Facility Sanitation and Documentation

Documentation There are three types of documents you will need for third party audits of your farm food safety plan: •Standard Operating Procedures - A list of more than 2

steps to aid someone in performing a given task.

Ideally, having standard operating procedures will minimize errors. •Records – kept on a regular basis Cleaning logs Employee training logs

Seasonal water tests •Documents – rarely change Farm maps Insurance papers

MSDS

SOP – hard copy Record Keeping - electronic

The Big W Written Documentation

Standard Operating Procedures for your shed (GHP) and Fields (GAP) addressing: •Hygiene program •Sanitation program •Water monitoring program

If a task has more than 2 steps involved, you should create a Standard Operating Procedure for that task?

1 2

0%0%

1. True

2. False

Key Areas of Documentation • SOP for GAPs (farms) and GHPs (packing shed)

• Designated food safety individual (someone that

can give the full attention)

• Contact name and phone number visible to all

• Training workers on hygiene at least yearly

• Sanitation program - include animal

encroachment and manure-based products

• Water testing on all sources (irrigation, wash,

rinse, and ice) and sanitizer levels

The Big W Written Documentation

It did not happen

or exist if it is not

WRITTEN

down!

Got to have

this!

Which three items do third party auditors rely on as proof that you are keeping up with food safety?

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1. Employee interviews, security camera tapes, and visual observation

2. SOPs, records and documents

3. Material safety data sheets, pest control reports and insurance papers

4. All of the above

Packing Shed Sanitation

Major causes of Contamination

Workers

Water / ice

Birds, rodents, insects

Equipment and conveyors

WORKERS!

No eating, drinking Or smoking! Provide break room for such purposes.

A Clean Packing Shed is a Safe Packing Shed

• Discard produce that falls on the floor

• No Animals (domestic or otherwise)

• Prepare cartons only as needed

• Remove culls and debris promptly

• Provide restrooms and hand-washing stations

• Maintain sanitation records

Sanitation in the Packinghouse

• Biofilms build up with use

• Microbes survive and grow on wet surfaces

• Daily Sanitize: packing line equipment (particularly areas that remain wet, floors, drains) break rooms/bathrooms

– Monthly or between loads: cold room floors, walls, ceilings, cooling units, doors and curtains

Pressure wash and sanitize packing shed facility: •Grading and packing lines, dump tanks, immersion tanks, fork lifts etc. •Clean and sanitize all floors and dock areas

Clean and sanitize Coolers & ripening rooms •Walls •Floors •Drains •Refrigeration coils

Packing Shed Facility Sanitation

Developing a Pest Control System

Bird control needed: “You can’t sanitize filth”

Sanitize and Store pallets and boxes in a clean enclosed room

Exclude birds from storage areas/loading docks where possible

• Pre-clean and pre-grade produce prior to bringing into shed

• Dump wash water to clean and remove field heat.

– Continuously monitor dump water chlorine and pH levels

• At best bacteria levels are reduced with proper pH levels (6.5 to 7.5 pH)

• Can not get 100 % kill (only with the use of irradiation)

• Chlorine is popular because of it’s low cost

Keep Field Trash in the Field

Only authorized personnel in packing sheds

Absolutely no children or pets Authorized visitors also need training

Packing Sheds and Visitors

•Do not allow them to touch produce •Shoes etc. are cleaned prior to entering the shed •Areas of minimum exposure to produce •Groups should be guided by a knowledgeable employee

•Only use ice made from potable

water

•Prohibit ice contact with soil,

debris and non essential workers

•Do not place ice on floors or allow

worker to walk in this area

•Need to have an above floor

container from which ice is to be

used

•Clean and sanitize ice makers

routinely

Ice is Frozen Water

Chlorine base sanitizers are most popular because?

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1. They are low cost

2. They are 100% effective at killing microorganisms

3. They are effective at proper pH levels

4. Both 1 and 3

Biofilms • Sticky to slimy accumulations of fungi and

bacteria that accumulate on wet surfaces

• Chlorine doesn’t penetrate biofilms, but will prevent their formation

• Change water daily and maintain constant sanitizer levels in dump tanks and spray washers

Biofilms and Accumulated Organic Matter

• Contact of plant material (produce) with surfaces:

– leaves waxes and plant sap accumulations

– plant residues + moisture + microbes + warm temperatures = biofilms

• Partially decayed plant material:

– sticks to surfaces

– is loaded with microbes

Room & Equipment Cleaning Procedures

• Empty and sweep cold rooms

• Pre-rinse equipment or walls

• Visually inspect surfaces

• Apply appropriate cleanser

– Scrub from top, downward

• Do not allow cleanser to dry on surfaces

– Rinse from top, downward

Cleaning and Sanitizing Steps • Remove heavy debris

• Pre-rinse remove particulate matter

• Wash and Scrub remove remaining visible soils with detergents

• Rinse away detergents

• Sanitize to reduce microorganisms

• Final Rinse

• Dry to eliminate humidity

What are the recommended cleaning and sanitizing steps?

• Remove heavy debris from floors with brooms or shovels and dry clean processing equipment, if needed.

• Pre-rinse equipment with adequate amount of quality water.

• Clean remaining debris from floor.

• Rinse floor and drains with adequate quality water using a low pressure hose.

• Use dedicated brushes to scrub floor and drains with an effective cleaner, applying adequate quality water as needed.

Best way to clean and sanitize equipment?

• Equipment (whether fixed or free standing), fixtures, floors, walls, and other structures in a processing facility can become a source of microbial contamination if not adequately maintained in sanitary condition.

• To prevent fresh-cut produce

from becoming

contaminated by equipment

or other structures in the

facility, employees should be

trained on proper cleaning

and sanitizing steps within

the processing areas.

What are the recommended cleaning and sanitizing steps?

• Foam and scrub the equipment with an effective cleaner and scrub using dedicated brushes.

• Thoroughly rinse the equipment, floors, and drains with adequate quality water using a low pressure hose.

• Remove excess water from floors. • Sanitize (according to manufacturer directions) the

equipment and floors.

Should you avoid use of high-pressure water?

• This practice will help prevent aerosols from contacting processing equipment and food-contact surfaces, product, or packaging materials.

• Therefore, employees should be trained on the proper use of cleaning equipment.

Temperature Management

• Low temperatures supplement good sanitation practices

• Avoid delays that postpone cooling

• Consider:

– Time from harvest to packinghouse

– Time from arrival to cooling of produce

– Speed of cooling & final temperature

Temperature Management

• Cooling method

– forced-air, hydrocooling, vacuum cooling, package & top icing

– Do not use water more than 10 degrees F cooler that the product field temperature

• Proper hydrocooler management

– water sanitized continuously

– incomplete cooling = wet, warm produce =

– Potential for pathogen buildup

Temperature Management

• Storage and transport temperatures

– Optimum temperatures for fruits and vegetables range from 32°F/0°C to 59°F/15°C

– Most human pathogens grow slowly or not at all below 45°F/7°C

– Listeria monocytogenes is a special concern in refrigerated environments

• Maintain records of temperature management

Which set of cleaning and sanitizing steps are in correct order?

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1. Remove heavy debris, pre-rinse, wash & scrub, rinse, sanitize, final rinse, dry

2. Pre-rinse, remove heavy debris, wash & scrub, rinse, sanitize, final rinse, dry

3. Sanitize, pre-rinse, remove heavy debris, wash & scrub, rinse, final rinse, dry

4. None of the above

Final Steps of Cleaning

• Clean and put away supplies

• Document cleaning practices

• Periodic QA inspection/swabs

• Training

Sources of Help • For-Sale Items

Cornell (National GAPs Program) www.gaps.cornell.edu

• Information

Texas A&M Depart. Of Horticulture http://aggiehorticulture.tamu.edu/extension/TCECommercialHort.html

Joint Institute for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition

http://www.jifsan.umd.edu/gaps.html

• Trainings

Yourself with DVDs or VHS Tapes

Sometimes Extension trainings

(Private) Alchemy Training Systems

Audit questions might look like this.

Do not need a perfect score.

3rd Party Auditors

• USDA GAPs and GHPs Audits

• USDA Mushroom Production Audit

• NSF Davis Fresh

• Scientific Certification Systems (SCS)

• Safe Quality Food Institute (SQF 1000)

• Food Safety Net Services

•Primus

•LGMA

•Global GAP

•Silliker GAP

•SENASICA – Mexico

Goal to Pass 3rd Party GAP/GHP Audit

Preventative Food Defense Procedures

• Emergency evacuation plan

• Food Security training provided to employees

• Visitors required to check in

• Minimum level of background checks on employees

• Positive identification of employees has been established

If I learn only 1 Thing…. YOUR unique operation needs to have GAPs and GHP’s

that are tailored to your commodity and management

practices in order to effectively reduce microbial risks

and prevent contamination everyday.

This is best communicated in an audit if you have a

SOP manual for food safety and an individual

designated as the Food Safety and Biosecurity

person.

After today’s training, on a scale of 1 to 4 what is your current knowledge of GAPs food safety?

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1. Somewhat

2. Average

3. Above Average

4. Excellent