All Posts Tagged: Sanitation

Flush the toilet with the lid down!

Posted on January 13, 2012 by Richard Mallett

To all the men of this world who moan about the ladies who tell us to keep the toilet lid down – they are, and have always been right of course! European Cleaning Journal has posted an interesting article from a Leeds University study concerning the spread of pathogen such as C. difficile from the practise of flushing with the lid up. The study was produced from the perspective of contamination issues within the health care setting but is, in our opinion, of equal importance in the food industry. Perhaps an addition to the pre-requisite procedure of personal hygiene rules as a HACCP control – “wash your hands well particularly after visiting the lavatory…..and remember to close the toilet lid before you flush it”

US Canteloupe Listeria outbreak linked to packaging machinery

Posted on November 6, 2011 by Richard Mallett

This recent and very serious Listeria outbreak in the US has been reported by Food Quality News as the worst in modern history with a death toll of 29.

Listeria can, once it takes hold within the food area, be very difficult indeed to eliminate. The organism is associated with areas of wet and standing water, such as floors and drains. Using very high pressure hoses can exacerbate the problem causing micro-aerosols which spread far and wide around the food room, contaminating other surfaces and food equipment.

A higher risk of Listeria within raw materials and ingredients needs to be highlighted within the assessment of hazard significance as part of the HACCP Plan. Then the risk to the food stream and factory can be appreciated and effective controls proposed and implemented. Those controls will centre around the key pre-requisites of selection and maintenance of materials used in construction of the food room, design and hygiene of equipment, and effective, validated cleaning and disinfection procedures using clean and well designed cleaning equipment and chemicals.

A good cleaning article

Posted on September 25, 2011 by Richard Mallett

Well done to Vermop!

The German cleaning equipment company has released an excellent guide in European Cleaning Journal.

It points out some of the fundamental assumptions that can be made in critical sectors such as medical and care and lead to infection and outbreaks. The guidance provided of course rings true for the equally critical food catering and processing sector.

I think of particular use is the reference to design of cleaning equipment and the sanitation of that very equipment to ensure that it remains safe to use.

It’s interesting to note that one of the most widely recognised Technical Standard, the BRC Global Standard for Food Safety, now Issue 6, takes the issue of cleaning and disinfection to higher levels with a clause specifically directing the use of ATP swab testing, microbiological or chemical analysis to verify the absolute cleanliness of critical surfaces.

You might want some help reviewing your housekeeping and hygiene procedures? Do contact us if you are in the catering, hospitality or food processing sector and want assurance that you have considered appropriate controls for this potential route of contamination.

Listeria monocytogenes contamination of floors

Posted on August 3, 2011 by Richard Mallett

An interesting Spanish research study has revealed a high incidence of Listeria monocytogenes at a cake plant, even after sanitising! The bacterium was found to be present on floors and floor contact equipment but not food contact surfaces. The findings point to the need not only for exemplary sanitation procedures but also, importantly, infrastructure improvements. This fits in very well indeed with the revised audit focus of BRC Global Standard for Food Safety Issue 6, which requires a greater element of GMP (Good Manufacturing Practice) audit and no doubt will lead to auditors examining sanitation procedure and floor infrastructure. Good quality flooring will help too. Look to find “HACCP International” certification when choosing floors as physical structure and cleanability of the floor are just two of the things that are assessed leading up to certification. You’ll find a link on the front page.

And a link to the report issues in Food Quality News here - http://www.foodqualitynews.com/Public-Concerns/Reducing-water-build-up-on-floors-key-to-Listeria-control-in-cake-factories-study?utm_source=RSS_text_news&utm_medium=RSS%2Bfeed&utm_campaign=RSS%2BText%2BNews

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