Implementing a Successful Cleaning Program in a Food Manufacturing Plant
Working around food products means your environment needs to be more than clean; it needs to be sanitized and free of major pathogens. To understand how to implement a cleaning program that’s safe for your employees as well as your customers, industrial chemical supplier Bell Chem has compiled the following information.
Understanding Cleaning and Sanitation
When a workspace is clean, that usually conjures a shiny countertop free of debris. Clean does not necessarily mean sanitized, though. Sanitization requires another type of chemical that removes a majority of viruses, bacteria, and spores. Disinfectants are the hard hitters, killing 99.9% of all pathogens on a surface. For foods, it is important to deploy the correct chemical for your work area.
Bell Chem meets or exceeds all Food and Drug Administration standards for storing and shipping chemicals, which means their purity can be carried over and safely utilized in your facility, meeting the FDA standards required for your organization.
Steps for Sanitizing and Disinfecting
For sanitizing and disinfecting, most government agencies recognize 5 main classes of chemicals: hypochlorites, peroxyacetic acid, quaternary ammonium compounds, chlorine dioxide, and iodophors. Using these chemicals requires a background of how to apply the chemicals and in what order.
1. Rinse surfaces: Using warm—not hot—water, thoroughly remove all large particles. Adding a cleaner before this step is not recommended since you are only cleaning debris. Remove the debris first before moving to the second step.
2. Apply a cleaner: A detergent such as a quaternary ammonium compound is ideal for this step, and elbow grease is highly encouraged. Fat and proteins are the main components to be stripped away at this stage. Pay attention to the water you are using since a high or low pH of your facility’s water supply may change the performance of your cleaner.
3. Rinse all surfaces: Detergents may leave a residue, which may be detrimental to the foods you process. Also, because the majority of detergents are alkaline and sanitizers are acidic, it could negate the sanitization phase of your cleaning routine.
4. Inspect: If you notice an area that needs to be re-cleaned, take the opportunity to spot clean, especially if you note signs of residue from the cleaners.
5. Sanitize/Disinfect: Once all debris is cleared and the area has been thoroughly cleaned, sanitize with peroxyacetic acid or a similar sanitizer/disinfectant, and hypochlorites, iodophors, or chlorine dioxide as a disinfectant. Keep in mind that sanitizers work quickly, but kill fewer families of microbes while disinfectants take longer, but kill a higher amount of microorganisms.
6. Rinse or dry: Before the surface comes into contact with food again, note whether the product should be rinsed or allowed to air dry. Drying times are listed on the chemical label.
Bell Chem is an industrial chemical supplier based in Longwood, FL (just north of Orlando) with hundreds of products stocked in their 50,000+ square-foot warehouse, including CSANTM sanitation products. You can expect the highest quality products, expedited shipping options for maximum efficiency, and unrivaled personalized customer service. Let our knowledgeable and friendly customer service representatives and accounting staff personalize all your needs by either calling 407-339-BELL (2355) or by sending us an online message.