struction features and/or equipment should
be designed to prevent material accumula-
tion. Dust can adhere to moist surfaces and
provide an excellent habitat for molds.
Heat treatment (superheating) can combat
pests in dry storage and production areas
where unprocessed materials are stored.
However, this practice is energy-intensive
because of the amount of heat required to
kill insects, especially during cold weather.
Portable heating units may be used to super-
heat an individual piece of equipment that
may be infested with insects. When designing
new or renovated facilities, consideration
should be given to the potential for heat
treatment. Maintenance of a cold environ-
ment is less practical because of refrigeration
costs and possible equipment or facility
damage from freezing. It may be impractical
to maintain a moderately low temperature
that will retard insect inactivity.
Inspection of Raw Materials and Product
Storage Area
Inspections should be conducted and
reported. An inspection report format should
be developed with a numerical scoring sys-
tem. Scoring and rating values should be
defined, with a description for each value.
Foulk (1992) has suggested that warehouses
be rated on three levels.
●Acceptableif most of the requirements
are met.
●Provisionally acceptablewhen corrective
measures can and will be taken to attain
compliance with the established stan-
dards and upgrade to acceptable is pos-
sible.
●Unacceptablewhen any of several devia-
tions from standards occur that will
result in an unsanitary operation.Inspection in the processing and storage
areas should emphasize the identification of
potential product contaminants and prompt
and proper corrective action to prevent con-
tamination. The lower minimum water activ-
ity (Aw) of low-moisture foods reduces the
chance of microbial spoilage; thus, more
emphasis should be placed on other forms of
contamination, which are discussed in the
following paragraphs.
Overhead areas should be examined for
flaking paint, obstructions to cleaning, dust
accumulation, and condensation. Ground
level, basement, and above-ground-level
inspection should focus on broken window
panes and absence of or damage to screens.
Open windows or other entry avenues for
pests are potential sources of contamination
and should be reported and/or corrected on
a continual basis. Evidence of pests, such as
insect trails in dust, rodent droppings, and
bird droppings or feathers should be identi-
fied through periodic inspection and inspec-
tion by employees on a continual basis.
Evidence of pests should be reported so that
appropriate action can be taken to identify
the problem source and correct it. All
employees should be alert for evidence of
pest activity.
Inspection of equipment exteriors is
accomplished on a continual basis through
operations personnel. Overhead equipment
should be inspected regularly. Equipment
interiors should also be examined periodi-
cally for sanitation-related problems during
maintenance inspection. Some equipment
contains dead spots where product can accu-
mulate. Therefore, inspection of equipment
should be performed routinely when the
equipment is not in operation. Equipment,
especially conveyors, should be constructed,
if possible, so that interiors are accessible
through clean-out openings or by easy disas-
sembly. Also, this design also facilitates
equipment cleaning during routine house-
keeping. If feasible, equipment not in use
should be removed from the facility. Equip-
ment that is used infrequently should be leftLow-Moisture Food Manufacturing and Storage Sanitation 279