Report Example on Food Processing Plant Hygiene

The firm dealing with food processing supplements manufacturing sector but undergoes a couple of challenges including the facilitation of food hygiene. The expectation is that the designers should deal with the challenges in the course of designing the appropriate facilities to enhance the process. The report discusses the EU operational legislations regarding factory hygiene, the organization of sanitation programs, and the plant layout and segregation requirements for high, medium and low-risk foods (Reilly 47).

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EU Operational Legislation on Factory Hygiene

With the possession of the regard to the Treaty establishment of the European community by both the European parliament and the council of the European Union, legislations are in place in line with factory hygiene. The legislations prior to being in place went through a number of procedures before they are actually accepted. Among the fundamental aims of the food, the law is the facilitation of high-level of human life and health protection as per the Regulation No 178/2002. The regulation stands along with other well-known definitions and principles for national as well as the community food law (Bas, Ersun, & Kivanc 121).

Experience shows that the procedures and rules involved comprise of a firm basis for the enhancement of food safety. In the point of view of consideration to the agricultural policy, a number of directives have been accepted in the establishment of certain health rules to enhance the production and the market placement of the products specified. The rules have aided have aided in the reduction of trade barriers for the products under consideration thus contributing to the internal market establishment as well as keeping a high protection level of the public health(Turatti 339).

Concerning public health, such regulations and rules are composed of common principles, particularly relating to the manufacturers and responsibilities of competent authorities, hygienic and operational requirements for establishments, the process of establishment validations, and the essentials for both storage and transport. The council directive, on the other hand, put the general hygiene rules for foodstuffs and the necessary processes for the validation of compliance with the rules. It is also important to note that the principles comprise of a centered basis for food production which is hygienic. It also includes the products of animal origin (Mortimore, &Wallace 143).

In addition to the basics, specific rules of hygiene are essential for particular foodstuffs. The Regulation No 853/2004 describes the specific rules for food originating from animals. The main intention of the new general and specific hygiene rules is to ascertain that there is the maintenance of a high consumer protection level in line with food safety.

In the course of enhancing the safety of food, its traceability, as well as that of its ingredients, is a significant component. The Regulation No 178/2002 consists of rules to enhance the traceability and offer necessary process for the adoption of rules of implementation for application of such principles with respect to specific sectors. Foods for export should also meet the general demands as outlined by the regulation or satisfy rules identical to community rules. The existing Regulation defines particular hygienic requirements for the imports into the society (Reilly 47).

Flexibility is also another appropriate legislation. It is envied as it permits the continued utilization of the production stages, that of processing or distribution of food. It is also important particularly for regions which are subject to special geographical forces inclusive of the outermost regions. It is important to have in mind that at no single point in time should flexibility compromise the hygiene of the food in question. The fact that all the food are produced according to the rules of hygiene the process in place should permit member states to practice flexibility by being transparent as much as possible (Bas, Ersun, & Kivanc 121).

Organization of sanitation programs

Cleaning and sanitation

Maintenance of the hygiene of the food should be optimal at all the time. It high hygienic standards is however enhanced through implementations of some measures. The reason behind this is that there is likely to be dirt from time to time especially in areas of food handling. The facilities, areas, equipment, as well as all the food surfaces, should be kept clean all the time. The reason to this is because there are high chances of the dirt as well as the food residues contaminating food which may result in food poisoning (Turatti 339).

It is, therefore, necessary to establish a cleaning program to ascertain that cleaning and sanitation are done in a regular, efficient, and appropriate manner. The procedure involved during cleaning and sanitizing utensils begins includes removing debris through wiping and scraping, rinsing using water, cleaning using detergents, rinsing with water, sanitizing with chemical sanitizers or hot water (the instructions for use and safety contained on the labels should be strictly followed while using chemical sanitizers), then finally air dry to make sure that the cleaning and sanitation is effectively done on the premises. It is important setting up a well-organized program for sanitation and cleaning. The components of such a program include the interval of cleaning, the sections, utensils, and equipment for cleaning, the cleaning procedure specified for each item, the equipment and methods for use, and the staff responsible for the task (Mortimore, &Wallace 143).

A cleaning program varies depending on the structures being cleaned. The floors should be cleaned as required or at the end of each day. It should be cleaned at such an interval because it is greatly exposed to dust directly which if not cleaned regularly may contaminate food (Turatti 339).

The appropriate equipment and chemicals that should be used here include a broom, a brush, damp mob, sanitizer, and detergent. The methods that can be applied here includes applying the detergent and mopping the area, rinsing thoroughly with water, removing water using a mop, or even scrubbing for extra soil. The cleaning of walls, window, and ceiling should be done at an interval of one month or as required. The reason for this is because these parts are less likely to get dirty compared to the floor. Carrying out such duties helps save time and resources. The equipment and chemicals for use, in this case, includes brush, wiping cloths, and detergents. The method that can be applied in such a scenario includes removal of dry soil, rinsing using water, application of detergents then washing, or even air drying (Bas, Ersun, & Kivanc 121).

In consideration to food contact surfaces, sinks and work tables should be cleaned after use using wiping cloths, sanitizer, and detergent. The applicable method here is removing food debris and soil, rinsing with water, applying detergent and wash, rinsing with water, applying sanitizer, then air drying. Hand contact surfaces such as drawers, switches, and door knobs should be cleaned daily using detergents and damp clothes. It entails removing debris applying detergents, rinsing using damp cloths, and then drying using a paper towel or air drying (Reilly 47).

Plant layout and segregation requirements for high-risk foods

The implementation of segregation should be done upon the identification when a manufacturing plant discovers potential areas cross contamination particularly microbiological. A danger assessment often determines the possible sources of contamination, the product susceptibility, and the appropriate control measures. The designation and construction are done to the facility to detach areas in which high-risk foods undergo processing, exposure or storage, and even from areas of equipment washing, microbiological laboratories, toilet facilities, and offices. The extent of hygiene management in the facility is dependent on the operation type and the potential risk analysis (Bas, Ersun, & Kivanc 121).

Basing on the assessment, the facility is categorized into areas containing different permeable processing steps, varied rules and procedures for authorized persons, and varied levels of cleanliness. The more sensitive the product is, the more useful it is to classify the facility into varied hygiene areas. Every processing operation needs an effective cleanliness level as a way of avoiding contamination. Sanitizing stations, buffer areas together with other barriers are normally placed between the GMP areas to the high hygiene zones (Turatti 339).

Types of zones include basic GMP area for noncritical, salmonella processing zones which is separated from other processing areas, high risk, wet to dry, and dirty to clean areas (Mortimore, &Wallace 143).

References

Reilly, A., 2009. From farm to forknew european food hygiene regulations. International seafood trade: challenges and opportunities, p.47.

Bas, M., Ersun, A.S. and Kivanc, G., 2006. Implementation of HACCP and prerequisite programs in food businesses in Turkey. Food Control, 17(2), pp.118-126.

Turatti, A., 2010. 13 Process Design, Facility, and Equipment Requirements. Advances in Fresh-Cut Fruits and Vegetables Processing, p.339.

Mortimore, S. and Wallace, C., 2013. Prerequisites for Food Safety: PRPs and Operational PRPs. In HACCP (pp. 113-154). Springer US.