separated from production and mechanical
maintenance, an arrangement that will enable
the sanitation department team to exercise
company-wide surveillance of sanitary prac-
tices and maintain a high level of activity.
Production practices, quality control, and
sanitary practices are not always compatible
when administered by a single department
or individual; but all of these functions are
complementary and are best performed
when properly coordinated and synchro-
nized.
Ideally, an organization should have a full-
time sanitarian with assistants, but this is not
always practical. Instead, a trained individ-
ual who was originally employed as a quality
control technician, a production foreman, a
superintendent, or some other individual
experienced in production can be charged
with the responsibility of the sanitation
operation. This situation is common and
usually effective. However, unless the sani-
tarian has an assistant to take care of some
of the routine tasks and is given sufficient
time for proper attention to sanitary details,
the program may not succeed.
A one-person safety assurance depart-
ment with a full schedule of control work
will be generally inadequate to assume the
tasks of a sanitarian. However, with proper
assistance, quality assurance and sanitation
supervision can be successfully conducted
through a qualified individual that can
divide his or her effort between sanitation
and quality assurance. It is beneficial for this
person to have the advice and service of an
outside agency, such as a university, trade
association, or private consultant, to avoid
becoming submerged in the conflicting inter-
ests of different departments. The extra
expense can be a worthwhile investment.
A planned sanitation maintenance pro-
gram is essential to meet legal requirements
and protect brand and product reputation,
product safety, quality, and freedom from
contamination. All phases of food produc-
tion and plant sanitation should be included
in the program to supplement the cleaning
and sanitizing procedures for equipment in
the facility. A safety assurance program
should start with compliance inspection and
audit of the entire facility.
The inspection and audit should be com-
prehensive and critical. As each item is con-
sidered, the ideal solution should be noted,
irrespective of cost. When the audit is com-
pleted, all items should be reevaluated and
more practical and/or economic solutions
determined. All items that need attention
should be prioritized and an action plan for
completion should be established. Attention
should be clearly focused on critical deficien-
cies throughout the facility. Aesthetic sani-
tary practices should not be adopted without
clear evidence of their ability to pay divi-
dends in increased sales or because they are
necessary to meet competitive sales pressure.Summary.................................................................................................
Large-volume food processing, retail,
and preparation operations have increased
the need for sanitary practices and hygienic
conditions in the food industry. Even in
hygienically designed plants, foods can be
contaminated with spoilage microorgan-
isms or those causing foodborne illness if
proper sanitary practices are not properly
followed.
Sanitation is the creation and maintenance
of hygienic and healthful conditions. It is an
applied science that incorporates principles
regarding the design, development, imple-
mentation, and maintenance of hygienic
practices and conditions. Sanitation is also
considered to be a foundation for food safety
assurance systems.
The Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act covers
food commodities, except meat and poultry