Fresh-cut preparation and cutting equipment are all potential sources of contamination from microbial, chemical or physical hazards. Both visual and analytical evaluation of all processing equipment should be performed before processing begins to ensure that proper cleaning, sanitation and maintenance have been performed. Traditional evaluation methods such as environmental swabs or contact plates are often used. Rapid test methods such as the use of a bioluminometer before the start of processing, allow one to evaluate sanitation efficiency in real-time. These real-time measures also allow employees to take corrective action before processing begins. Some firms even provide financial incentives for sanitation crews meeting goals set by managers.

All equipment for preparing, cutting and bagging fresh-cut produce has food contact surface. A food contact surface is any surface that comes in direct contact with food as well as any surface from which drippage or condensation make contact with food. An example of an item not typically thought of as a food contact surface is a drip or condensation pan on refrigeration units. Food contact surfaces should be kept clean and sanitary to prevent them from becoming a potential source of contamination.

All food contact surfaces should be constructed so as to be durable, easily cleanable, non-absorbent and non-toxic. This includes such items as;

Knives
Conveyor belts and shoots
Product totes
Gloves
Tools (shovels or rakes)
Cutting boards
Tables
Spinner baskets
Packing scales

All equipment or food contact surfaces should be constructed of suitable non-corrosive materials, constructed with smooth sanitary welds to prevent the build-up of food materials and easy to disassemble for cleaning and sanitising. Processing equipment can also be a potential source of chemical and physical hazards. Chemical hazards from processing equipment may include such things as industrial lubricants from sprockets, bearings and gearboxes or hydraulic fluid from equipment overhead, hydraulic lines or gearboxes

Physical hazards from processing equipment may include such things as nuts, bolts and washers and other small or large machinery parts or metal fragments which may come loose from equipment.

Of course, it is always best to prevent contamination of foods during processing but one tool is available to help detect physical contamination of food, a metal detector. Metal detectors can determine if small pieces of metal are present within packaged products. This method is not foolproof however as food processing equipment is typically constructed of stainless steel and metal detectors are less sensitive to low iron content metals. Metal detectors are recommended to help screen packaged food products for gross metallic contamination such as broken knife blades or machinery nuts and bolts. Once a metal detector is in place it should be tested frequently to assure functionality and be set up to eject packages from the normal product flow if a problem is detected.

Equipment