Cleaning and sanitizing activities are vitals parts of any food manufacturing setting. In fact, it is a must that any food processing activities should only proceed when all cleaning and sanitizing activities have been fulfilled. Remove them, and you could to face serious consequences such as failure to comply with food safety laws and regulations. And eventually it could lead to business closure.

In this article, we’ll discuss cleaning and sanitizing briefly.

Keep reading.

Cleaning versus sanitizing

First off, what is the difference between cleaning and sanitizing? A lot of people believe that these two are the same and interchangeable. But seriously, there is a fine line between them.

According to Codex Alimentarius (1997), cleaning is the removal of soil, food residue, dirt, grease, or other objectionable matter. The cleaning process may vary in foods such as fruits and vegetables. For example, some berries should only be washed prior to use. Root crops require multiple rinsing to remove adhering dirt. Although the process will depend largely on how perishable the product is, and how heavy the adhering dirt or soil).

Sanitizing is the treatment of something, such as a food or food contact surface, in order to reduce the number of microorganisms to a safe level. Obviously, this is carried out using a sanitizer. In the food industry, the most commonly used sanitizers include those chlorine-based, iodine, and quaternary ammonium sanitizers.

If you wish to use chlorine as a sanitizing agent, you can read our guide here: Guide to Using Chlorine in the Food Industry

There is a misconception that sanitizers are supposed to kill 100% of all the microorganisms. Ever watched a commercial that said “this sanitizer” kills 100% instead of 99.99% (5-log)? Likely not. Sanitizers aggressively lowers the contamination level of microorganisms. It may not be totally free from microorganisms, but sanitizers help produce a safer product. Furthermore, the microorganisms that would survive are non-pathogenic. Pathogens are disease-causing microorganisms.

Is the chemical approved safe for use?

Are your chemicals used for cleaning and sanitizing approved as safe for use? Before using a specific chemical for cleaning or sanitizing, make sure that it is approved safe for use. This applies to those used in food establishments and food contact surfaces. Look it up if the responsible government regulatory agency approves the use of it.

Refer to the manufacturer’s guidelines or instructions, and the material safety data sheet (MSDS) before use. The MSDS contains a list of the hazardous ingredients of the chemical— its physical and chemical characteristics. What are the adverse effects? Are they flammable? This is to ensure that the chemical is not a source of contamination itself.

Further reading: Sanitizing Fresh Fruits and Vegetables Using Chlorine

How do they work exactly?

The cleaning and sanitizing process goes as follows:

RINSE, CLEAN, RINSE, SANITIZE.

Rinsing or washing removes food parts, dirt or organic matter from the surface. At this point, scrubbing with soap or detergent helps break the bond of the microorganism to the surface. Then rinsing follows. This removes the loosened dirt and detergent. Skipping this step will only bind up the sanitizer, making it less effective. Then finally, the application of sanitizer. This reduces the microbial load to a safer level.

Factors that affect sanitation

There a few factors that affect the efficacy of the sanitizer. These include the characteristics of the food contact surface, temperature, sanitizer concentration, time of exposure, pH, and the presence of organic matter and other inactivators.

Food contact surface

Food contact surface is any surface that may come into contact with food during production, processing, and packaging. The characteristics of food contact surface affect the effectiveness of sanitizing. Ideally, food contact surfaces must be easily cleanable, non-porous, made of stainless steel, and has a smooth finish. However, they develop holes, pits, and crevices over time. An uneven surface makes it harder to clean and sanitize. Another thing is the surface composition. Many agencies and industries prefer stainless steel for food manufacturing equipment, for obvious reason. But food contact surfaces may also consist of other materials such as rubber, glass, and wood. Wood is particularly problematic because it is non-porous. This means microorganisms may easily penetrate the material.

Temperature

Sanitizers are generally effective at elevated temperature. Generally, they work better at a temperature of 75°F (24 °C) up to 120°F (49 °C). Never go past 120 °f or the sanitizer will only evaporate or worst corrode metal surfaces.

Concentration of sanitizer

The concentration of the sanitizer is especially critical. Sanitizer of low concentration will not be very effective. However, going above the recommended concentration will not do better. Many sanitizers like chlorine-based ones may corrode equipment and surfaces if used at higher concentrations. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendation and instruction.

Time of exposure

Generally, the longer the time of exposure to sanitizing, the better. However, some sanitizers require a contact time of only 10 seconds. Some would require minutes to be effective. Refer to the manufacturer’s instruction.

pH

Sanitizers work better in the acid range to near neutral. They optimally work at a pH somewhere between 6.5 to 7.5. Although they do not do well beyond 7.5.

Presence of organic matter and other inactivators

Organic matter and detergent residues must be eliminated prior to sanitizing. The presence of these quickly inactivates the anti-microbial property of the sanitizer. So therefore proceeding, make sure the early steps have been done correctly.

Cleaning and sanitizing effectiveness verification

One of the most common hint that the cleaning and sanitizing process was poorly executed is chemical residues on the food contact surface. Some plant auditors would run a finger across on a surface to see any of it. To prevent this, validate the tasks.

The personnel who does the cleaning and sanitizing must be well trained in doing them. In addition, he must have knowledge in proper handling, identification, and storage of chemicals. Specifically, he should know how to properly dilute chemicals, making correct concentrations, and how to remove chemical residues on surfaces. Extra care must be given since some substances or chemicals are not permitted during certain processes.

Validate his learnings by observing how he does the cleaning and sanitizing activities. And then afterwards, visually inspect all the equipment and the areas, particularly food contact surfaces like pipes, mixers, tables, and conveyors.

Another way to validate the effectiveness of the cleaning and sanitizing is by performing microbiological testing. The most commonly used is the swab test, a form of direct surface sampling wherein a sterile nonabsorbent swab like cotton is rubbed over the surface. Then the swab in placed in a vial which contains a buffer as a neutralizing agent.

Condition of cleaning tools and equipment

How is the condition of the cleaning tools and equipment? Are they worthy? Cleaning tools and equipment also require appropriate cleaning. They can be an ideal environment for microorganisms as well if not cleaned properly.

Make sure that cleaning tools have their respective area for cleaning. Never use cleaning tools intended for cleaning the processing or storage area to clean the toilet. Have all the tools and equipment identified to prevent mix up.

Drain dry all cleaned and sanitized cleaning tools and equipment before storing. Do not store them on the floor. Discard any damaged tool or equipment.

A well crafted sanitation and cleaning program

To ensure that the sanitation and cleaning program is working smoothly, there must be a well-written sanitation and cleaning program. This program clearly identifies:

• Facility, area, and equipment for cleaning and sanitizing
• Cleaning and sanitizing procedures for each of them
• Cleaning and sanitizing chemicals to use
• Chemical concentrations or dilutions
• Cleaning tools to use
• Procedure on how to remove chemical residues
• Schedule or frequency of cleaning and sanitizing
• Personnel responsible

There has to be religious monitoring and verification of all these aspects. And recordkeeping has to be in place, including the sanitation records, since they serve as evidence that you follow the activities in the program properly. Food auditors would ask for them during audits.

References:

D.E.Nivens, B.M.Co, M.J.Franklin,  Biofilms in the Food and Beverage Industries. Woodhead Publishing. 2009

I. Alli , Food Quality Assurance. USA. CRC Press. 2009

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