Getting it Right: Sanitation Protocols

Cleaning of individual equipment also allows for in-depth checking of the equipment for evidence of rust, corrosion, damage, excess lubrication, cracks, which could provide harborages for microorganisms, loose manufacturer’s labels, which can be addressed before equipment is put back into use.

Just as important as cleaning of equipment, product contact and non-contact surfaces, is cleaning of the physical facility itself (i.e., dust and web control). Walls should be free of dirt, mold, webbing in corners and behind structural metalwork. Ceilings and overheads, light fixtures, pipes and conduits, sprinklers, ceiling mounted condensers and blowers, etc., should be clean and free of loose flaky paint, rust and other materials that could fall into product. Floors and drains should be kept clean, free of trash/litter and uncluttered, both in heavily trafficked areas, in corners, beneath and behind equipment and pallets. There should also be adequate cleaning of refrigerated and frozen operations. Ice accumulation in freezers could be a safety issue, both for personnel falling on slippery surfaces, as well as a product safety issue if contaminated water is dripping onto products during defrost cycles. Mold in cold storage could be an issue because mold is a spore former. With the strong air circulation in cold storage, mold spores could be blown everywhere.

Industries with varied product lines may require more in-depth cleaning, sanitizing of process equipment at product changeovers, especially when there are product lines containing allergens and others which do not contain allergens. Many facilities do not have dedicated lines/equipment to keep allergens and non-allergens separate. Sometimes because of production scheduling issues, allergen-containing products cannot always be run after non-allergens. Cleaning at product changeovers may require equipment disassembly and inspection. Major allergens, include egg and dairy products, soy protein, sulfites, wheat gluten, shellfish and edible crustaceans, tree nuts (walnuts, almonds, pistachio, etc), and celery.

Many industries use foam sanitizers, pressurized equipment which applies a layer of foam on equipment surfaces; the foam allows more sanitizer contact time for a more effective bacterial kill. One of the benefits of foam sanitizing is that eventually sanitizers would go down the drain, which ensures drains would not become a reservoir for microorganisms. This is particularly important in meat plants, where so many animal fluids go down the drains. Power washers can be used for walls, and basic equipment.

In either case —equipment or physical facility— a master sanitation schedule is recommended for routine cleaning to be done on a daily, ongoing basis, as well as non-routine cleaning done at longer intervals or as needed. Most managers/ sanitarians can use their best judgment to conclude how often cleaning should be done. Records for cleaning should be on file, which often take the form of check-off lists.

In association with a cleaning schedule there should be SSOPs. These are detailed, step-by-step procedures on how to conduct cleaning. With regard to process equipment, they often include disassembly and re-assembly protocols. SSOPs should also include safety concerns, PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) such as goggles, gloves, etc., and directions for proper utilization of chemicals including chemical safety (HAZCOM: Hazard Communications). Cleansers and chemicals should be properly stored away from any food items when not in use, and all properly labeled, with material safety data sheets (MSDSs) available. Cleaning equipment should be properly stored when not in use: brooms and mops should be cleaned and kept on wall-mounted racks off the floor. Floor scrubbers and mop buckets should be emptied and kept in designated areas.

Many industries also require cleaning equipment/brushes to be color coded for proper use, in an effort to prevent cross contamination: 1) product contact, interior surfaces of equipment, 2) non-product contact, exterior surfaces, 3) drains, 4) walls, etc.