Elaboración del manual de buenas prácticas de manufactura para la empresa quesos Don Abarca

Abstract

The artisanal company “Quesos Don Abarca” is engaged in the manufacturing of dairy products using empirical methods. This situation leads to the omission of necessary procedures by health regulations. This omission affects the company's ability to ensure proper care in dairy production. Consequently, this research aimed to develop a Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) manual for the artisanal company “Quesos Don Abarca” of Riobamba-Chimborazo. The methodology included a deductive method, using the ARCSA-DE-2022-016-AKRG resolution as a reference to create a checklist that diagnosed the company's current situation. This checklist was administered through interviews with employees. Subsequently, an improvement plan was developed to address the identified non-conformities. “Quesos Don Abarca” company complies with 33% of the requirements, while 53% are unmet, and 14% are not applicable according to the ARCSA-DE-2022-016-AKRG resolution. The criteria with the highest non-compliance levels were the essential minimum conditions, location, design and construction, production operations, quality control assurance, and product recall. These criteria became the basis for developing corrective actions to address the found deficiencies and correct them. The proposed manual contains procedures and records that need rigorous monitoring to ensure the quality and safety of the manufactured products to reduce the contamination risks that can affect consumer health. The Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) manual guarantees that standardized procedures are followed for dairy products manufacturing, packaging, storage, and distribution to ensure their quality, safety, and compliance with food safety standards.