Cold Chain Practices
Processed food preparation areas and 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 assure 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.
Most equipment for preparing, processing, and packaging food has food-contact surfaces. A food-contact surface is any surface that comes in direct contact with food, as well as any surface from which drippage, or condensation may contact 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 must 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
Conveyors
Belts and Chutes
Product Totes
Gloves
Tools such as Shovels or Racks
Cutting Boards
Tables
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
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 lines, or gearboxes
Physical hazards from processing equipment may include such things as:
Nuts, bolts, and washers
Small or large machinery parts, or metal fragments which may come loose from equipment
Examples of acceptable equipment materials include some types of stainless steel, various plastics, and laminates. Some types of stainless steel can corrode. Stainless steel that can corrode is not acceptable for food processing facilities. It is very important that equipment and utensils be constructed of food-grade materials so as not to create a health hazard to consumers.
Of course, it is always best to prevent contamination of foods during processing but one tool such as a metal detector is available to help detect physical contamination of food after processing. 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 should be:
Tested frequently to assure functionality
Set up to eject packages from the normal product flow if a problem is detected
Industrial Chemicals Associated with Food Processing
Food processing requires the use of many industrial chemicals, which when used and stored properly, pose little risk. However, if industrial chemicals such as cleaners, sanitisers, pesticides, and lubricants are used or stored improperly, they may contaminate food products. Therefore:
Processors should use only food-grade chemicals to ensure the highest purity and minimise the dangers associated with inadvertent exposure to the product;
Processors should always store hazardous chemicals in a locked storage space with access by authorised personnel only; and
Processors should not leave hazardous chemicals such as cleaning or sanitizing agents in the processing area.
