Meat&Poultry - February 2014 - 70

Sanitation Tips

Preparation pays off
The washdown and sanitation process is critical for pre-

your line. Keep these tips in mind when choosing an IP-

venting contaminants from adversely affecting food-prod-

rated coder or other production equipment:

uct quality. However, the extremely high water tempera-

INITIALLY, ALL EQUIPMENT SHOULD BE EVALUATED TO

tures and caustic cleansers and sanitizers often used during

BE SURE IT MEETS THE BASIC REQUIREMENTS FOR CON-

the sanitation process can easily damage or wear sensitive

TACT WITH MEAT AND POULTRY PRODUCTS. Some features to

processing, automation, packaging, coding and handling

look for include:

equipment. Therefore, it is important to find the right bal-

-Smooth surfaces

ance between effective sanitation procedures and efficient

-Free of cracks/crevices

equipment maintenance in your plant.

-Corrosive resistant

Lindsay Galas, Global Meat and Poultry Marketing

-Durable

Manager for Videojet Technologies Inc., shares the fol-

-Cleanable

lowing tips about how to protect sensitive equipment:

-Non-porous

UNINSTALL THE EQUIPMENT BEFORE PERFORMING THE

-Non-reactive

AREA WASHDOWN AND THEN RE-INSTALL IT. However,

-Non-toxic

meat and poultry companies that have several produc-

KNOW THE INGRESS PROTECTION (IP) RATING OF THE

tion lines face a significant time investment if they take

EQUIPMENT BEING SANITIZED. It is suggested that

this approach.

non-food contact equipment meet a minimum of an IP65

COVER THE EQUIPMENT BEING WASHED WITH A PLASTIC

rating, which means it is dust protected and able to with-

BAG. While bagging potentially saves time, bags are

stand 30 psi water contact.

often not sufficiently sealed or can be damaged by frequent

DO NOT FORGET ABOUT SMALLER COMPONENTS - SEN-

handling or sharp edges on the production line. The result

SORS AND ELECTRICAL CORDS ALSO NEED TO WITH-

could be moisture and water damage to the equipment.

STAND THE WASHDOWN PROCESS WITHOUT RISK OF DAMAGE.

There is also the risk that the plastic bag itself could be-

One of the most costly malfunctions to repair is an elec-

come contaminated, putting the plant at risk.

trical shortage due to a wet cord or plug causing damage

SOME COMPANIES EITHER PURCHASE OR BUILD THEIR

to the motherboard of the equipment. Look for accesso-

OWN ENVIRONMENTAL ENCLOSURES. Unfortunately,

ries that have rubber insulated caps and seals and those

many of these enclosures provide a false sense of protec-

made of higher-quality materials, such as stainless steel

tion because oftentimes they are not properly designed

and waterproof plastics.

for water protection and may have exposed gaps or in-

FOR RUST AND CORROSION PREVENTION, STAINLESS

adequate seals to keep out steam, overspray and chemi-

STEEL OFFERS A SIGNIFICANT ADVANTAGE OVER THE

cals. Environmental cabinets can also be expensive and

MORE COMMONLY USED ALUMINUM. It is non-porous and

bulky, taking up a significant amount of space on a

non-corrosive with a higher resistance to rust and harsh

tight production line yet still exposing the equipment

cleaning agents due to its iron alloy made up of iron, chro-

to potential damage.

mium, nickel, manganese and copper. Sanitary food stan-

However, there are ways to avoid the hassles, time
and costs of uninstalling, bagging and building en-

dards recommend a 316 SAE grade stainless steel (18 percent chromium and 10 percent nickel).

closures. One option to consider is upgrading your

STAINLESS-STEEL ACCESSORIES, SUCH AS BRACKETS,

equipment for washdown protection right on

STANDS AND ENCODERS, ARE ALSO CRITICAL FOR PREVENTING RUST, CORROSION AND POTENTIAL CONTAMINATION.
Often these accessories are just as exposed to washdown
chemicals as the equipment itself. ■
This list is to be used only as a guideline. Address specific questions
to your supervisor.

* Meat&Poultry * February 2014 * www.MeatPoultry.com

http://www.MeatPoultry.com

Meat&Poultry - February 2014

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