Principles of Food Sanitation

PROCEDURE

1. Immediately after removing livestock
   or poultry from trucks, scrape and
   remove all manure that has accumu-
   lated from the premises.


2. Clean the truck beds, wheels, and frame
   by washing down the racks, floors, and
   frames with water to completely remove
   all manure, mud, and other debris, com-
   pletely disinfecting with a quaternary
   ammonium sanitizer spray or by clean-
   ing and sanitizing in one operation by
   spray-cleaning with an alkaline deter-
   gent sanitizer.

Livestock Pens

FREQUENCYAs soon as possible after
each lot has been removed.
PROCEDURE

1. After the livestock are taken from each
   pen, clean the manure from the floors
   and walls, and remove it from the plant
   premises.


2. Every 4 months, scrape all dried
   manure and loose whitewash from the
   gates and partitions. Sweep cobwebs
   from the ceilings, and whitewash the
   interior of the pens. Mix a cresylic acid-
   type sanitizer with the whitewash
   slurry.


3. If contagious diseases are brought into
   the pens, quarantine the diseased ani-
   mals and destroy them separately from
   the healthy livestock. Remove the
   manure completely from the surround-
   ing pen area (using a hose if necessary),
   and disinfect the pens by spraying with
   a quaternary ammonium sanitizer.

A general cleaning procedure for slaughter
and processing areas encompasses: (1) gross
physical removal of debris, (2) prerinsing
and wetting, (3) cleaning compound applica-
tion, (4) rinsing, (5) inspection, (6) sanitiz-

ing, and (7) prevention of recontamination.

The first step is essential to reduce time and

water requirements, and can minimize the

biological load on the sewage system. Physi-

cal removal of debris also reduces splashing

of large particles during the second step. The

significance of the other steps has been pre-

viously alluded to and will be discussed in

other chapters. The role of these cleaning

procedures is illustrated in the applications

to follow.

Slaughter Area

FREQUENCY Daily. Debris should be

periodically removed during the production

shift.

PROCEDURE

1. Pick up all large pieces of extraneous
   material and transfer the matter to
   receptacles.


2. Cover all electrical connections with
   plastic sheeting.


3. Briefly prerinse all soiled areas with 50
   to 55ºC water. Start working water
   from the ceiling and walls and the
   upper portion of all equipment, and
   continue to direct all extraneous mat-
   ter down to the floor. Avoid direct
   contact of water with motors, outlets,
   and electrical cables.


4. Apply an alkaline cleaner through a
   centralized or portable foam system,
   using water that is 50 to 55ºC. The sys-
   tem should be designed and operated
   to reach all framework, undersides,
   and other difficult-to-reach areas.
   Allow 5 to 20 minutes of exposure
   prior to the rinse. Although foam
   requires less labor, high-pressure
   equipment for application is more
   effective in penetrating hard-to-reach
   areas of equipment and may be more
   effective in the removal ofL. monocy-
   togenes.

Meat and Poultry Plant Sanitation 315