- Delegation of responsibilities or telling
employees what must be done
- Training employees by showing them
how responsibilities should be executed
- Supervision to ensure that all responsi-
bilities are properly executed
Managers should continue to make cer-
tain by regular inspections that assignments
are being properly performed. Although
employees are properly trained, they must be
supervised to ensure proper conduct of
responsibilities.
The technical aspects of sanitation merit
serious consideration because of the com-
plexity of products being manufactured.
Technical competence of management should
include the understanding of employees and
how they should be motivated, educated,
and supervised. Employees achieve more if
they are clearly informed of their expecta-
tions and why they are essential to the attain-
ment of safe food.
Technical knowledge should include
knowledge of organic residues and how they
should be removed. Carsberg (2004) stated
that sanitation costs and effectiveness will be
optimized if a sanitation manager does not
depend upon a supplier’s advice to determine
appropriate chemicals and concentrations for
cleaning and sanitizing. Furthermore, knowl-
edge of microorganisms will enhance their
control as will knowledge of appropriate
microbial sampling and testing.
The competence of food sanitation per-
sonnel and the effectiveness of the program
administration are major factors in achiev-
ing the objectives of a food sanitation
program, regardless of the type of enforce-
ment methods employed. Managers cannot
afford to be mistaken in their judgment or
unreasonable in their decisions, because
such actions are concerned with the health
of consumers. Success in food sanitation
and consumer protection programs also
depends on understanding, interest, and
support within the top levels of the regula-
tory authority and other branches of gov-
ernment.
Major sanitation problems that are the
most detrimental to effective sanitation
(Anon., 2004b) include:
- Lack of support from management
- Improper training of sanitation super-
visors and other workers
- Lack of effective written procedures
- Improper equipment disassembly pro-
cedures
- Improper selection of cleaning com-
pounds and sanitizers
- Lack of sanitizer concentration checks
- Ineffective pre-operative inspection
procedures
- Ineffective microbial monitoring
Six areas adopted from previous informa-
tion (Anon., 2004a) that are critical to effec-
tive sanitation are:
- Employee training. Continuous train-
ing should focus on sanitation funda-
mentals and the role of employees in
maintaining the safety and hygiene
of foods. Vendors frequently provide
training programs or can suggest infor-
mation about available training.
- Personal hygiene. Employees cannot
create hygienic conditions unless they
exhibit appropriate personal hygiene.
Detailed discussion about personal
hygiene is included in Chapter 6.
- Sanitation product handling. Employee
headgear, cleaners, sanitizers, and
equipment should be color coded to
reduce their misuse. Containers of
mixed product used throughout the
facility should identify the product
by name with any hazardous warning,
so that it can be traced back to the
Material Safety Data sheets (MSDS).
Management and Sanitation 397
