Food Processing - October 2007 - (Page 54)

EMPLOYEE HYGIENE Plant personnel and visitors are least likely to skip critical sanitary and hygienic steps when a plant establishes formal dedicated entranceways that pose physical barriers to entry – such as interlocking doors – particularly if entry requires execution of prescribed hygiene measures. Automatic dispensers minimize or eliminate human contact and also dispense the precise amounts needed for effective cleaning. Meritech (www. meritech.com), maker of automated hygiene equipment, recently introduced a new version of its CleanTech automated hand-washing systems, which uses a patented technology particularly well suited to point-of-entry and cleanroom hand cleaning. The system provides a cycle counter to verify hand washing frequency for HACCP and other programs. The company also offers an automated Boot Washer series (MBW2) available in “soles only” and “soles/sides/tops” models. Ideally, these systems should be placed at entrances to production areas. They also may serve as allergen-control tools between processing operations. “Automated dispensers help reduce worker exposure and ensure proper concentration,” says Bringgold of Ecolab. Such systems can be as important as the cleaning agents they contain, provided the systems can stand up to the rigors of a factory environment. “We’re proponents of ‘no-touch’ systems,” says Witt, noting that Best Sanitizer’s systems were first installed in restrooms but are now commonly found on factory floors. “Whenever you can install a no-touch or infrared-operated dispenser, the system will be easier to use and you will get better compliance and greater reduction of contamination.” Gloves may offer additional protection, provided training and common sense hold sway. However, “Most workers don’t change gloves frequently enough,” says Ecolab’s Boufford. “Processors should have training sessions on gloves. They are not fail-safe. You still can’t grab product off the floor or touch a contaminated surface with them.” NOtE tO MaNaGEMENt It’s not just the employees who track in the lowly contaminants that can deliver a deadly blow to food safety. Management, visitors, equipment and service suppliers, vendors, inspectors and maintenance personnel are more likely than mainstream plant personnel to track in soil or some microscopic intruder bent on raising havoc with your food products. Ironically, executives visiting a plant can be some of the worst offenders, often ignoring fundamental precepts of hygiene that may be diligently practiced by plant workers. Most importantly, management provides the leadership and role models critical to the kind of well-conceived and faithfully executed programs that protect your food supply from microbial intrusion. Canterbury. YourComplete Source ForScrew Mixing & Conveying Systems. When you need the perfect food processing screws, you need Canterbury Engineering. Our unlimited capabilities in design and manufacturing offer a wide range of Screw design options, plus Air-Cooled and Water Jacketed, Straight and Grooved Barrels, Rebuilds, Shank Replacements and Repairs. Canterbury uses only the highest Food Grade Stainless Steel, and will visit your location to verify all specifications. For more information contact: Mike Zimmerman at 770-458-4882 ext 225, or cell 404-660-3083 or mikez@canterburyengineering.com 54 • FOOD PROCESSING OCtObER 2007 WWW.FOODPROCESSING.COM http://www.meritech.com http://www.pacificozone.com http://www.pacificozone.com http://www.foodprocessing.com

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Food Processing - October 2007 Contents Editor’s Plate Power Lunch NewsBites Rollout Food Biz Kids Product Spotlight Annual R&D Survey Product Development Plant Operations Packaging New Product Profiles Toops Scoops

Food Processing - October 2007

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