Principles of Food Sanitation

reduces time for additional microbial growth
and facilitates cleaning because of reduced
drying of soil deposits. Acidified sodium
chlorite and peracetic acid/octanoic acid mix-
ture were the most effective sanitizers for the
destruction of L. monocytogenes biofilm
coated with fat and protein. Figure 17–2 illus-
trates how sanitizers such as those mentioned
can be applied to reduce contamination from
employees and entering processing areas.
Pathogens such as L. monocytogenescan
be better controlled through the reduction of
cross-contamination. Employees who work
in the raw and finished product areas, such
as smokehouses and water and steam cook-
ing areas, should change outer clothing and
sanitize their hands or change gloves when
moving from a raw to finished product area.
Utensils and thermometers that are used for

raw and finished products should be sani-

tized each time they are used. Frequent

cleaning with floor scrubbers is essential. If

ceiling condensate is present, removal should

involve a vacuum unit or a sanitized sponge

mop. Cleaned floors that do not dry before

production startup should be vacuumed or

squeegeed.

Although growth niches may be present

in a plant, more positive sites found during

environmental monitoring are not growth

niches. They are transfer points (i.e., product

handlers and equipment). Since the microor-

ganism is present in this location before the

product comes to the line, transfer points are

not growth niches, because the organism is

eliminated during the cleaning and sanitizing

process. Thus, most pathogen monitoring and

control sampling occur at transfer points, not

Meat and Poultry Plant Sanitation 303

Figure 17–2Door foaming unit incorporated to reduce contamination from employees and equipment. Cour-
tesy of JohnsonDiversey Inc, Detroit, Michigan.