazards, critical control points and how to suggest preventive measures. I’ve also learnt more about products recall which is very important in the food industries. When the product contains harmful substances that would harm the health of the consumer, we should follow the standard procedure of product recall to try to recall the products as soon as possible to reduce the damage and to protect the safety of the consumer. Thus, this is something new and interesting that I’ve learnt.

As everyone was busy with their work, I felt that we still made an effort to check the messages in the blackboard discussion forum and do up the allocated job within the deadline. As 2 of my group members are not in Singapore for their internship, I greatly appreciated their enthusiastic towards the project. All members were very proactive in contributing their help in finishing the project together. All our group members were very corporative and supporting of each other and we shall work hard together for the next package! All in all, I’ve learnt a lot from my group members and from this package.

Package 2 is more research based. I was very excited to cover GM products as I have heard a lot on GM food. After researching on GM wheat, I've learnt that there were many constraints on GM wheat. There were also many disputes on the GM food too. I can feel that GM food is going to be more common in the market in the future years.This is due to the increase number of drought, floods and weather conditions that affects the growth of normal crops. Therefore, the need for GM seedlings is important as their genes are modified to withstand these harsh conditions in order to provide sufficient food for the people. All these GM food can only be excepted only if they are proven harmless to the human body. Therefore, more research should be done to prove this. I'm task to research on the toxins that wheat produces. Upon researching, I've learn many things. Things like the type of fungus that affect the wheat and the different type of toxin that they will produce. Moreover, I also get to learn the procedure to detect such toxin. I also learnt the dangers of such toxins. I've learnt some of the toxin in some subjects but not the dangers of these toxins. I got to understand the importance of detecting these toxins to prevent it being sold in the market.

This time round, there wasn't much discussion between our members as the work is divided equally to them. Therefore, they are expected to research on their part. As the deadline of the report is nearing the end of our internship, there were quite a number of struggles. The workload of our job increases as we are expected to finish up our intern projects and this project. Luckily, we managed to finish it in time with the help of all the members, finishing the report in time.

Celia’s Reflection

The whole working together as a team when 2 of our group members are overseas were initially difficult to organize, plus the fact that it is hard to get everyone to meet as a group online together. But I manage to divide the work accordingly and everyone worked really well with their task at hand with the help of the blackboard and discussion forums.

Package 1 has made me learn more about the process steps for retort pouch. The different ways the pouches could be heated up other than using water immersion, and they include steam with pressure, or water spray of pouches with hot water. But the most conventional way and most effective would probably be water immersion.

At the same time, I was able to learn about product recall, and its processes, what is it for, why is it done and how it is done. We found out that defected goods have to be indeed taken off the shelves to protect the consumer safety. And it involves a series or process to recall the batch of goods. It was an interesting learning experience as we are all learning together. We also touched on good Manufacturing Practices, and found out what it is as well. That we have to ensure the good practices standards or the hazard could get to an unacceptable limits.

After the induction package, it is much easier to get into the flow to fill up the HACCP form and to identify the CCPs, as initially, during the induction package, I totally forgot how this HACCP table flows and how to fill up. But thankfully after the induction package, my memory was freshened up and we were able to get the HACCP done as quickly for package 1.

Overall this package has not only freshened all of our memories for HACCP and CCPs, at the same time learn more new things about Retort packaging, GMP and Product recall.

In Package 2, it was a 100% self-learning process because i only know a little here and there about the GM products. Thus i not only need to rely on internet resources to find out about the ingredients that we are doing. I had to also look into TP Sparks resources, as well as the library books to read up on the process of GM crops, why it is done and how, its advantages as well as disadvantages. This is also to ensure that what i am reading is reliable and correct. GM products is now so readily available as well as improving daily, and it has its benefits and shortcomings, but it was definitely a breakthrough in food science that this kind of transgenic plants can be produced.

Luckily, with each of us doing major research of one area, we are able to distribute the work evenly and learn with each other's research. I did more research on the DNA probe and Enzyme ImmunoAssays as well as other detection techniques available. I have learnt that today's technology has improved so much on the detection techniques and many people are focusing more on the issue of food safety. Because the current detection techniques can be done so quickly and more accurate with DNA probe...etc

As a whole, i think we worked well as a group with a lot of cooperativeness, and although there were times that we debated over different research materials, we were able to resolved it without much issues.

Overall i think we have worked very well within the team and as a team. Because there were a lot of factors that could have contributed to many mis-communications, but we managed to avoid all these. =)

Maopei’s Reflection

Through package 1, I am able to learn more about food safety regarding the HACCP process. What I had learnt previously during FPQA was to identify CCPs and stuff, not so much about the decision tree and all. Now, I am able to have a clearer picture of how does the HACCP system works. Furthermore, I am exposed another type of food packaging which is the retort pouch that I have no idea what is it about before this package. I got to learn more about product recall, preventive measures and etc through the info that my group mates have research on.

On the other hand, as this module requires us to communicate online, I find it rather hard for all to come online at the same time and discuss it as a group together. This could be due to each of us are busy with our SIP/OSIP. Therefore I think that it is everyone’s responsibility in making an effort to check the discussion board at blackboard more often and reply accordingly. Although there might be times that communication breakdown occurred among us, I believe that if one is patience in explaining slowly, then the problem would be solved easily!

Through package 2, I have a better understanding on what is GM food and other crops. What are the available GM crops that I can find in the market and stuff. This package enhances my learning on GM wheat and other crops as well. I think that the difficulties that i encounter was that mainly the websites/links that i found only talks about GM crops in general and not about GM wheat itself. Luckily after researching for a longer time and when i got a clearer view pf what is wanted for my part, I was able to overcome the difficulties. Not forgetting some helps from my teammates as well. :)

Another difficultes that me and my teammates face was the blog. As all of us are not really experts in blog, standardising all the fonts and stuff really give us a big problem at a certain point of time. Fortunately, we are able to resolve it.Additionally, through this module, I have develop the habit of checking bb regularly. I think is every group member's responsibility to do so so that we will be updated on the latest process of the project.

Raine's Reflection

Through this package 1, I’ve learnt more about product recall, retort pouching and the procedures used in an actual food company. Not only that, it also requires me to use the knowledge that was learnt from FPQA and FPQAP examples such has the HACCP principles and table as well as the CCP decision tree. As that was done during FPQA, I actually forgotten some parts of how to do it but through Food safety it helps me to recall and apply in this package.

Through package 2, I’ve learnt more about GM food in general as well as GM wheat in detail. As I was tasked to research about the history of GM food and who discovered it, I’ve learnt the history and the people that was involved in the discovery process of GM food. In the past, I had never known anything about GM food. However, through this package, it made me realized how GM food had been playing a part in our daily life, till the fact that I might have ate GM food before without realizing it.
Not only that, through reading of my other group members’ research, it allows me to have better understanding with regards to the process, advantages, disadvantages, toxins involved as well as the microbiological problems with GM wheat.

A difficulty I had faced through researching at the earlier stages was trying to find out the reason of the countries rejecting GM wheat and the countries that actually allow the growth of GM wheat. GM wheat, I must admit, has lesser information and harder to research since it is a product that has yet to be approved by consumers. Despite the challenges faced, I was still able to find out certain information through the internet.

Not only that, since food safety is an online problem based learning therefore; communication would be the major problem for all of us since we had to communicate through the discussion board. As I am on OSIP, my only form of communication would be through the blackboard discussion board. At the initial stage it was slightly hard for us to get our message across for everybody but as the time goes by this problem has been reduced and I felt that our team dynamics was pretty strong and that we were able to work together and submit our work on time. Working with my team members makes it much more easier since all of us makes an effort to constantly add in ideas and discuss under the discussion board provided for us.

Wan li’s Reflection

Attempting Package 1 allows me to refresh on my memory and concept learnt during FPQA and FPQAP, regarding safety limits, HACCP, CCP, CCP decision tree as well as GMP. This time round, I am able to learn on product recall as well and more regarding GMP. Initially, my impression of GMP was more on cleaning and having hygiene practices during the manufacturing of food. Through the package, I was refreshed with the concept of GMP and learnt that it actually covers 5 areas; Building, Transport & storage, Equipment, Personnel & Training. I learnt that some of the processing steps were not taken as a CCP due to the GMP in place to control. As for product recall, I get to learn that there are actually proper procedures needed to be done, in order to conduct a product recall and under what kind of situation will product recall be executed.

The product that my group chose was not something that I have done before or is familiar with. It was a great opportunity for me to learn more about retorting, the different methods and their strength and weaknesses. As well as regarding the retort pouch itself and process of making a retort pouch food.

As I am based overseas over my internship, the only mean I have to communicate with my members was through online messenger or the use of blackboard’s group discussion message board. I must say that this is really a very good learning experience for me to work in a new way that I am not familiar with. To function in a situation where I cannot directly contact my members as and when I like. It allows me to have the experience to take care of work between two countries.

Also, as I am the only member in my group based here, I really did not have any other people to discuss with. Thus, it pushes me to be accountable to update as much as possible and I also have to learn to manage my schedule well so that I can leave ample time for my members to reply to me and not squeeze everything till the very last minutes as the use of blackboard’s group discussion board is not something that we are always logged on on to get or give instant replies.

On the hindsight, my group is cooperative and helpful and I can see the effort put in to get the work done. We will help each other after our own parts were completed and I also received help from my members in Singapore to contact another member to pass a message or instruction for me. I can see that teamwork, communication and understanding are very essential for a group to function well. Additionally, every member got to be responsible for their own task and at the same time, be willing to render help to those in needs.

For package 2, genetic engineering was a topic that I thought I was rather familiar with but when I got started on doing it, I realized that actually, I do not know it very well at all. For example, I have known of the existence of GM wheat, which the product that my group selected, but I did not know that it was actually not used and sold in the market yet. Being an unavailable product in the market, made it harder for us to do our research as there is not as much information available compared to the other common GM crops.

As most of us got busier with our own internship and other work, we could hardly meet online to discuss. Therefore, communication was also made harder, as we could only use emails and the blackboard group discussion board to converse and this usually takes time before a reply comes in, slowing down the progress. However, even though time is tight and communication was not that smooth, my group still managed to pull through and everyone put in their efforts to contribute towards the project.

Also, I am given the task to find out how the GM processes was done and the categories of GM food available. Therefore, I have to research into online books to read up and one limitation about this is that, not the full content of the books can be view online. Therefore, I have to try and combined the information I have obtained and put them together to see if they actually match and flow or not. In additional, I did not really enjoy the process of reading those material as molecular and genetic biology is something that I find it hard for me to imagine and I had to re-read the information so many times to understand the process as they are rather technical and a number of biotechnology jargons was used.

Nonetheless, through this project, I have definitely gained a lot of new knowledge and I have learnt to push myself into doing things that I do not enjoy but have to. This helped to train my level of discipline, patience and concentration in getting things done.

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