Plant sanitation – then and now

ATP (adenosine triphosphate) testing is conducted using a Luminometer, a device that measures ATP, and a testing swab. Once an area is cleaned, a swab of a surface is taken. Then, the swab is placed in the Luminometer to measure the ATP level. The reading on the device is measured in Relative Light Units (RLU)

__________________________________________________________________________

Some of you from the ‘70s and ‘80s may recall how some plant employees were disciplined: they’d be transferred to the sanitation crew. That’s where rogue employees were sometimes placed and ultimately mothballed. And in retrospect, plant sanitation back then was not nearly appreciated nor understood at the level it is in 2022.

In those early days, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) testing (Organoleptic properties are the aspects of food, water or other substances that create an individual experience via the senses—including taste, sight, smell, and touch) was not available (not until late-1980s as ATP was first used at the dairies) as few establishments began performing environmental testing to check the microbiological integrity of their product contact/non-contact areas.

Back then, the sanitation integrity of product contact surfaces, or for that matter - the entire facility during pre-operational inspection, was determined by limited organoleptic (sight, smell, and touch) inspections, and that was about it. If the area(s) looked and smelled clean, it had to be clean as the reasoning went. Some plants used chemicals mixed with potable water, while others applied volumes of hot water (a natural sanitizer) to clean their equipment and infrastructure.

From the 1980s to the 1990s the emphasis/importance of plant sanitation increased exponentially due in part to new and emerging pathogens, product recalls, amplified environmental/product testing, regulators, customers, changes to food processing operations, the globalization (Global Food Safety Initiative formats) of the food supply, and the advent of innovative cleaning and sanitizing techniques/technologies/standards developed worldwide.

Major paradigm shifts involving environmental detection were accomplished as plants nationwide (who could afford it) began purchasing ATP luminometers for thousands of dollars (initial cost back then - imagine that!)) along with easy do-it-yourself 3M Petriefilm plates as “10-centimeter-squared-area” made a permanent home in each plant’s growing lab and vernacular.

Most noteworthy, food equipment manufacturers followed evolving hygienic designing and construction standards such as the European Hygienic Engineering & Design Group, National Sanitation Foundation International, 3-A Sanitary Standards, and Underwriters Laboratories. The FDA/EPA/USDA, various international standard organizations, the American National Standards Institute (overseer of standards/guidelines) and the Meat Institute’s Equipment Design Task Force check list among others, further addressed the clean-ability (removal of soils and microorganisms, including pathogenic, spoilage and indicator organisms) of food equipment.

Similarly, establishment’s walls, ceilings, floorings, drains and other infrastructure areas became more hygienically constructed (particularly RTE clean-rooms with micron filters for RTE and nRTE) with smooth and impervious materials that collectively made cleanup and sanitation more accessible and effective than ever before.

Environmental “friendlier” industrial chemical formulations measuring north and south of the pH scale of neutrality, along with quaternary ammonium sanitizers (and other disinfectants) became customized for industry’s unique needs, as did burgeoning foaming machines, pressure regulated washers for enhanced applications and automated chemical dispensing systems (thus conserving water/chemicals/energy usage and costs) - including cleaning and sanitizing techniques involving CIP, SIP, and COP equipment.

An establishments’ water quality became more critical (by eliminating scale forming minerals through measured chemical water treatments) as the effectiveness of pre and post foaming/cleaning and rinses were dependent and related to water quality and as growing considerations were taken regarding discharge of wastewater as per applicable city/county/state/federal environmental regulations.

R&D chemists/microbiologists employed by competitive chemical supplying companies would tender guidance on tricking and eliminating mutating bacteria, destroying biofilm and removing allergens on critical surfaces (including battling aerosols) while designing more detailed GMP’s and SSOP’s as part of a packaged deal for securing continued business.

In 1996, the Mega Reg was published with goals of reducing pathogenic bacteria and foodborne illnesses while making meat inspection more “science based.” SSOP’s became mandatory (1997) at all USDA establishments followed by FSIS-fashioned HACCP being tiered into place over a 3-year period; including 1999’s Sanitation Performance Standards.

In 2011 The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) transformed the nation’s food safety system by shifting the focus from responding to foodborne illness to preventing it.

Congress enacted FSMA in response to dramatic changes in the global food system and in our understanding of foodborne illness and its consequences, including the realization that preventable foodborne illness is both a significant public health problem and a threat to the economic well-being of the food system.

Master sanitation schedules (incorporating concepts of low-to-high critical food safety zones) were expanded that documented daily, weekly and monthly duties with dates, initials, and signatures of validation.

The training/educating of sanitation workers became critical and prevalent - including newfound veneration by plant management. Selected production, maintenance and sanitation workers began earning various sanitarian credentials offered by the National Environmental Health Association and other similar associations.

Whenever the full potential of today’s sanitation arsenal is employed, each establishment’s food safety programs have an enhanced opportunity to perform as written and intended. The cleaner the facility and equipment is prior to production, the better assurance that food safety hazards are eliminated/lessened, resulting with extended shelf life and maximum quality of products being achieved - and - continued and/or increased $ale$.

____________________________________________________________________

(NOTE: Since the 1960s, the concept of contracted 3rd party sanitation companies to perform the cleaning/sanitizing of food and beverage establishments first began.

I’ll blog next on contracted 3rd party sanitation services and then get back to beef harvesting (slaughter) as we continue on with GFSI.

What a long and invigorating journey this has all been for others and myself who may have started in the food industry since circa 1973.

My 1970s slide ruler will not lie to me - as it indicates that I have been in the food and beverage some 41 years and counting ... .

Goodness gracious.

Everything that I have learned regarding food and industrial safety has been on the shoulders of others. No one makes more mistakes than I do - - - and - - - I still to this day have much, much more to learn from others.

I am most grateful to all who educated me, encouraged me and believed in me early on, as my career is oh so s-l-o-w-l-y winding down in 2022.)

6/10/2016 Meatingplace.com (updated on 2/08/2022)