Food Protection Trends - June 2009 - 348

❏ inspect the facility on a regular basis and repair and seal off any openings in a timely manner to ensure sound structure for the facility. an example of a check list for routine facility walk-through inspection is shown in table 3. – inspect the integrity of the facility for problems such as the presence of bird nests on the roof, roof overhang over a dock door that may become a place for birds to roost, pests in the facility, storage silos or bins without covers, roof leaks, and faulty sprinklers. correct these problems in a timely manner and verify that the problems have been corrected by conducting enhanced environmental monitoring for the affected area according to procedures outlined in element 7 (20). – on a routine basis, review and assess adequacy of the pest control program, targeting pests such as insects, rodents, birds, reptiles, amphibians, etc. this may include the evaluation of the pest control contractor’s program and walking through the facility to verify effectiveness of control (e.g., any evidence of pest activities). the building should be sealed to prevent pest entry. – anticipate potential issues with facility integrity (e.g., a roof leak event) and put in place procedures to correct problems should they arise. to verify that the problems have been corrected, conduct enhanced environmental monitoring for the affected area according to procedures outlined in element 7. ❏ establish procedures to ensure that contaminated equipment is not brought into the facility. – develop a sanitation Sop (SSop) for new or used equipment prior to use. – develop an SSop for equipment acceptance and cleaning, sanitizing, and drying of equipment prior to allowing entry into the processing area. this is particularly important for used equipment, which may have been contaminated during its prior use. ❏ establish controls to segregate ingredients known to be contaminated with Salmonella, such as raw nuts, flour, baker’s yeast, spices, raw cocoa beans, grains, and meat and bone meals. establish a supplier control prerequisite program to review and approve (raw) material suppliers. For ingredients that will be added to the finished product without a further inactivation step, more controls may be necessary, as elaborated in element 5. ❏ prevent or minimize cross contamination through procedures and activities such as the following: – raw or unprocessed foods should be separated from processed/ready-to-use or ready-to-eat foods. packaging materials should be protected from contamination during shipment, storage and use. packaging should be inspected immediately prior to use to ensure that it is not contaminated or damaged. – Wherever possible, use dedicated forklifts, utensils, and maintenance tools for the primary Salmonella control area (pSca) or post-lethality area vs. raw or pre-lethality area. See element 2 for more discussion (19). – Outline traffic patterns properly and ensure employee compliance through education and training. – inspect pallets and trailers regularly, keep them in good repair, and do not store them outside where they may be exposed to bird or pest activity. – maintain the highest room air pressure in the pSca or the post-lethality area and include the air handling system in the master sanitation schedule. ❏ establish a program for water quality to minimize the risk of water as a potential carrier of Salmonella. – establish procedures for sourcing and handling potable water within the facility. – ensure that the water distribution system is properly maintained to prevent any leakage, especially in the pSca. use backflow prevention devices where needed. – Establish verification procedures to ensure that water brought into the facility is of adequate quality (51) and is not a source of Salmonella. this is also important for water for jacketed temperature controlled equipment, such as holding or mixing tanks that are double walled and filled with water to control temperature in the processing of chocolate, peanut butter, fat-based confections, etc. if the water quality in the system is not adequately maintained, contaminated water leakage through microfractures in the equipment could occur and result in the contamination of product being held or processed in the equipment. – When water usage is necessary in the processing area (e.g., for cleaning and sanitizing equipment), use minimal amounts. in particular, water usage in the pSca should be avoided or kept to the very minimum. See element 4 for further discussion (19). ❏ construction and major maintenance events should be coordinated so that the area under construction is contained. – construction includes activities such as layout modifications requiring displacing pieces of equipment, resurfacing floors, cutting drains, cutting through walls, installing or removing exhaust ducts, etc. because Salmonella can survive in dry environments for long periods of time, construction activities may release Salmonella from unknown harborage sites and contribute to the spread of the organism throughout the plant (8). – control measures during construction may include the following: isolate the construction areas, prevent/minimize dust and aerosols, control traffic patterns, use temporary partitions as appropriate, maintain negative air pressure in the construction area, intensify cleaning procedures, and enhance environmental monitoring during these activities, as described in element 7. ❏ put in place a training program to educate employees on the potential sources of contamination, adherence to traffic patterns, and proper hygienic practices to follow in order to minimize the ingress or spread of Salmonella in the processing area. Such training is particularly important for those who work in the pSca, including personnel who enter the area on a temporary basis (e.g., maintenance crew, contractors). 348 FOOD PROTECTION TRENDS | JUNE 2009

Food Protection Trends - June 2009

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Food Protection Trends - June 2009