Food Safety/Sanitation: Smooth-Sailing Sanitation
I received an e-mail from a produce plant in California asking me what to do to establish a food safety sanitation program? Are we using the right product to clean with? Does the crew know how to apply it correctly? Are they following the correct procedures to clean properly?
The bottom line was that while they wanted to have a food safety/sanitation program in place, they wanted to invest little, if any, resources into the sanitation program. So, I gave them the following guidelines, which I hope will help you.
They are very simple. I call them “KISS”, or “keep it simple stupid.” Think of it as a smooth sailing sanitation ship, the S/S TARTEC, which is the acronym for the following:
S is for surface. What are you attempting to clean: rubber, plastic, concrete, etc.?
S is for soil. What is the organic challenge: protein, starch, vegetable residue, etc.?
T is for temperature. At what temperature was the product processed? Are you using a blancher – which is hot – or is it a cold condition such as a flume, peeler, etc.?
A is for agitation. The old brush and 3M pad will never be outdated. Hand detailing will always be required.
R is for rinse. If a pre-rinse or a post-rinse is not done properly, the larger organics will not be properly removed and will challenge your cleaning product. A failure of an effective post-rinse will not allow a sanitizer to work effectively.
T is for time. How much of a time investment are you willing to make for your sanitation crew to clean and sanitize your plant to meet and exceed specifications? This includes training to make your crew more efficient.
E is for ecology. Where does your waste go? sewer, septic? Waste water can be very expensive. How do you handle your waste water?
C is for cost. What exactly does your food safety/sanitation program cost you? Is it a “return on investment?” I firmly believe, and know for a fact, that a food safety sanitation program can be a profit center. Cost can also be associated with labor and the cost of the chemistry for cleaning and sanitizing. Cost to buy and cost to use are completely different. In addition, what are the labor costs to apply and remove the cleaning chemistry? to apply the sanitizer? What are your use costs? How much does the product cost after dilution rates are applied, not just the purchase price of the product. Does it work effectively and quickly, or is there down time involved to assure a thorough job?
We are no longer a sovereign nation. We lost that status in 1992. We are a state in a world nation, and if we do not compete in all areas, especially including food safety and sanitation, we will be the loser. As an example, just get on the internet, and in seconds you can determine who is doing what, what recalls are going on, and, believe me, your customers are checking out all these areas as well. A case in point is the berry and seafood industries. We are in a very competitive situation with the rest of the world. If you implement a food safety/sanitation program and make an investment in the most valuable asset you have, your people, and develop a program that is both efficient and cost-effective, one that appeals to your customers, you will be on your way to becoming “ABOVE THE BEST.”
Your comments are most appreciated. You can reach me at [email protected].
