The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that each year, roughly one in six Americans (48 million) get sick, 128,000 are hospitalized and 3,000 die of foodborne illnesses.[1] Proper sanitation prevents the spread of bacteria and reduces the chance that consumers will contract potentially deadly or debilitating foodborne illnesses.
Selecting a sanitizer
When selecting a sanitizer for your facility, it’s important to choose a product that it is registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Check the label to make sure that the sanitizer is effective against the organisms of concern. It is also key that the sanitizer is compatible with the equipment that is being sanitized. For example, if a surface is aluminum or cast iron, a hypochlorite-based sanitizer may not be appropriate as it can cause corrosion.
It’s also recommended to select a simple and safe dosing system to use with the sanitizer to prevent employee contact with concentrated chemicals and ensure the sanitizer is correctly diluted each time. Working with a knowledgeable chemical supplier is valuable when selecting sanitizers because they can provide recommendations, clarify what the sanitizer will and will not do and offer training.
Using a sanitizer
Improper sanitation can cause food processed or prepared within a facility to become contaminated with unwanted microorganisms. This could cause food to have a shorter shelf life or flawed flavors and odors. Cross contamination can also result in illness and, in serious cases, death of people who consume the contaminated food.
A surface must be cleaned before it is sanitized. If it appears that a sanitizer is not working properly, the first thing to check is the adequacy of the cleaning process preceding the sanitation step. Employees should rinse surfaces between cleaning and sanitizing. Cleaning chemicals that are not rinsed off of a surface can inactivate some commonly used sanitizers. Sometimes it is tempting to use “extra” sanitizer to ensure bacteria are removed. Unfortunately, the use of extra sanitizer is wasteful, can be hazardous to use, damaging to waste water systems, and can be a misuse of the sanitizer which violates federal law. Sufficient cleaning followed by rinsing and application of the recommended concentration of sanitizer will be effective in sanitizing the facility.
It’s also important to note that the frequency of surface sanitizing varies. According to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Food Code, non-refrigerated surfaces must be cleaned and sanitized at least every four hours. More frequent cleaning and sanitizing may be needed depending on what food is being processed and if there are changeovers from one food to another. Much of the equipment used during food preparation is complex and may need to be disassembled for cleaning. Such equipment should be disassembled according to the manufacturer’s instructions and cleaned, rinsed and sanitized following the label directions for the sanitizer. After the pieces have been allowed to air dry, equipment should be reassembled and re-sanitized after assembly. The equipment should be allowed to completely air-dry before it is used to process food again.
Protecting customers and future business
Contaminated food can result in costly recalls, negative publicity and lost business. Sometimes, it’s impossible for a business to fully recover from these consequences. Thus, it’s necessary for every food facility to maintain the highest cleaning and sanitation standards in order to preserve brand reputation. Understanding how to select and use sanitizers protects employees, customers and brand reputation by reducing the risk of potentially deadly outbreaks.
For more information about how Diversey can support your food safety program, visit www.diversey.com/diversey-care/intelliconsult.