Principles of Food Sanitation

Establishment of a quality assurance program........................................

The establishment of an effective micro-
bial food testing program requires a commit-
ment to the use of good laboratory practices
(GLPs) including an equipment calibration
program, use of positive controls, adherence
to CDC laboratory safety requirements,
incorporation of rapid and automated tech-
niques to identify microbial pathogens,
choice of AOAC validated methods to
strengthen the testing program, assignment
of qualified microbiology and chemistry
professionals in the laboratory through
ensuring their proficiency (including contin-
ued training to reduce the potential for
costly errors and raise the credibility of
attained results), and the correct disposal of
biohazardous wastes (McNamara and
Williams, 2003). It is important that food
processors stay abreast of new advances in
laboratory quality assurance and technology
and invest in the development of testing
programs that will ensure the safety and
wholesomeness of the products that they
manufacture. Preparation of personnel for a
more unified system of control requires a
change in attitude, which must be handled
diplomatically. To reduce resistance, all per-
sonnel should be told why the changes are
being made. Company philosophy should be
developed as part of the program to help
establish the new attitude and new responsi-
bilities that personnel need to attain the
desired goals.

Elements of a Total Quality
Assurance System
For each production area, one person
should be responsible for the controls or
inspection, either a plant employee or an
outside contractor. The frequency of the
control or inspection check must be noted,
as must the records to be kept. An outline

can be converted into a written format, as

though it were a set of instructions for plant

employees. It can serve as the operating

manual for the persons responsible for con-

ducting QA.

Sanitation Inspection Procedure

A procedure to check the overall sanita-

tion of plant facilities and operations,

including outside adjacent areas and storage

areas on plant property, should be included

in a total QA program.

In a total QA program, a designated plant

official should make the sanitation inspec-

tion and record the results. If sanitation defi-

ciencies are discovered, a plan for corrective

action is necessary. Corrective action might

include additional cleaning or closing off an

area until a repair is completed. Frequent

and systematic sanitation inspection proce-

dures should be used when there is a possi-

bility of product contamination, such as

from container failure, moisture dripping, or

grease escaping from machinery onto the

product or surfaces that come into contact

with the food.

New Employee Training

Instruction should include basic informa-

tion that any new employee needs to know

about food handling and cleanliness. Employ-

ees should be informed of the importance of

hygienic practices. A list of all of the items

that need to be covered in employee orienta-

tion should be developed including how

and when the orientation will be performed.

Employee training should include an ongoing

program to remind employees continuously

of the importance of good sanitation.

Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point

(HACCP) Approach

An HACCP program should be incorpo-

rated as a QA function and as a system-

atic approach to hazard identification, risk

Quality Assurance for Sanitation 125