Principles of Food Sanitation

Quality Assurance for Sanitation 131

environments and Salmonella in dry pro-
cessing operations.

Sampling Procedures

An example of defined sampling proce-
dures for solid, semisolid, viscous, and liquid
samples follows:

1. Identify and collect only representative
   samples.


2. Record product temperature, where
   applicable, at the time of sampling.


3. Maintain collected samples at the correct
   temperature. Nonperishable items and
   those normally at ambient temperature
   may be maintained without refrigera-
   tion. Perishable and normally refriger-
   ated items should be held at 0ºC to
   4.5ºC; normally frozen, and special sam-
   ples should be maintained at −18ºC or
   below.


4. After collection, protect the sample
   from contamination or damage. Do not
   label certain plastic sample containers
   with a marking pen; ink can penetrate
   the contents.


5. Seal samples to ensure their integrity.


6. Submit samples to the laboratory in the
   original unopened container whenever
   possible.


7. When sampling homogeneous bulk
   products or products in containers too
   large to be transported to the labora-
   tory, mix, if possible, and transfer at
   least 100 g of the sample to a sterile
   sample container, under aseptic condi-
   tions. Frozen products may be sampled
   with the aid of an electric drill and
   2.5-cm auger.

Basic QA Tools

Depending on the food product area,
items from the following equipment and sup-
plies should be considered for sampling and
product evaluation.

Measurement Apparatus

These include a centigrade thermometer,

headspace gauge, vacuum gauge, titration

burettes, filtering apparatus, and 0.1 to 10.0

mL sterile disposable pipettes.

Lab Supplies

Suggested sanitation-related supplies

include petri dishes or petrifilm, glass micro-

scope slides, can opener, record forms, mark-

ing tape, pencils, pens, aluminum foil, sterile

cotton swabs, paper towels, microbial media,

Bunsen burner, forceps, spoons, knives, and

inoculation tubes.

Clerical Supplies

Supply list depends on what tests are being

conducted. Necessary basic sanitation QA

tools are:

1. Ingredient specifications.


2. Approved supplier list.


3. Product specifications.


4. Manufacturing procedures.


5. Monitoring program (analyses, records,
   reports).


6. Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP)
   requirements.


7. Cleaning and sanitizing program.


8. Recall program.

Role of Statistical Quality Control

Statistical quality control is the applica-

tion of statistics in controlling a process.

Measurements of acceptability attributes are

taken at periodic intervals during production

and are used to determine whether or not the

particular process in question is under con-

trol-that is, within certain predetermined

limits. A statistical QA program enables

management to control a product. This pro-

gram also furnishes an audit of products as

they are manufactured.

The samples taken for analysis are

destroyed; thus, only SQC is practical for