Process flow interruption is an unexpected break or delay in the sequence of food handling or production steps. It can occur when equipment fails, utilities are interrupted, staff are unavailable, a process parameter moves outside its limit or product is held longer than planned. An interruption may affect food safety, quality, traceability and the ability to complete a validated process.
Examples in food production
- Power failure: refrigeration or cooking equipment stops during storage, cooking or cooling.
- Cooling interruption: a batch of stock is not cooled within the required time because the blast chiller fails.
- Equipment breakdown: a conveyor, mixer, slicer or packaging machine stops while food is exposed or in process.
- Staff or supply disruption: a missing ingredient, unavailable trained operator or delayed delivery interrupts the planned sequence.
- Process deviation: temperature, pH, water activity or another required measurement falls outside the approved range.
How to manage an interruption
- Stop or pause the affected process safely and identify the product involved.
- Isolate or hold the food so it cannot be used or dispatched before assessment.
- Record the time, process stage, equipment status and available measurements.
- Assess the food against the approved process and food-safety plan.
- Decide whether the process can resume, whether product can be safely reprocessed, or whether it must be discarded.
- Document the corrective action and verify that the process is safe before restarting.
Process interruption versus process deviation
A process flow interruption is a break or delay in the planned sequence. A process deviation is a result outside a defined limit or requirement. An interruption may cause a deviation, but not every interruption necessarily makes the product unsafe.
Chef’s tip: include interruption scenarios in production plans. Identify which steps require a stop-and-hold decision and who has authority to assess product before production resumes.
