Sanitation

RSS

The hygienic design, sanitation, and maintenance of food processing equipment and the surrounding production facilities are of paramount importance for an effective food safety sanitation program. In this column, we share firsthand information from processors about their programs, as well as the challenges and obstacles they face in keeping their equipment and facilities in the best condition to ensure food safety.

This article discusses water quality considerations for food and beverage processing, sanitation, and other facility operations.

As a nonprofit association, ENFIT has developed several guidelines to ensure a safe supply chain, including the HQF Certification Scheme (for the certification of transport cleaning stations) and Transport Hygiene Risk Analysis (THR Analysis). 

A study from the University of Georgia’s Center for Food Safety suggests a synergistic effect between antimicrobial blue light treatment and low concentrations of sanitizers commonly used in industry, finding enhanced inactivation of Listeria monocytogenes on food contact surfaces.

Registration is open for the "Innovations in Cleaning and Sanitation for Low-Moisture Foods" conference, taking place at the the Land O’ Lakes Headquarters in Arden Hills, Minnesota in April. The event is jointly hosted by the Illinois Tech Institute for Food Safety and Health (IFSH), the University of Wisconsin–Madison’s Food Research Institute (UW-FRI), and the Institute for the Advancement of Food and Nutrition Sciences (IAFNS). 

With support from the Dairy Innovation Hub, a professor at University of Wisconsin–Platteville is establishing a research program to explore the use of cold plasma technology for food safety, sustainable agriculture, and dairy processing.

The food safety and sanitation solutions provider formerly known as PSSI has rebranded as Fortrex.

This article addresses the requirements of the 3-A Sanitary Standards and some common misconceptions. It also describes the relationship between the 3-A Standards and U.S. federal regulations, as well as hygienic requirements beyond the sanitary design of the equipment—installation, validation, and maintenance.

Filling a critical knowledge gap in light of recent outbreaks and recalls associated with low-moisture foods, a study led by National University of Singapore researchers has characterized dry surface Salmonella biofilms and developed a fit-for-purpose, antibiofilm, waterless sanitization protocol for the low-moisture food industry. 

A research project funded by the Center for Produce Safety (CPS) is exploring the microbial risks of unconventional surfaces in small and midsized produce packinghouses with the goal of determining sanitation best practices.