Part four of our manual cleaning blog series focused on critical locations and the frequency of manual cleaning in those areas. In part five, we’re going to take a closer look at the various departments involved in the cleaning and sanitation process within a food facility.
Cleaning programs in a food plant are no small task. They require close cooperation between multiple departments such as food safety and quality assurance, production, maintenance, and purchasing. It's not something that can be left solely to the facility's sanitation manager. Tasks must be properly scheduled, and the right cleaning equipment, methods, and chemicals must be selected, used, and maintained with care.
Certain parts of the cleaning and sanitation program can be outsourced to third-party contractors who might handle sanitation during third shifts or after hours. These contractors are considered part of the food safety and sanitation team. Input and feedback from regulatory inspectors, certification auditors, suppliers of cleaning tools, equipment, and chemicals, subject matter experts, and even customers are vital to the success of the program. The complexity of the cleaning program depends on ensuring food products remain free from harmful organisms and other contaminants that could affect food safety and quality.
Defining, implementing, and maintaining a Master Cleaning Schedule is no easy feat. If we examine the schedule shown below, it becomes clear that developing these programs requires independent and trained personnel to monitor progress, verify, or audit the process. Responsibility for each of these activities must be clearly assigned, with documented proof that these actions occurred.
Creating a culture of hygiene and sanitation within an organization is crucial, involving everyone from senior management to factory workers. Cleaning plays a significant role in the food safety and quality management system. As noted by Yiannas from the FDA, “Food Safety Culture is about creating a behavior-based food safety management system.†Therefore, an inclusive sanitation approach should be a key part of the site’s educational and training programs, seamlessly integrated into the overall organizational culture.
Here are some ways to improve hygiene and sanitation culture when using manual cleaning tools:
- Use food contact-compliant, color-coded, hygienically designed, durable, and high-quality cleaning tools.
- Train employees on the importance of food safety and how to select, use, clean, store, and maintain manual cleaning tools.
- Motivate employees through transformational leadership and learning opportunities.
In our next and final blog in this series, we’ll explore the key regulations, standards, and industry best practices that support a manual cleaning program in a food facility.
Selected References:
- Smith, Debra (2017). Optimizing Food Safety Through Good Cleaning Tool Maintenance. Whitepaper Link: http://viewer.ipaper.io/vikan/white-papers/cleaning-tool-maintenance/cleaning-tool-maintenance-whitepaper-en-300/
- Yiannas, F. (2008). Food safety culture: Creating a behavior-based food safety management system. Springer Science & Business Media.
Recently, we’ve been exploring different aspects of manual cleaning in food facilities. Our previous blogs covered the importance of manual cleaning, what it involves, how it works, and where and when to perform it. In this fifth installment, we discussed the various departments involved in the cleaning and sanitation process and the importance of collaboration and proper scheduling.
Next up, we’ll wrap up this series by looking at the regulatory and standards expectations regarding manual cleaning. This includes examining the EU and U.S. food safety and hygiene requirements, key industry standards, and best sanitation practices. Stay tuned for more insights on how to maintain a clean and safe food production environment!
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