Innovative Sanitation Efforts to Improve Food Safety

Spoilage, however, is of great concern to brand owners who regularly spend time and great amounts of cash buying refrigerated transport and storage to ship more rapidly, or storage in temperature-controlled warehousing, refrigerator units, or shelf space.

Modern sanitation is getting ready to take a turn towards being more data-oriented and there are several approaches that may be quickly adopted. Bacteria, yeast, and mold species that can potentially cause spoilage are everywhere and naturally occur in our environment. Targeting these species through air and water pathways that enter the facility is one means of prevention. Cleaning activities that entail using the seven steps of sanitation paired with targeted prevention methods can make a difference. The view to microbiological control in many sectors is primarily pathogen focused and is in need of a more holistic approach to spoilage. Shelf life is directly affected by many species that do not cause serious illness. In dairy, fresh produce, and food service operations, equipment cleaning, air, and water are key factors in how soon food needs to be used up or thrown out.

Quick tips include:

• Maintain accurate data on water source and chlorination;
• Sanitation verification swabs should be obtained on a risk-based frequency for equipment that is cleaned with water, dry cleaned, and also equipment that is either ozonated, pressure, or spray-cleaned with steam, ice, or chlorine; and
• Take a step back and collaborate with quality and customer facing personnel to track sanitation activities against quality and shelf life performance.

Big Data is the Future of Food Safety

In the past few years, the CDC has used whole genome sequencing (WGS) data to match cases of illness and death from outbreak clusters to facilities and food products, closing the loop on who is to blame. The GenomeTrakr network currently (as of April 2018) has sequenced more than 167,000 isolates and completed more than 175 genomes adding new sequences of over 5,000 isolates each month.

While these powerful investigative tools provide our public health system with unprecedented targeting capabilities potentially curtailing outbreaks before they can spread, they also shine the spotlight on brands when they are implicated in outbreaks; and not in a good way. Using the same tools used by investigators has yet been a slow pickup on the part of industry. However, sanitation provides manufacturers a unique opportunity to use next generation sequencing data in making better decisions about routine and periodic equipment cleaning. For example, WGS data while being highly valuable in pinpointing the IDs of specific microorganisms has little use for business outside of specific product development opportunities and targeted traceability throughout the supply chain.

In looking at environmental monitoring, however, trended data over a period of time between the networks of swabbing sites can provide birds eye views into resident microflora, persistent pathogens, and their niches and track responses to the sanitation cycles, sanitizer rotation, and resilience patterns. These patterns also serve as indicators as to how well equipment has been designed and fabricated.

Equipment Design and FSMA

The Food Safety Modernization Act’s (FSMA) reach via the Foreign Supplier Verification Program additionally puts pressure on importers to ensure suppliers are in compliance with the basic GMP requirements per the rule. As summarized by Food Quality & Safety’s writer Ted Agres in the February/March 2018 Washington Report column, the FDA Office of Regulatory Affairs cites pest control, sanitation monitoring, cleanliness, HACCP plan implementation, and reasonable precautions as key deficiencies that could trip up importers who buy from foreign suppliers.

Foreign suppliers, buyer representatives, and verifying agencies may find it useful to know just how well foreign suppliers align with FSMA and hygienic requirements. In designing a preventive controls plan, the Preventive Controls Qualified Individual, has many responsibilities; one of which should include an assessment of the suitability of the equipment for the task. Since preventive controls rely heavily on properly functioning equipment, it is important to know if equipment is in good working order and hygienically designed. In conducting this quick self-audit of the facility, the following data can be invaluable in further decision making:

• Properly draining (self-draining) designs that slope away, taking advantage of gravity to remove all water after cleaning cycles;
• Evaluating the suitability of the materials used in the construction of the equipment and their suitability to the task and proposed preventive control strategy;
• Removable or movable equipment, and parts and their potential contributions to physical hazards (glass, rubber, metal, wood, etc.);
• A review of equipment inspections and previous findings or failures for all processing and adjacent equipment, packaging, and conveying equipment;
• Gaskets and connectors and conveying equipment that are suitable for the task, environmental conditions, and product;
• Ceiling and roof inspections and swab collection sites and data corresponding these samples; and
• Details about the equipment, their date of manufacture and installation, and list of maintenance activities/events and failures.

Focus on What Matters to the Customer

Changing business models also means that suppliers and contract manufacturers have to engage in closer relationships with buyers and brand owners whose expectations for quality are closely tied to everyday activities. Sanitation schedules, sampling plans, and environmental monitoring data provide both parties with rich information on the performance of a total quality management system.