ventilation of the construction area to the
outside without location of the exhaust too
close to the plant’s fresh air.
Construction materials
Stainless steel is the preferred material for
food contact surfaces. This inert material
resists corrosion, abrasion, and thermal
shock; is cleaned easily; and is resistant to
sanitizers. The high chromium content (12%
or more of the steel) provides corrosion
resistance. The most commonly used stain-
less steel is type 304 of the 300 series. Type
316 contains approximately 10% nickel
instead of the usual 8% and is used more fre-
quently for corrosive products such as fruit
juices and drinks. Type 316b offers more
resistance to high-salt-content products.
Summary
Sanitary design and construction of food
facilities is essential to maintain a hygienic
operation. A sanitary design begins with a
site free of environmental contamination
such as polluted air, pests, and pathogenic
microorganisms. Site preparation is necessary
to attain proper drainage and the reduction
of contamination from the environment. All
portions of a food facility must contain
smooth, impervious surfaces that discourage
pest entry. An appropriate process design
incorporates a flow that prevents finished
items from making contact with raw materi-
als and unprocessed products.
Study questions
- Why is site selection important when
building a food facility?
2. What site selection considerations
should be adopted when building a
food facility?
3. What site preparation should be con-
ducted before building a food facility?
4. What are the desired characteristics
for the walls of a food facility?
5. Why is corrugated metal siding not
recommended for food facilities?
6. What roof construction is preferred
for food facilities?
7. Why are windows not recommended
for a food facility?
8. Why should air curtains be installed?
9. Why are false ceilings not recom-
mended in food facilities? - What is the best flow design for food
products? - What is the importance of positive air
pressure in a food plant? - How can the welfare facilities of food
facilities be designed to reduce pest
entry? - Why is stainless steel superior to other
materials for food facilities? - What are monolithic floors and why
are they popular? - Why should pea gravel be located
within 1 m of building walls of food-
processing plants?
REFERENCES
Anon. 2004. Selecting easy-to-clean conveyor belts for superior
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Butts, J. 2003. Seek and destroy: Identifying and controlling
Listeria monocytogenesgrowth niches.Food Safety Mag9,
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Gingrich, J.B., and T.E. Osterberg. 2003. Pest birds: Biology
and management at food processing facilities. In Food
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cel Dekker, Inc.
Graham, D.J. 1991a. Sanitary design-a mind set.Dairy Food
Environ Sanit11 no. 7: 338.
Graham, D.J. 1991b. Sanitary design-a mind set (Part II).
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Graham, D.J. 1991c. Sanitary design-a mind set (Part III).
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