Produce Safety: Don t Kill Your Customers! Developing Your Food Safety Game Plan for the Packinghouse
Faith Critzer, PhD Asst Professor, Food Safety faithc@utk.edu (865)974-7274 Introductions
Before packing 1) Facility and Equipment Design 2) Maintenance 3) Sanitation
Facility Design and layout Flow of product raw and finished product Raw Product Finished Product Receiving Washing Cooling Shipping Office
Location Adjacent land use Facility Grounds Remove litter and waste Cut weeds/grass around building Roads, yards, parking lots should be maintained to minimize dust Off season protect from pests Open, screened, enclosed?
Facility Design & Layout Proper storage of equipment Concrete floors Minimize pitting, cracks, open seams or plants growing Drainage Cleanable and prevent pest entry Minimize standing water Condensation Avoid contact with product or FCS management plan Back flow device for water system
Facility Design & Layout Air Quality Minimize the entry and build up of dust, dirt, aerosols on equipment Ventilation equipment Lighting Shatter proof bulbs or protective coverings Environmental microbial testing program Listeria and Salmonella Where & When do I test? Validate cleaning program
Facility Internal Structures Wall, roof supports, doors, partitions, and floors Easily cleaned Kept as dry as possible Ceiling and overhead fixtures Maintained Minimize buildup of dirt and condensation Protect food contact surfaces, produce and packaging from contamination
Maintenance Preventative Maintenance program Inspect for deficiencies or maintenance requirements prior to use Drip pans for oil: in place and tightly secured Hydraulic hoses, motors, and overhead fittings Tight and drip free, no indication of leaking Loose or damaged parts should be removed or repaired immediately No temporary remedies Pre-operation inspection at the beginning of each season
Maintenance All equipment should be maintained and calibrated on a scheduled basis (temperature and humidity) Work conducted on equipment requiring the use of chemicals, oils, greases, and fuels should be conducted away from the production areas Clean/Sanitize equipment that has been repaired before returning to production line Food grade lubricants used in packinghouse facilities
Equipment Surfaces and materials Non-toxic, non-absorbent, durable, smooth, and easily cleaned and sanitized No wood or carpet (no porous materials) Avoid use of hollow structures Glass or plastic on equipment should be shatter-proof or covered Old, not in use or unused equipment should be removed from the production area and stored appropriately
Sanitation Pathogens can be found everywhere Only potable water used cleaning & sanitation Written cleaning and sanitizing procedures are being followed for all equipment Written records documenting sanitation Observations noted Food contact surface Defined: surfaces that contact food and those surfaces from which drainage onto the food or onto surfaces that contact the food ordinarily occurs during the normal course of operations
Definition What is the definition (and/or propose) of sanitation? The hygienic measures for ensuring food safety The reduction of microorganisms to safe level (3-5 log unit reductions) What is a log reduction? The reduction in bacterial population of 90%. A 2-log reduction is equivalent to 99%, and so on
What Needs Sanitizing? Dump or soak tanks. Washing lines. Equipment, floors, etc. What To Consider? Are all of these surfaces cleanable? Will they stand up to years of cleaning?
Chemicals Used To Sanitize Equipment As Well As Fruits And Vegetables Chlorine, as HOCl ( Most Common. Least expensive) Chlorine dioxide (e.g., Sanova, Oxine, Selectrocide, etc.) Hydrogen peroxide Peroxyacetic acid (e.g., Tsunami; SaniDate) Ozone (not common and expensive) There is an extensive list of chemical du jour s. Some have been extensively tested, many are not.
Sanitation Chemicals used for sanitation Approved for use by EPA and follow instructions- Just like pesticides! Stored in secure, vented storage area away from production and storage areas MSDS and original label kept on file Sanitation equipment maintained and stored to prevent contamination Pre-operation inspection of equipment and facilities to verify sanitation procedures Verify efficacy of sanitation program with routine sanitation verification testing
Factors Affecting Chlorine s Effectiveness Water ph (ClO 2 least affected) Chlorine concentration Contact time Organic matter in the water Water temperature Type of pathogen
Sanitation Food contact surfaces cleaned/sanitized daily Non-FCS cleaned as necessary (weekly, monthly) Do not use rags to clean Clean break each day Sanitation crew Do not walk, sit, step, or lie on FCS of equipment
Sanitation Hourly Hand-held tools not in use: Sanitized and stored properly, check sanitizer solution strength periodically Daily Change dump tank water Clean/Sanitize packing line equipment Clean floors, drains, break rooms and bathrooms Sweep cold rooms Monthly or between loads in the cold room Floors, walls, ceilings Refrigeration coils, doors and curtains
Sanitation 1) Pre-rinse, 2) wash (detergent), 3) rinse, and 4) sanitize Apply appropriate cleanser Scrub and rinse from top, downward Scrub from finished product area to raw product area Do not allow cleanser to dry on surface Visually inspect surfaces
Sanitary Design and Sanitation Proper and efficient cleaning and prevention of potential contamination including: Physical Cleaning/removal No fragments or residues from surfaces Chemical Cleaning/removal of allergens & other No residues from surfaces Durability of surfaces Microbiological Cleaning/sanitizing
Sanitation Zone 1: The area in the plant where there are direct product contact surfaces immediately after a microbial reduction step and before packaging. If there is no kill step in the process, Zone 1 is the point at which the product is exposed to the plant equipment until packaging. Conveyer belts Tubing Utensils Blenders
Sanitation Zone 2: This zone comprises non-product contact areas that are adjacent to product contact surfaces. Dead spots Lubricants Equipment framework supports Drip shields that may drip onto exposed product Panel/operator buttons Dust on overhead lights Phones Weight control data input area
Sanitation Zone 3: Non-product contact areas within the processing area that are removed or far away from product contact surfaces but could result in cross-contamination. Floors Hoses Ventilation shafts Water line condensate Trolleys, forklifts, walk-alongs Trash cans Rubber seals around doors Walls and ceilings Pallets Under foot baths Drains
Sanitation Zone 4: The farthest from the production area, this zone includes all non-product contact surfaces outside the processing room. Cooler/freezer floors Floors in locker rooms Bathrooms Cafeteria/breakrooms Hallways Loading docks
WALLS, FLOORS & CEILINGS-- SANITARY FEATURES Hard surface Impervious & nonabsorbent Easily cleanable Flat Smooth Resistant to wear and corrosion Withstand action of cleaning compounds Light colored Etc.
Materials Construction FOOD EQUIPMENT SANITARY DESIGN ENCOMPASSES--- Design & Fabrication Surface Finish Installation Operation/Maintenance
SANITARY CONSTRUCTION AND DESIGN Adequate cleaning Cannot clean and sanitize improperly constructed and designed equipment Corrosion consideration Maintain cleanability Accessibility for inspection
Thinking Session
Describe how product moves in your facility Does your produce flow protect against contamination? What can you change right now? What do you need to change that requires some planning?
In Addition To Proper Use Of The Sanitizers There Are Things To Consider Do you have a clear break in production? Do you have a written SSOP (sanitation standard operating procedure)? Are those performing your sanitation properly trained? How you check effectiveness?
Acknowledgements Larry Kohl, Delhaize America, Director Food Safety & Quality Assurance Keith Schneider and Michelle Danyluk, UF Chris Gunther, Diane Ducharme, Ben Chapman, Theodore A. Feitshans, Rod Rejesus, NCSU