Assessment of the degree of compliance with GMP in the Craft Brewery Industry of the Region of Los Ríos

Abstract

The compliance with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) was assessed in 73% of traditional
breweries in the Region of Los Ríos, most of them (84%) members of the “Unión de Cerveceros Los
Ríos (UCR)”, without previous records.
A “Check list” containing the guidelines of the Chilean Ministry of Health to evaluate food industries
and allow their operation was used. This guideline includes: installation, cleaning, sanitation, pest
control, personnel hygiene, training, raw materials, processes and finished products; it was only used
as a reference since the brewing industry must comply with the regulations set up by the Agricultural
and Livestock Service. In addition, an additional guideline was included to report geographical
location, production and sales, among others; in order to obtain a general characterization of the
industry in the Region.
Out of the surveyed industries, 12 (55%) are located in urban areas, and 10 (45%) in rural areas. The
majority are Micro Breweries (63%), divided mainly in Micro 3 (36%) and Micro 1 (27%) according
to the classification of the Tax Administration (SII) service in Chile.
Only 18% of the industries comply with GMP in 70% or more, which highlights the importance of
supporting initiatives that are currently being developed in these industries in the Region of Los
Ríos, to improve production and consolidate market presence. The best evaluated item was “finished
products and processes” (73%), adequate storage conditions of the product was highlighted, and the
worst “training” (10.2%), mainly in hygienic food handling, and equipment cleaning and sanitation.