Prevent the cross-contamination in the food processing factories
Preventing cross-contamination is a crucial aspect of food hygiene management. Cross-contamination is the process of the transfer and
diffusion of biological or chemical contaminants between food, workers, tools, containers, facilities, and the environment.
Cross-contamination is a significant issue in food production. It would occur at various stages if not carefully managed. So how can food
plant prevent contamination?
Dedicated Zones/Zoning
Food companies often divide their work areas into zones based on varying cleanliness requirements. These zones should be effectively
isolated to prevent cross-contamination through water flow, personnel flow, material flow, and airflow.
Dedicated Tools
Workshops contain numerous production tools. Knives, mats, and containers of different cleanliness levels should not be used interchange-
ably, nor should they be mixed for cleaning and disinfection.
Dedicated Workers
Employees in the workshop have their own designated work areas and should not move between them arbitrarily. For example, designated
personnel should handle processing and cleaning. If a change of work is necessary, hands should be washed promptly.
Dedicated Disinfection Facilities
Workshops are equipped with cleaning and disinfection facilities. It is important to ensure the dedicated nature of these facilities. For
instance, dedicated handwashing and disinfection facilities, as well as dedicated tool cleaning facilities, should be provided within the same
clean area.
What types of cross-contamination need to be prevented?
01- Preventing Cross-Contamination from Hands
Hands are a crucial food contact surface. Employees use their hands to perform tasks such as food cutting, sorting, and mixing. Simultane-
ously, employees in the food processing workshop also need to use their hands to clean food contact surfaces, operate production
equipment, remove waste, and complete records. Therefore, maintaining hand hygiene suitable for food processing and preventing
cross-contamination during these transitions is a crucial concern for food processing personnel.
First: Proper Handwashing and Sanitizing.
Timely and proper handwashing and sanitation are essential. Avoid contaminating products and food contact surfaces with unclean hands.
Second: Avoid Unintentionally Touching Yourself.
During production operations, workers should not intentionally touch themselves, including face and nose. These areas are often unwashed
and harbor many bacteria. Touching them contaminates our hands.
Third: Avoid Touching Indirect Contact Surfaces. Walls, curtains, etc., are in lower cleanliness levels. Avoid touching them.
Fourth: Avoid Touching Unclean Surfaces
During operations, workers should not touch trash cans or hidden corners of equipment, such as crevices in workbenches or holes in shovels.
Similarly, during production, do not attempt to open or cut open the interior of production equipment. This could affect equipment operation,
contaminate products, and potentially contaminate or even injure employees' hands.
Fifth: Wash and Disinfect Hands Promptly
If hands become contaminated for any reason, wash them immediately; otherwise, cross-contamination may occur.
02- Preventing Cross-Contamination During Cleaning
The cleaning process removes contaminants. However, improper cleaning procedures can lead to new contamination, including
cross-contamination. Cross-contamination can originate from cleaning tools, surfaces being cleaned, and the surrounding environment. To
prevent cross-contamination during cleaning, food factories should implement controls at different stages: before, during, and after cleaning.
Before Cleaning:
-Select appropriate cleaning tools and equipment. Many workshops, to prevent cross-contamination, specify different cleaning tools for areas
with different cleanliness levels, such as different colored towels and brushes, or designate dedicated cleaning tools and equipment.
-Arrange cleaning in appropriate cleaning areas. For example, tools should be cleaned in a tool cleaning room, and large-area cleaning
should not be carried out in open areas to avoid wastewater splashing and pollution of the surrounding environment.
-During Cleaning:
Pay attention to the cleaning sequence to avoid recontamination of already cleaned areas.
-Prevent splash contamination. During wet cleaning, some companies use high-pressure water guns, which can easily cause water to splash
everywhere, causing contamination transfer.
-Do not mix tools for cleaning. For example, turnover baskets for raw materials should not be mixed with turnover baskets for finished
products to avoid cross-contamination. Furthermore, large-scale cleaning activities such as foam cleaning should generally be carried out
after the shift, not during the shift, to avoid foam drift and chemical contamination.
After cleaning:
- Store cleaning equipment separately. After cleaning, different types of crates should be stored separately.
- Store cleaning tools separately. After cleaning, cleaning tools should also be stored separately after being thoroughly cleaned.
03- Prevent cross-contamination from crates
-Avoid direct contact with the ground
-Use according to regulations
-Choose a suitable placement location
-Separate clean and uncleaned crates
-Avoid stacking crates
