288 Chapter 15
meats. Water may contain enteric pathogens
(bacteria, viruses, and parasites), as well as
chemicals and other toxic substances that can
be transmitted to humans through food prod-
ucts. The importance of water quality will be
outlined later in this chapter.Cleaning and
Disinfection Procedures
Cleaning is the removal of dirt and organic
substances such as fat and protein particles
(commonly called soil) from surfaces of
walls, fl oors (nonfood - contact surfaces),
and tools and equipment (food - contact sur-
faces), leaving surfaces clean. With cleaning
procedures, high numbers of microorganisms
(90% or more) will be removed. However,
many microorganisms can persist on these
surfaces, and their inactivation requires anti-
microbial treatments, carried out through
physical means (hot water, steam, UV) or
with the application of chemical substances
(sanitizers or disinfectants), which should
be effective against microorganisms but
should not affect human health through haz-
ardous residues or cause corrosion of the
equipment.
Cleaning and sanitation (or disinfection)
procedures in the meat industries are complex
processes depending on the surfaces to be
treated and the kind of contamination to be
removed. Selection of suitable chemicals for
cleaning or for sanitation may require special
knowledge and could represent a diffi cult
task for the personnel involved. However,
staff must be made aware that effi cient clean-
ing and disinfection is of utmost importance
for product safety and quality.
Detailed Standard Operating Procedures
(SOP) should be prepared to describe specifi c
methods, types of cleaning/sanitizing solu-
tions to be used, the timeline for performing
the tasks on different pieces of equipment,
and areas for routine cleaning and sanitation
operations. Records should be kept to showintroduction of microorganisms on the food -
contact surfaces in operations performed
during slaughtering, cutting, processing,
storage, and distribution of meat.
Equipment
Contamination of equipment occurs during
production; even with hygienic design fea-
tures, equipment may collect microorgan-
isms and other debris from the air, as well as
from employees and materials during
production.
Employees
Plant personnel are among the most signifi -
cant reservoirs and vectors of microorgan-
isms, chemical residues, and foreign material
in a food facility. The skin, hands, hair,
nose, and mouth harbor microorganisms that
can be transmitted through direct routes to
food - contact surfaces during processing,
packaging, and preparation. The transfer of
contaminants can also occur indirectly via
personal equipment, such as clothing, foot-
wear, and tools used in daily tasks.
Air and Water
Dust, pollen, and mold spores, as well as
airborne microorganisms, are present in
ambient air, and these contaminants can
easily fi nd their way into the product. Air
withdrawn from the room to use in food -
processing areas, such as preparation and
packaging areas, should require fi ltration or
some other means of removing particulates.
Moreover, the reduction of airborne mold
spores content in ripening and aging rooms
typical of dry - meat and fermented dry - meat
products processing plants is of paramount
importance.
Water is used as a cleaning medium during
the sanitation operation and as an ingredient
added in the formulation of various processed