We must carry out a realistic and quite demanding plan carrying out an adequate cleaning and hygiene plan is vital for any company, regardless of the activity they carry out, although some organizations require a higher-level food industry cleaning protocol.
We speak, for example, of health centers or companies within the food industry. The importance of cleanliness in both types of organizations goes through the imperative need to prevent any type of contamination, therefore the measures must be taken for this purpose and it will be necessary to be very rigorous in complying with them. In this article, we are going to focus on naming and explaining what the key food industry cleaning standards are in the food industry.
Let’s provide a bit of context
Food companies must only market products that do not represent any type of risk for the final consumer, so they must make use of all control measures. Among them, they must have a self-control system based on the principles of Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points, something known as HACCP.
The HACCP, whose main aim is to help companies in the food industry to ensure that the products they manufacture and handle are completely free of danger to the consumer, requires a series of requirements to be met before being implemented, and one of them is the food industry cleaning and disinfection plan.
How should the food industry cleaning system be in the food industry
We must tailor the food industry cleaning plan to each company since not all carry out the same activity or handle the same type of products. Starting from this basis, we can say that there are certain guidelines that can be set out in a general way and that applies to all companies that are part of this sector.
Sufficient hygienic-sanitary measures must be established in the food industry cleaning plan to treat all work equipment and utensils, even those that are not used as frequently. Of course, priorities will have to be established, since those tools that are used daily will require more attention.
What should the food industry cleaning plan guarantee?
Basically, you must ensure that the utensils used for the preparation or handling of food are clean before, during and after use. Another very important aspect is that cleaning should never interfere with the company’s activity.
In other words, it should be avoided that any food industry cleaning product could fall or come into contact with any food. To achieve this, we will not carry the cleaning plan out in its entirety while the workers are carrying out their activities.
In order to guarantee the required level of cleanliness, absolutely all surfaces in the work area must be treated, even if they are not in direct contact with food: doors, ovens, floors, windows, etc. Any surface is sensitive to being contaminated and for this reason, it must be treated properly.
Who should carry out the cleanup plan and execute it
In this respect, there are many options. Cleaning is a vital aspect for companies that carry out their activity in the food sector. It is convenient that the employer or person in charge of the company never disassociates himself from it.
We say this because a professional cleaning company can carry out a cleaning plan autonomously, but considering what its correct execution could entail in terms of losses and costs, it is important that the employer review it and agree with it.
It is even convenient to carry out periodic supervision and ensure that the established plan is being carried out as planned.
Regarding the execution of the elaborated cleaning plan, there are several options. There are companies that permanently hire a team of people who are in charge of these tasks. More or less large depending on the size of the company.
However, more and more entrepreneurs prefer to outsource these services because of the cost savings that this entails. Not having a permanent staff saves us hiring costs. Also prevents us from having to replace the people we have hired. Because their contract expires and prepares a deal with them with a fixed contract.
Attention to details
Regardless of how we incorporate qualified people to carry out cleaning tasks. They must know in great detail which are the areas that need more attention in the company. Also which are the places that are most difficult to access in order to be prepared to reach them?
It is essential that the personnel in charge of cleaning have the necessary material to carry out the task. If we have hired people who are part of our staff, the material will have to be provided by us.
If we outsource the service, we can count on the team in charge of carrying out the cleaning tasks. They already have experience cleaning and have all the right tools and the essential products to do their tasks effectively.
Cleaning and disinfection have different roles
It is important, especially if you are going to hire staff to carry out cleaning tasks, that you provide them with both cleaning and disinfection tools. You must know what products that we need to perform these tasks in the food industry. Gain them so that they are always available to you.
It is important to note that cleaning and disinfecting are not the same thing. Cleaning prevents pathogens from surviving by feeding on dirt, while disinfection eliminates them. For this reason, cleaning and disinfection must go hand in hand in the food industry.
What is the correct food industry cleaning frequency?
For correct cleaning in the food industry, it is important that the cleaning plan establishes not only the action guidelines but also their frequency. We could say that the frequency for some surfaces that need cleaning and disinfection could be:
Daily:
- Floor and wall cleaning
- Tables, plants, pans, hoods, stoves, and filters.
- ovens
- Work utensils (as many times a day as necessary)
- Production lines
- Trash cubes
Monthly:
- cold rooms
Depending on the use:
- machinery and equipment
Regarding windows, doors, ceilings, etc. We need a realistic plan depending on the needs of the business itself. Packaging places do not require the same level of attention as places where the preparation of food takes place. Being in the latter, the cleaning plan is much more demanding.
It is
possible that entrepreneurs who are just starting out and want to set up a restaurant or a bakery, for example, have many doubts regarding current regulations or how to prepare an adequate cleaning plan, in In this case, it is best to request information from both the corresponding state agencies and professional cleaning companies with demonstrable experience in the sector.