instore - January 2018 - 35

Equipment:

Sanitation strategies for
ready-to-eat products
by Joe Stout

ith the ever-growing demand for
ready-to-eat foods, some processors are faced with the decision of
converting their raw, par-baked or ready-tocook process to RTE. This could be a daunting choice, and knowing where to start is the
first major challenge.
A good first step is conducting a product
risk assessment to determine if the existing microbial kill or reduction step will adequately eliminate the pathogen of concern.
AIB International has published a number
of calculators that can help. Once the process is validated, the risks for post-process
contamination need to be examined. Various tools are available to help. Looking at
the separation of raw and RTE from building
and equipment perspectives is a good starting point, especially if the current process

requires a new or modified kill step. From
here, the equipment located downstream
from the oven needs to be assessed for potential microbial contamination.
Disassembling for deep or detailed clean is
likely required to eliminate microbes from
harborage points such as overlapping surfaces or sandwiches. Inspection will verify if harborage points contain liquid that
may also be contaminated. Other potential
sources of contamination that did not present a high risk for the raw products - but
will for the new RTE products - must also
be considered.
Using checklists from the Grocery Manufacturers Association or other sources will
help assess the equipment and infrastructure. During this phase of the transforma-

tion process, the team should swab to confirm that potential niches were cleaned and
spoilage and harmful pathogens were eliminated. In most cases, the number of environmental samples taken and the sampling
frequency will need to be increased in the
new RTE area.

Cleaning bakery equipment
Disassembling for deep or detailed clean is
likely required to eliminate microbes from
harborage points.
The facility may already have an environmental monitoring program for pathogens,
but it will need to be reassessed to verify
the effectiveness of the new barriers and
controls. The question is, can the raw production area be separated from the new RTE
side of the plant?
In many facilities with linear processing
lines, the natural separation provided by the
oven or the fryer will provide the demarcation needed to separate the raw and RTE
sides. Depending on the product risk, it may
not be necessary to have the two areas physically separated by walls. The key point will
be to look at the product's traffic pattern in
implementing a separation between the raw
and RTE areas.
Employee practices are the next consideration. Shoe and boot sanitizers or sanitizing
stations may be needed when moving between the raw and the RTE sides. Transport
equipment, forklifts and carts will also need
to be evaluated. Having dedicated vehicles
for each area is certainly the best option, but
if this is not possible, then a cleaning and
verification program can be implemented.
Taking time to explain the reasons for the
new practices is certainly a significant part
of the project. Presenting those changes in a
classroom might be the first step, but observing their practices and coaching them on the
floor is equally, if not more, important.
Transforming a raw process to RTE might
not take place overnight, but there are many
aspects to consider. The formation of a
strong plan that includes options for the different aspects of the transformation will be
essential for success.

SWABBING IS ESSENTIAL TO TEST FOR SPOILAGE AND HARMFUL PATHOGENS. PHOTO: 3M

Joe Stout is the founder of Commercial
Food Sanitation, LLC

instore * JANUARY 2018 * 35

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of instore - January 2018