Food Safety Best Practices: Maintenance, Sanitation & Personal Hygiene Guidelines

Objective:

To establish effective systems to:

• Ensure adequate and appropriate maintenance and cleaning.
• Control pests.
• Manage waste.
• Monitor effectiveness of maintenance and sanitation procedures.

Rationale:

To facilitate the continuing effective control of food hazards, pests and other agents likely to food.

• MAINTENANCE AND CLEANING

Establishments and equipment should be kept in an appropriate state of repair and condition to:

• Facilitate all sanitation procedures.
• Function as intended, particularly at critical steps.
• Prevent contamination of food, e.g. from metal shards, flaking plaster, debris and chemicals.

Cleaning removes food residues and dirt which may be a source of contamination. The necessary cleaning methods and materials will depend on the nature of the food business. Disinfection may be necessary after cleaning. Cleaning chemicals should be handled and used carefully and in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions and stored, where necessary, separated from food, in clearly identified containers to avoid the risk of contaminating food.

• CLEANING PROCEDURES AND METHODS

Cleaning can be carried out by the separate or the combined use of physical methods, such as heat, scrubbing, turbulent flow, vacuum cleaning or other methods that avoid the use of water and chemical methods using detergents, alkalis or acids.

Cleaning procedures will involve, where appropriate:

• Removing gross debris from surfaces.
• Applying a detergent solution to loosen soil and bacterial film and hold them in solution or suspension.
• Rinsing with water which complies with section 4, to remove loosened soil and residues of detergent.
• Dry cleaning or other appropriate for removing and collecting.
• Residues and debris.
• Where necessary, disinfection.
  
  
• CLEANING PROGRAMMES

Cleaning and disinfection programs should ensure that all parts of the establishment are appropriately clean, and should include the cleaning of cleaning equipment. Cleaning and disinfection programs should be continually and effectively monitored for their suitability and effectiveness and where necessary, documented.

Where written cleaning programs are used, they should specify:

• Areas, items of equipment and utensils to be cleaned.
• Responsibility for particular tasks.
• Method and frequency of cleaning.
• Monitoring arrangements.

Where appropriate, programs should be drawn up in consultation with relevant specialist expert advisors.

• PEST CONTROL SYSTEMS

Pests pose a major threat to the safety and suitability of food. Pest infestations can occur where there are breeding sites and a supply of food. Good hygiene practices should be employed to avoid creating an environment conducive to pests. Good sanitation, inspection of incoming materials and good monitoring can minimize the likelihood of infestation and thereby limit the need for pesticides.

• PREVENTING ACCESS

Buildings should be kept in good repair and condition to prevent pest access and to eliminate potential breeding sites. Holes, drains and other places where pests are likely to gain access should be kept sealed. Wire mesh screens, for example on open windows, doors and ventilators, will reduce the problem of pest entry. Animals should, wherever possible, be excluded from the grounds of factories and food processing plants.

• HARBOURAGE AND INFESTATION

The availability of food and water encourages pest harborage and infestation. Potential food sources should be stored in pest-proof containers and/or stacked above the ground and away from walls. Areas both inside and outside food premises should be kept clean. Where appropriate, refuse should be stored in covered, pest-proof containers

• MONITORING AND DETECTION

Establishments and surrounding areas should be regularly examined for evidence of infestation.

• ERADICATION

Pest infestations should be dealt with immediately and without adversely affecting food safety or suitability. Treatment with chemical, physical or biological agents should be carried out without posing a threat to the safety or suitability of food.

• WASTE MANAGEMENT

Suitable provision must be made for the removal and storage of waste. Waste must not be allowed to accumulate in food handling, food storage, and other working areas and the adjoining environment except so far as unavoidable for the proper functioning of the business.

Waste stores must be kept appropriately clean.

• MONITORING EFFECTIVENESS

Sanitation systems should be monitored for effectiveness, periodically verified by means such as audit pre- operational inspections or, where appropriate, microbiological sampling of environment and food contact surfaces and regularly reviewed and adapted to reflect changed circumstances.