Chapter 6 : Sanitizing Principles

Sanitation is an important part of any processing operation.  It is the very basis of any establishment’s HACCP plan.  It is a must for producing a high quality safe product.  There are many considerations when developing, implementing and assessing the effectiveness of any sanitation program.

Cleaning and sanitizing is an important prerequisite program for food safety in any foodservice operation. Foodservice employees who follow proper cleaning and sanitizing practices reduce the risk of cross contamination that can lead to food-borne illness.

Detailed procedures must be developed for all food-product contact surfaces (equipment, utensils, etc.) as well as for non-product surfaces such as: non-product portions of equipment, overhead structures, shield, walls, ceilings, lighting devices, refrigeration units, heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, and anything else which could impact food safety.

Clean and sanitize work surfaces, equipment, and other food contact surfaces using

proper procedures.

1.Follow state and local health department requirements.

2.Follow manufacturer’s instructions regarding the use and cleaning of equipment.

3.Follow manufacturer’s instructions regarding the use of chemicals for cleaning and sanitizing food contact surfaces.

4.Refer to the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) provided by the manufacturer if you have questions about the use of specific chemicals.

5.Wash, rinse, and sanitize food contact surfaces of sinks, tables, equipment, utensils, thermometers, carts, and equipment :

Øbefore each use.

Øbetween uses when preparing different types of raw animal foods such as eggs, fish, meat and poultry.

Øbetween uses when preparing ready-to-eat foods and raw animal foods such as eggs, fish, meat and poultry.

Øany time contamination occurs or is suspected.

6.Wash, rinse, and sanitize food contact surfaces using the following procedures:

ü Wash surface with detergent solution to clean.

ü Rinse surface with clean water to remove debris and  detergent.

ü Sanitize surface using a sanitizing solution mixed at the concentration specified on the manufacturer’s label.

ü Allow items to air dry.

Take corrective action to make sure that cleaning and sanitizing is done properly.

• Wash, rinse, and sanitize dirty food contact surfaces.

• Sanitize food contact surfaces if it cannot be determined if they have been sanitized properly.

• Discard food that comes in contact with food contact surfaces that have not been sanitized properly.

CLEANING AND SANITIZING VALIDATION

q Cleaning and sanitizing procedures should be regularly monitored for effectiveness.

üPre-operational inspections or audits

üMicrobial sampling of the environment or of food contact surfaces

q Establish criteria to be met :

üNo visible residue present

üMicro counts within acceptable limits

Validation Methods

What everyone can do:

ü Visual Inspection (Best Verification Method)

Surface appearance: visible debris, soil build-up, color of equipment surface (white films, stains, etc.), biological growth (i.e., mold) and odor.

üUse simple tools:

CHARACTERISTICS OF FOOD SOILS

Soil is any unwanted matter on the surface of an object that one desires to be clean.

Soil may be classified as visible and invisible, the latter category being primarily microorganisms, such as bacteria, yeasts, and molds.

Soil is best identified by characteristics that give information on how it may be dissolved, because the object of cleaning is to dissolve or to suspend soil and then to wash it away.

What are Biofilms?

A collection of microorganisms, mainly bacteria, growing together in a matrix of polymers secreted by the microorganisms.

Physical Characteristics of Soil  

The type of surface to be cleaned affects the type of soil that collects and how it is removed.  Soil is difficult to remove from cracks, crevices and other uneven surfaces.  It is easiest to remove soil from smooth hard nonporous surfaces.

Sanitizing Food Contact Surfaces

üSanitizing can be done with heat or with chemicals.

üSanitizing does not affect bacterial spores—that is beyond the capability of the process.

üA sanitizer will not sterilize a food-contact surface or a water system.

üSterilization refers to the statistical destruction and removal of all living organisms, including spores.

üThe official definition of sanitizing for food product contact surfaces is a process which reduces the contamination level by 99.999% (5 logs) in 30 sec.

üDisinfectants are stronger chemicals that produce a much larger reduction of microorganisms. They are generally not used in food applications.

Chemical Based Sanitizing

The most commonly used sanitizers in food applications are chlorine gas, sodium or calcium hypochlorite, and organic chlorine (Sodium Dichloroisocyanurate).

Chlorine

Chlorine has some advantages and disadvantages, as do all types of sanitizers. The principal disadvantage of most chlorine-based sanitizers is instability. They are affected by the acidity of the water in which they are diluted. 

Broad Spectrum

when applied to a sanitizer means that it will attack a wide variety  of different types of microorganisms, including gram-positive bacteria (Listeria and Staphylococcus), gram negative bacteria (E. coli and Salmonella), viruses, fungi (both yeasts and molds), as well as many parasites. Broad-spectrum germicides act on  microbial membranes, cellular enzymes, DNA, and protein. 

Iodine-based sanitizers 

Have been used as antimicrobial agents since the 1800s and have  a broad spectrum of activity They are a powerful sanitizer in strong acidic aqueous solutions. They are generally used at 12.5 to 25 ppm available iodine, and can cause staining on some surfaces, especially plastics.

Summary

Cleaning operations consist of four steps—pre-rinse, cleaning, post-rinse and sanitizing. Most cleaning compounds used in the food industry are blended products. The type of surface to be cleaned affects the type of soil that collects and how it is removed.  The type of soil determines which cleaning compound can be used most effectively.  It is important to select the correct cleaning compound to remove a specific type of soil.   Manufacturers combine ingredients to make a specific product for a particular type of surface or dirt. Sanitizers are used immediately after cleaning to reduce pathogenic and spoilage organisms on equipment.  Any soil deposits remaining on the equipment after cleaning can reduce the effectiveness of a sanitizer through a dilution effect and reaction of the organic material in the soil with the sanitizing compound.  Sanitizer work best when they are used at the appropriate temperature for the surface being sanitized and used at the appropriate strength.

Exercise

1.What is the word of sanitizing refers to?

2.What is the importance of sanitizing?

3.Please indicate three (3) basic steps of sanitizing.

4.Explain the objective of cleaning and sanitizing food contact surfaces.

5.Why Is Effective Cleaning and Sanitizing So Important?

6.How does effective cleaning and sanitizing being done?

7.Define food soil.

8.Indicate three (3) steps to remove soils from surfaces.

9.Indicate three types of sanitizing processes.

10.Identify types of chemical sanitizers which is normally used in foodservice sanitization process.

REFERENCES

1.Guthrie, Rufus K.  1983.  Food Sanitation. 2nd Edition. AVI Publishing Company, Inc., Westport, Connecticut.

2.Marriott, Norman G.  1997.  Essentials of Food Sanitation.  Chapman & Hall, International Thomson Publishing, New York, NY.

3.Marriott, Norman G.  1989.  Principles of Food Sanitation.  2nd Edition.  Van Nostrand Reinhold, New York, NY. 

4.www.merriam-wehsler.com

5.National Food Service Management Institute

6.Effective Cleaning & Sanitizing Procedures, Alan Parker, Copyright © 2007 University of Maryland and the JohnsonDiversey Corporation.

      7.Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.