Cold Link Africa January / February 2023 | Page 27

INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN

FEATURE

To make cleaning efforts productive , manual scrubbing of surfaces – especially with an appropriate foaming agent is strongly recommended .

Again , some steps may not apply to dry processing environments ; however , special situations require a dry / low-moisture steam or a minimal amount of water with detergent , followed by a rinse and alcohol-based sanitiser . If this is the case , it is crucial that contact surfaces are moisture-free before production continues .

When it is time for equipment used in a dry area to receive a periodic cleaning , the equipment should be disassembled so all stationary parts can be cleaned and sanitised . All removable parts should be taken to a separate cleaning area where detergent and a potable water rinse can be applied . Once parts are clean and dry , they should be returned to the equipment area on a clean , dry cart for sanitising and re-assembly .

Rinse Before proceeding to the sanitising stage , a final rinse with potable water is required to completely remove any detergents or residue . This step is very important because detergents are alkaline and most sanitisers are acidic . Without a thorough rinse , the sanitiser could be neutralised by any remaining detergent on the equipment surface . The water can also be warmer than what has been recommended for the first rinse .

A rinse is not recommended in dry areas unless equipment parts are being cleaned in a separate area or unique circumstances which require a minimal amount of water to remove soils . In the latter case , surfaces must be dry before applying a sanitiser or disinfectant .

Inspection Inspect all areas and , if necessary , spot cleaning may be required . Teams should pay special attention to “ hard-to-reach ” areas as typically , these types of areas are too often neglected .

Foodservice operators must further be aware of commercial equipment ’ s food zones that are not cleanable by hand . Some examples include beverage dispensers , ice machines , soft-serve ice cream dispensers and blenders . If the equipment is certified to any standard , the manufacturer must provide a written set of clean-in-place ( CIP ) instructions that explain how to clean and sanitise inaccessible areas of a machine , equipment or system .

CIP procedures describe the method by which a detergent solution , water rinse and sanitising solution is mechanically circulated or passed through a piece of equipment and across its surfaces . As with any process , CIP procedures need to be validated by the specialist involved with an operation ’ s food safety . CIP instructions also require review should any aspect of a facility change , such as handling or processing a different product .

Sanitise / disinfect To safely reduce any bacterial load , teams would apply an effective sanitising or disinfecting chemical verified as suitable to use for food and beverage processing or handling environments .

For clarity , the explanation of the difference between sanitising and disinfecting is as follows . Sanitisers

PHT and disinfectants both kill bacteria and other micro-organisms . Disinfectants kill considerably more micro-organisms but generally at a slower rate . Disinfecting chemicals contain stronger chemicals ; however , this does not necessarily mean a disinfectant is dangerous to use in a food processing facility or in food handling .

For reference , any product that makes certain claims or bold statements ( eg “ kills viruses ”) must have such statements validated by the appropriate bodies in the region .

Whether choosing a sanitiser or disinfectant product , it must be stated that allocated users should only trust a product ’ s capability in its intended use . Also , users must only use a particular product for its intended use . This is important because different products have different chemical characteristics that , if used improperly , might further contaminate or degrade areas . Some chemicals are more corrosive than others , while some can be inactivated by organic compounds .

In dry processing facilities , dry cleaning should be followed by a dry sanitising or disinfecting process . It is important to apply a low-moisture , alcohol-based product that has been verified as suitable to use on food contact surfaces . The dry sanitiser or disinfectant needs to be highly evaporative , quick-drying and require no rinsing .

Drying When using a rinse-off sanitiser or disinfectant , the product needs to be completely removed with a potable water rinse . Air drying is the ideal way to dry surfaces because a wipe-down could lead to re-contamination . For areas that must be kept dry or cannot facilitate air drying , a leave-on sanitiser or disinfectant is recommended . It is important to follow the directions for drying times listed on the label when using leave-on products .

Next Steps : Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures ( SSOPs ) Good Manufacturing Practices ( GMPs ) require the thorough cleaning and sanitisation of food contact surfaces . As if this was not reason enough to follow the guidelines outlined above , these steps should also be incorporated into a food or beverage processor ’ s SSOP .

An SSOP is a document that provides detailed information about what a facility is doing to make sure food contact surfaces and other areas are being adequately cleaned and sanitised . The procedures must help prevent

Several machines are available to cater to particular cleaning and sanitising needs . Here an example of a crate cleaning system .

Drysteam Supreme

Steam cleaning , or more correctly termed , dry steam cleaning , is known to be one of the most effective food safety solutions for food processing facilities .

direct contamination of food and cannot lead to the adulteration of products . As part of its description of activities , an SSOP must go into specifics about :

• Personnel responsible for performing the procedures

• Safety measures for protecting consumers and work personnel

• Safe handling of chemicals

• Equipment or areas that are being cleaned

• Key inspection points

• Schedule of when the procedures are to occur

• How cleaning activities are continuously verified

• Tools and steps needed to disassemble an area or equipment

• Methods of cleaning and sanitising such as the seven steps described in this white paper

SSOPs are described as the “ backbone ” of a food or beverage processor ’ s HACCP program . As part of a HACCP plan , SSOPs must be kept on file by the facility and reviewed periodically . Since documentation is required , the use of registered cleaning and sanitising products is an effective way to demonstrate a company ’ s commitment to reducing contamination risks as much as possible .

When it comes to food safety , cleaning represents only half the job of mitigating contamination risks . Once a food processing or commercial facility has been properly cleaned , an equally thorough sanitising effort should follow . This two-part course of action can be broken down into seven steps that also meet the requirements for GMPs , SSOPs and HACCP plans .

PROCESSING AND SLAUGHTERHOUSES Although this particular subject could take several avenues of specialisation for articles such as this , the information available is extensive , and specific to the various divisions of the food and beverage industry .

In a general context of slaughterhouses , preparation , and processing facilities , many other aspects of cleaning , sanitation and hygiene are applicable . These will be considered in future issues of this journal in detail , but as highlights to add to this feature some of the other relevant aspects that need to be considered follow . These include :

• Site location and proximity to different town zones

• Size of any facility ( too small means overlap on processes = risks )

• Building / construction of a facility including design of floors , walls and roofs

• The equipment installed at a site such as work surfaces , hooks , hoists etc and types of construction materials

• Permanent or non-permanent personnel that access facilities

• Precise climatic conditions and timeous throughputs that influence hygiene

• Water and energy supply

• Processing methodology and facility flow ( stunning , slaughtering and bleeding , scalding , skinning , dehairing , plucking , evisceration are all different per product )

• Packaging

• Handling and intra-logistics

• Liquid and solid waste disposal

• Pest control ( insects , rodents , birds )

• Personnel hygiene and appropriate safety wear ( sole / boot cleaning , hand washing , disinfection booths ). CLA