rated at low volume and low pressure to min-
imize dust dispersal. Employees who use
compressed air should wear safety equip-
ment, such as dust respirators and safety
goggles.
Specialized tools are required for certain
equipment cleaning. Cylindrical brushes are
used for spouts. They can be either dragged
through spouts by rope or cords or operated
on flexible motorized shafts. Dough mixers
need to be flushed and then cleaned with an
alkaline cleaner that contains an emulsifier
to ensure that the fat will be removed (Stier,
2004).
The maintenance of a tidy operation
depends on proper organization and installa-
tion of equipment and on cleaning of indi-
vidual pieces of equipment and of the
surrounding area. Ingredients and supplies
should be properly stacked in a designated
storage area. Receptacles should be conve-
niently located for the disposal of bags, film,
paper, and waste products from manufactur-
ing, packaging, and shipping.
Shipping Precautions
Prior to loading, the truck, trailer, or rail
car interiors should be inspected for general
cleanliness and freedom from moisture and
foreign materials that may cause product con-
tamination or damage packaged products or
their containers. If necessary, the transporta-
tion equipment should be cleaned, repaired,
or rejected before loading is accomplished.
Care should be exercised during loading to
avoid product spillage or damage. The staging
area and loading dock should be free from
accumulations of debris and spillage.
Other Checkpoints
The plant and site should be kept free of
liquid or solid emissions that could be
sources of contamination. Materials that are
stored in the open should be stacked neatly
and away from buildings on racks above
ground level. Activities that may cause con-
tamination of stored foods with chemicals,
filth or other harmful material should be
separated from the storage and processing
operations. To conduct appropriate inspec-
tion, it is essential to know how to inspect
and what is needed to make a good inspec-
tion (Hui et al., 2003).Summary
Rigid sanitation practices are essential
in low-moisture food manufacturing and
storage facilities to maintain product
acceptability and to comply with regulator
requirements. A sanitary operation should
be complemented with appropriate facility
site selection and hygienic design of the
building and equipment. Unprocessed mate-
rials should be sampled during the receiving
operation to verify that they are not infested
with insects, molds, rodents, or other unac-
ceptable contaminants. During storage,
unprocessed and manufactured products
should be protected from contamination
through effective housekeeping practices.
Storage areas require routine inspection to
observe for microbial and pest infestation.
Inspection and cleaning frequency of stor-
age areas depends on temperature and
humidity. Cleaning in the manufacturing
area should be done daily. Cleaning equip-
ment consists of basic cleaning tools for low-
moisture product areas, including vacuum
equipment, powered floor sweepers and
scrubbers, and compressed air for certain
applications.Study questions
- What percentage slope should exist in
wet-washed areas of low-moisture food
plants?
Low-Moisture Food Manufacturing and Storage Sanitation 281