Food Safety Product Showcase
Dataloggers from Hanna Instruments
The HI 140 and HI 141 series of dataloggers from Hanna Instruments are ideal for HACCP programs, particularly in produce packing/shipping applications. These simple-to-use waterproof loggers may be programmed to a number of temperature ranges and can store up to 16,000 temperature samples in a password protected memory.
Programming and downloading data is easily performed with Hanna Instruments’ Windows® compatible software and available RS232 infrared transmitter. The password security feature of the HI 140 and HI 141 series guards the unit as well as the lots so the data cannot be altered before or after the logging sessions have been performed.
For more information, contact Hanna Instruments at (800) 426-6287, e-mail [email protected] or visit www.hannainst.com.
Steritech Upgrades Online Food Safety Management System
The Steritech Group Inc., Charlotte, N.C., has upgraded its online food safety management system, PracticeFood Safety.com®. The easy-to-use, Web-based training system now offers training modules on topics such as HACCP, allergens, food code and types of germs (including a separate module on germs and their interactions with foods), in English and Spanish. Interested users can take advantage of a free trial at www.Practice FoodSafety.com.
The HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) training module provides an overview of how HACCP can be used to help keep food safe. The allergens training module ensures that food workers are aware of the typical foods that cause allergic reactions and covers how to deal with customer inquiries on the topic as well as how to safely prepare foods to keep allergens separate. The food code module provides a brief description of the scope of the government’s authority relating to regulation of health and sanitation issues in food production and directs each user to further resources for finding specific regulations in their local area. The types of germs training module covers different types of germs and the conditions under which they grow. The germs and food training module helps food workers understand how various germs get into food and how they cause illness.
PracticeFoodSafety.com® also offers a variety of other training modules, including hand washing, food protection,
personal hygiene, receiving, food
handling, holding temperatures, cleaning and sanitizing and pest prevention.
Steritech operates throughout the United States, Canada and Latin America. For more information the company and its services, check www.steritech.com.
Two Sanitizers Offer Alternative to Chlorine
For many years, chlorine has done a very good job sanitizing foods and implements used in the food processing area. However, a concern for discharge of chlorine into surface waters and for the byproducts of chlorine reactions has prompted the use of two different sanitizers in the food area. These are peracetic acid and chlorine dioxide.
Peracetic acid is actually a combination of peracetic acid and hydrogen peroxide. It is usually sold in liquid form under many different brand names. While it is mostly used in the food area, it is being researched for use in industrial water systems, particularly cooling towers. The environmentalists like its break-down products, acetic acid, oxygen, carbon dioxide and water. Because of its tolerance of temperature, pH, hardness and soil contamination, its main area of use today is with fruit and vegetable processing. It is used for surface cleaning in concentrations ranging from 85-300 ppm.
Chlorine dioxide has been around for many years, used primarily in the pulp and paper industry. Its main drawback has been that it had to be generated on-site by reacting sodium chlorite and acid or chlorine. This usually required installation of large generating units. Today, new technology has allowed it to be generated more easily. In some systems the reactants are packaged in pouches and reacted together.
Because chlorine dioxide is a stronger oxidizer than chlorine, it can better penetrate slime layers and is more effective against spores.
There are colorimeters and field kits that use the DPD method for analysis. Glycine is also used with this method to eliminate chlorine interference. While the DPD method is limited to low concentration testing, there are test strips that will test as high as 500 ppm.
For more information, contact Tom Seechuk, LaMotte Company, Chestertown, Md.; phone: (800) 344-3100 or (410) 778-3100; fax: (410) 778-6394; www.lamotte.com.
Selective Micro Technologies Extends Shelf Life Up to 50 Percent
The world’s most ideal biocide, chlorine dioxide, is now available for commercial use through Selective Micro® Technologies, Beverly, Mass. Over the past 50 years, chlorine dioxide has been used to sanitize public drinking water and to kill highly infectious bacteria, fungi and viruses. Until now, the creation of chlorine dioxide has required the use of complex chemical facilities and/or highly toxic chemical additives. As a result, chlorine dioxide has not been widely available for commercial use as a sanitizer.
Recently, the FDA granted permission for Selective Micro® to market its chlorine dioxide product as an antimicrobial agent in water to wash fruits and vegetables that are not raw agricultural commodities. In tests performed at produce facilities, the shelf life of fresh-cut produce was extended up to 50 percent, when compared with the most popular products. Chlorine dioxide reduced and maintained low levels of bacteria, yeast and mold on cut fruits.
Selective Micro’s patented micro-reactors are sachets packaged in metallic pouches, roughly the size and thickness of a standard letter-sized envelope. The pouches contain an integrated, tamper-evident pour spout. Filling the pouch with water initiates the generation of chlorine dioxide from an inner sachet. All reactants are contained within the proprietary membrane materials. Only the chlorine dioxide gas is released in the water, resulting in a greater than 99 percent pure chlorine dioxide solution, at neutral pH, with no unwanted by-products.
For more information, see www.selectivemicro.com or call (978) 927-6610, Ext. 17.
New Sanitary Sight Glasses
New in-line and end-cap style sanitary sight glasses from Bradford are precision-engineered to meet the demanding process requirements of food, dairy, pharmaceutical and beverage plants. Among the new offerings are end-cap style sight glasses – available in Lexan® or acrylic material – that are designed for use with any style of sanitary clamp.
Bradford’s in-line sight glasses are stocked with clamp ends, but can easily be adapted to bevel seat, buttweld, I-line, John Perry or Q-line type ends. The in-line sight glasses use Pyrex® glass with white buna gaskets, thereby eliminating the ability for bacteria to form.
For more information, contact Bill Duyser at (800) 789-1718 or visit bradfordfittings.com.
Video Supports Training to Control Food Allergens in Plants
“Controlling Food Allergens in the Plant,” a new employee training program developed by Silliker Inc. and the Food Allergy Research and Resource Program (FARRP) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, delivers the most current industry knowledge to help companies enhance their in-plant allergen training sessions.
The comprehensive Silliker-FARRP training program video visually communicates allergen-specific Good Manufacturing Practices – from checking raw material receipt to formulation to cleaning and sanitation practices.
The video is accompanied by a CD, which contains the Instructor Guide, reproducible employee workbook, 15-question quiz and attendance sheet.
Ideal for new hires and experienced workers, “Controlling Food Allergens in the Plant” will help companies achieve their allergen training goals. The $225 training program is being introduced in English and Spanish. For more information, log on to www.silliker.com.
© 2005 Columbia Publishing
