September/October 2023 - 8

SANITATION
SAFETY STARTS
WITH SANITATION
THE BEST PLAN FOR PROPER
cleaning and sanitation to ensure food
safety can break down completely if the
employees don't get the message.
" Since FSMA (the Food Safety
Modernization Act), a lot of the required
training has been directed towards
owners and facility managers, " said Chip
Simmons, agriculture specialist in fresh
produce, food safety at North Carolina
State University. " Sometimes, the bootson-the-ground
employees doing the work
may not get the same level of training or
a consistent message. "
Having Standard Operating Procedures
(SOPs) can help.
One principle of hygienic design is for
employees responsible for cleaning and
sanitizing to be able to see and reach all
surfaces. This does not mean the surfaces
must always be accessible. Equipment may
have to be disassembled and observation
ports opened. SOPs can help ensure that
nothing is missed.
Collection points for contaminants
such as niches or improper joints in
equipment are always possible. Employees
responsible for cleaning and sanitizing
must be aware of that potential and know
how to mitigate it. Again, SOPs can help.
" The growers and managers know
their operations well, " Simmons said.
Employees may not, and packing facilities
often aren't simple systems.
SAFETY ZONES
Evaluating a facility by zone (see box)
based on the level of contamination risk
can help.
" The most important surfaces are
8
SEPTEMBER /OCTOBER 2023
directly affect Zone 1, " Simmons said.
" One advantage to looking at your facility
in zones is to plan how you might clean
and sanitize and plan the frequency of
cleaning and sanitizing. "
Zone 1 surfaces should be cleaned and
sanitized at least daily. Surfaces with less
contamination risk can be cleaned on a
weekly schedule.
" Focus on Zone 1, " Simmons said. " Then
look at Zone 2 and any surfaces that could
directly impact Zone 1. A spray bar is not
Zone 1, but the spray could splash back up
and the spray bar become contaminated. "
HAZARD VERSUS RISK
Differentiating between hazard and risk
is a key part of the process. A hazard is
anything that could potentially go wrong
or cause harm. Risk is how likely the
hazard is to affect food safety.
" Standing water in a packing facility
is a hazard for listeria, " Simmons said.
" The risk is people walking through it or
forklifts driving through it. "
It can also help to differentiate possible
hazards from known or probable hazards.
E. coli being carried in from the
production field is a possible hazard. It
makes cleaning and sanitizing important.
A sick employee is a known or
probable hazard. This may require a
stronger response such as cleaning and
disinfecting.
Preventing contamination often
includes siting and layout. " How is the
equipment arranged? Is it arranged so
it can be cleaned and sanitized? A site
that is difficult to get to, and difficult
By Dean Peterson
Contributing Writer
PROPER CLEANING REQUIRES COMMUNICATION, CONSISTENCY
Zone 1 and the Zone 2 surfaces that could
SURFACES CLASSIFIED AS
Zone 1 surfaces touch or
are exposed to produce
during normal operations.
Examples of Zone 1 areas
include conveyor belts,
rollers, workers' hands and
reusable containers.
Zone 2 surfaces are those
that are not in direct
contact with the produce
but are close to Zone 1
surfaces and could be
sources of contamination.
Examples of Zone 2 areas
include tools, walkways,
and the outer parts of
machines.
Zone 3 surfaces are
adjacent to Zone 2
surfaces and include walls,
floors, drains and other
areas that could cause
cross contamination if not
properly cleaned.
Zone 4 surfaces are
beyond the packing area
and include areas like
hallways, offices and
break rooms.
September/October 2023

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