Food Processing

Helping to ensure a clean, safe environment

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 3-5% of foodborne illness outbreaks have been traced to food processing plant failures. But however rare, when outbreaks do occur, the consequences for the manufacturer can be catastrophic. Typically, implications include product recalls, legal repercussions, erosion of public confidence, loss of sales and a drop in stock value.

When a foodborne illness is linked to a processing plant, the effects can be crippling because of rapid distribution of goods and consolidated supply lines. For this reason, depending on the type of food involved and the manner in which it is handled, proper hygiene is of crucial importance.

Contamination can occur during shipment or storage at the raw material stage, from environmental sources like air, water and facility surfaces, or from plant personnel in case of personal hygiene lapses. These are areas that should be considered when developing your standard sanitation operating plan. Poor personal hygiene, inadequate cooking, contaminated equipment, raw materials and unclean facilities all contribute to foodborne diseases. Implementing responsible hygiene practices, both individually and company-wide, is an important step in keeping your food processing facilities safe.

The main obstacles preventing proper hand washing in schools are lack of education, supervision, motivation, supplies and equipment. School administrators need to make hand washing a priority and schedule time for pupils to wash their hands at regular intervals throughout the day. Implementing a hand washing program in your school not only reduces the rate of infection, but also lowers absenteeism. High absenteeism creates an economic trickle effect that keeps parents home from work to care for their sick children, increases costs for substitute teachers, creates a burden on teachers who must play ‘catch-up’ with absent pupils, and ultimately affects school funding that is determined by measures of both attendance and performance.

Food processors must identify and control potential hazards and keep operating costs in check, while at the same time complying with government/industry regulations. Use of antibacterial soap, hygiene requirement signs, hand washing stations and personal hygiene training are sanitation practices most often enforced by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA). The Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system can help to ensure that food safety and regulatory requirements are met in your facility, reducing the likelihood of a costly foodborne disease outbreak. Hygiene issues are usually covered under a company's sanitation program, which is considered a prerequisite for HACCP. Companies must have a good sanitation program for HACCP to work.

Important sanitation areas in food processing facilities:

• Processing areas (wash stations)
• Packaging areas
• Plant locker rooms/restrooms
• Maintenance shop
• Office restrooms
• Cafeteria/break room