In the following article, we will explore the relationship between Issue 9 of the BRCGS Global Food Safety Standard and pH control in food production sites.

For many food and beverage production sites, pH control is essential to food safety and audit compliance.

It is mentioned throughout Issue 9 of the BRCGS Global Food Safety Standard, tied to everything from Critical Control Points to the process of determining product shelf life.

To help your site secure compliance in this area, we have produced a guide to BRCGS guidelines surrounding pH control.

We have also highlighted our own range of pH meters and electrodes, now featuring a new selection of single and multi-parameter pocket testers.

Explore our comprehensive range of pH meters and electrodes

Developing your site’s Food Safety Plan

When it comes to developing your site’s Food Safety Plan, a vital step is to provide a comprehensive description for each product or group of products. Clause 2.3.1 asks that this description “includes all relevant information on food safety” and shares the following examples:

  • Composition (e.g. raw materials, ingredients, allergens, recipe)
  • Origin of ingredients
  • Physical or chemical properties that could impact food safety (e.g. pH)
  • Treatment and processing (e.g. cooking, cooling)

Other examples include the product’s storage and distribution conditions, packaging system, and maximum safe shelf life.

It is unsurprising that BRCGS gives pH as an example of a relevant characteristic, as pH levels can have a significant impact on food safety.

Some strains of bacteria are unable to grow below a certain pH, so ongoing measurement is often used to prevent spoilage and determine product shelf life. Fermented products like yoghurt and sauerkraut also need to have a specific pH to be considered safe to eat.

pH control and Critical Control Points

Working within the food production industry, you will be familiar with the process of establishing and monitoring Critical Control Points (CCPs).

According to Clause 2.9.1 of the Global Food Safety Standard, “appropriate critical limits” should be defined for each CCP, allowing sites and auditors to clearly identify if a process is in or out of control.

BRCGS asks that these critical limits are either measurable (e.g. time, temperature, pH) or supported by clear guidance and examples whenever measures are subjective.

If your site identifies pH as a critical limit for one or more CCP, the accurate and continuous measurement of pH levels will be an essential part of audit compliance.

In fact, Clause 2.10.1 asks that sites establish “a monitoring procedure…for each CCP to ensure compliance with critical limits.” As well as being able to detect loss of control, this system should – wherever possible – “provide information in time for corrective action to be taken.”

To ensure this is the case, you will need to establish a suitable frequency for your pH tests, starting with two key questions. What is your factory’s capacity to deal with compromised product? How long are your products on site before they are dispatched to customers?

With these questions in mind, you can establish a testing window that leaves you enough time to resolve any issues on site and reflects your site’s capacity to manage the cost, time delays, and space requirements associated with the amount of product produced in that time frame.

Read our guide to identifying CCPs and establishing critical limits

pH control and product packaging

Issue 9, Section 5.5 of the BRCGS Global Food Safety Standard outlines audit expectations surrounding the purchase, use, and storage of product packaging.

Within this section, Clause 5.5.1 runs through the process of a site “purchasing or specifying primary packaging”. Here, it highlights the importance of open communication with your packaging supplier, encouraging factories to communicate relevant characteristics relating to existing packaging materials or the food product itself. Your supplier can then use this information to identify any characteristics that may affect the suitability of new packaging.

When providing examples of relevant characteristics, BRCGS shared the following:

  • high fat content
  • pH levels
  • usage conditions

As you can see, pH is given as a prime example of a characteristic that could affect the suitability of packaging materials. This is because pH levels can have a direct impact on chemical stability, corrosion resistance, and food safety.

For example, acidic products with a low pH (e.g. tomatoes, citrus fruits) will corrode some metal containers – weakening the packaging and even causing the metal to leach into the product. Certain plastics also interact with acidic foods, resulting in plastic degradation and chemical migration. This is less common in products with high alkaline levels, but not unheard of.

It is also worth noting that products with low pH levels often require packaging materials with strong barrier properties (protecting them from e.g. oxygen, moisture, light) and helping to prevent spoilage / maintain shelf life.

Determining the shelf life of your products

Section 5.6 of the standard relates to product inspection, on-site product testing, and laboratory analysis. Within this section, Clause 5.6.3 asks that sites ensure “a system of validation and ongoing verification of shelf life is in place.”  

Depending on the risk levels associated with the product in question, this process could involve anything from sensory analysis to microbiological testing. The clause also references the measurement of “relevant chemical factors such as pH”.   

It is common for pH to play a critical role in determining the shelf life of food products because it directly affects microbial growth, enzymatic activity, and chemical stability.  

Extremely low or high pH levels will often inhibit microbial growth, whereas pH levels ranging from neutral to slightly acidic are ideal for many spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms (e.g. bacteria, mold, and yeast.) 

Enzymes that degrade food, causing browning or softening, also have optimal pH ranges. What’s more, pH control is closely tied to the shelf life of fermented foods like yoghurt and sauerkraut, as premature spoilage will occur if the pH levels of these products are off. 

The Klipspringer Range of pH Meters

As discussed throughout this article, for many food production sites, the accurate and reliable measurement of pH is essential to food safety and audit compliance. To ensure you have the right equipment for this task, we have developed an extensive range of bench-mounted and hand-held pH testers. We have also recently introduced a range of single and multi-parameter pocket testers that support the measurement of pH, with some models also able to measure Conductivity, ORP, Salinity, TDS, and Temperature. Ideal for quick and user-friendly applications, these lightweight devices offer Automatic Temperature Compensation and Automatic Buffer Recognition.

Explore our comprehensive range of pH meters and electrodes

We hope this article has provided you with a clear understanding of the relationship between BRCGS audit compliance and pH control in food manufacturing.

From monitoring critical limits to finding the right product packaging, there are a whole host of areas where the measurement of pH is likely to come up.

If you require any further information about the challenges and solutions mentioned throughout this guide, you can contact us directly on 01473461800 or sales@klipspringer.com.

Alternatively, you can complete the form below and a member of our team will be in touch.

If you would like further guidance relating to pH measurement and audit compliance, the Klipspringer team would be happy to help.