Good Manufacturing Practice(GMP)

What is Good Manufacturing Practice?

Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) is the system of practices, procedures, and controls that ensures food is consistently produced under conditions that minimise the risk of contamination, adulteration, or quality failure. In Australia, GMP requirements for food manufacturers are codified primarily in FSANZ Standard 3.2.2 (Food Safety Practices and General Requirements) and Standard 3.2.3 (Food Premises and Equipment).

GMP is not a single document or checklist — it is a philosophy of systematic process control that covers personnel hygiene, premises design, equipment maintenance, ingredient control, cleaning and sanitisation, pest control, and traceability. It forms the prerequisite program foundation on which HACCP-based food safety programs are built.

The Key Elements of GMP in Food Manufacturing

Personnel hygiene: Hand washing procedures, illness reporting requirements (staff with gastroenteritis must not handle food), protective clothing and jewellery policies, and training requirements. Standard 3.2.2 Division 4 sets the baseline for food handler hygiene obligations.

Premises and equipment: Standard 3.2.3 requires food premises to be designed so that food can be handled safely — adequate separation of raw and ready-to-eat areas, appropriate ventilation, accessible drainage, surfaces that can be effectively cleaned. Equipment must be food-grade, maintainable, and cleanable.

Cleaning and sanitisation: Documented cleaning schedules specifying the cleaning agent, concentration, temperature, contact time, and frequency for every surface and piece of equipment. Cleaning records demonstrating the schedule was followed.

Pest control: A documented pest management program, typically delivered by a licensed pest controller, with evidence of regular inspections and any treatments carried out.

Ingredient control and supplier management: Verification that incoming ingredients meet specification — correct labelling, temperature on delivery (for cold chain products), and supplier approval processes.

GMP in Practice for Australian Food Manufacturers

What triggers a GMP finding? State and territory food safety officers conducting routine premises inspections assess GMP compliance directly. Common findings include: cracked or scored chopping boards, equipment in disrepair, inadequate separation between raw material storage and production areas, missing or incomplete cleaning records, pest activity evidence, and food handlers without appropriate protective clothing.

GMP and third-party certification: Retailers including Woolworths and Coles increasingly require suppliers to hold third-party food safety certification (SQF Level 2, BRCGS, or equivalent) as a condition of ranging. These schemes conduct detailed GMP assessments as part of their audit scope. A business that has its HACCP plan in order but poor GMP practices will fail a third-party audit.

Worked example: A Perth jam manufacturer is preparing for its first SQF audit. The pre-assessment review identifies several GMP gaps: no documented pest control records for the previous 12 months, cleaning records that show only a weekly clean when the SOP specifies daily cleaning of the filling line, and a cracked plastic tray being used to transport lids between storage and the filling area. Addressing these GMP gaps before the audit avoids major non-conformances that would result in a failed certification attempt.

GMP as risk management, not just compliance: The cost of a product recall or a serious injury from a foreign object far exceeds the cost of replacing a cracked tray or training staff on handwashing. GMP is the baseline that makes your food safe to produce before the HACCP system addresses the specific process hazards.

How Batchbase Supports GMP Documentation

Batchbase's food safety program module provides structured templates for cleaning schedules, pest control records, and maintenance logs. Each task is assigned a frequency and a responsible person; completed tasks are logged with the date, the person who completed it, and any notes. Outstanding tasks generate alerts, so GMP activities don't fall through the cracks.

This creates the documentary evidence of ongoing GMP compliance that auditors, food safety officers, and certification bodies require — not in a paper filing cabinet, but searchable and printable from your Batchbase account.

Related Standards and References

• FSANZ Standard 3.2.2 — Food safety practices (hygiene, cleaning, and operational requirements)
• FSANZ Standard 3.2.3 — Food premises and equipment (design and construction requirements)
• FSANZ food standards code