Practical Sanitation in the Food Industry

Ian S. Maddox

• Publisher: CRC Press
• Year: 2020
• ISBN:
  9781000153859
• Edition: 1
• Topic: Business
• Subtopic: Food Industry
• Index: Business

This book provides a clear, practical approach to sanitation in the food industry. The content ranges from the principles of microbial growth, through descriptions of cleaning chemicals, to the management of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) systems. It will be an invaluable basic text for all tertiary students who intend to work in the food industry, as well as for the existing industry personnel.

Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

This book is concerned with the principles and practice of sanitation in the food industry. Sanitation comprises those procedures which are employed to achieve the production of a hygienic food product. Hygienically-produced food will be:

• wholesome	free from disease and disease-producing organisms)
• fresh	(free from spoilage and large numbers of potential spoilage organisms)
• clean	(free from visible dirt).

Hence, the purpose of sanitation is to prevent contamination of the product (or raw material or ingredient) with

• visible dirt	(this can lead to immediate rejection of the product)
• spoilage organisms	(these can cause premature spoilage of the product and thus shorten shelf-life)
• pathogenic organisms	(these can cause disease in the consumer, and thus represent a health hazard).

Sanitation is an integral part of quality assurance. This can be defined as the precautions which are taken to ensure that the product will pass quality control examination. Because most methods of quality control examination involve destructive testing (i.e. the sample which is tested is destroyed, and does not reach the consumer), the examination really assesses the process. Hence, the old saying “…if the process is clean, the product will be clean”; i.e. if food is processed in a good, hygienic manner, then we can have confidence in the quality of the product that reaches the consumer.

Contamination of a food can be with either visible dirt or invisible dirt. The latter type is due to microorganisms. In reality, control of microorganisms during food processing involves two aspects:

1.  Prevention of contamination by the adoption of sound hygienic practices, i.e. good sanitation procedures.

2.  Prevention of proliferation of microorganisms on the food by employing conditions which restrict their growth.

Although the goal of sanitation is to completely prevent contamination, nevertheless it often occurs. In this case, subsequent prevention of proliferation, or even killing of the microorganisms, becomes important. While this is not the main subject of this book, it is discussed briefly in Chapter 4. Unfortunately, it is often easy to become lax about sanitation in the belief that subsequent treatment, e.g. freezing or heating of the product, will prevent any permanent damage. But this is not true! Even a very small number of microorganisms on a product can grow and cause considerable damage before the product is frozen or heated. Microbial damage, once done can never be repaired! Furthermore, treatments such as freezing cannot be guaranteed to have a killing effect on a microbial population, and once the product is thawed, microbial growth continues.

Sanitation, therefore, is the prevention of contamination of the raw material, ingredient or product. To be effective, we must identify the potential sources of contamination so that we can target our efforts accurately. These sources include:

•  people

•  insects, rodents

•  contaminated raw material/ingredients

•  air, dust

•  dirty equipment and surroundings

•  water.

Sanitation procedures are designed to minimise the extent of contamination arising from each of these sources.

Sometimes, sanitation is seen as a cost which does not provide any immediate financial return to a company. This is a very short-sighted view if a company wishes to achieve a long-term reputation as a producer of high-quality product. Good sanitation procedures are a long-term investment which result in:

•  extended storage life of product

•  attainment of processing conditions which allow inspections by appropriate agencies without any risk of suspension on sanitary grounds, and which instil confidence in the customer

•  reduction in risk of product being involved in outbreaks of food poisoning

•  fewer product rejections, returns or complaints

•  less need to reprocess product.

In an increasingly competitive world, a reputation for quality is of paramount importance.

Occasionally, the question is asked why so much attention is paid to hygiene and sanitation in the modern food industry. It is argued that few special precautions were taken in the past, and no harm came of it then. However, this is a fatuous argument. People today are considerably more health conscious than they used to be, and they demand, quite rightly, that the food they eat be safe. In addition, in developed countries, there is an increasing trend for the busy consumer to purchase “convenience” foods which require minimal preparation in the home. Thus, they rely on the food industry, rather than themselves, to process the raw materials to a safe product. Nevertheless, despite the increased attention to sanitation in the food industry, the incidence of foodborne disease is increasing! There is little doubt that individual companies must continue and expand their efforts to implement strong sanitation programmes.

Along with the increasing attention being paid to sanitation has come an increasing supply and complexity of chemicals and equipment to be used in cleaning procedures. It is sometimes difficult for practitioners to decide which chemical to use and which cleaning procedure to adopt. It is hoped that the information given in this book will assist in making these decisions, and help in the organisation of total sanitation programmes. The emphasis throughout is on the practical aspects, but, wherever appropriate, attention is paid to the background theory so that the practitioner can understand the reasons behind a particular practice.

Chapter 2

THE NATURE OF MICROORGANISMS

Microorganisms, as the name suggests, are small living things, and the study of them is known as microbiology. Many microorganisms are beneficial to mankind, and life as we know it would not exist without their activities. They are responsible in nature for much of the recycling of plant and animal remains, thereby generating nutrients to allow growth of new crops and animals. However, some microorganisms can cause disease, and this is a major concern to the food industry since they can be transmitted via food. Microorganisms which can cause disease are known as pathogens, and it is imperative that food is processed in such a manner that pathogens are absent from it. Other microorganisms can cause food to spoil and rot. Consumption of food that has spoiled will not necessarily cause disease, but the food looks, tastes and smells disagreeable, so that it is aesthetically unpleasant to eat. Spoilage of food by microorganisms is a natural consequence of their activities in the recycling of plant and animal remains.

Although a major aim of the food industry is to eliminate unwanted microorganisms from its premises and products, there are some products which are manufactured using the beneficial activities of microorganisms! Cheese is prepared by allowing certain bacteria, known as lactic acid bacteria, to grow in milk. As they grow, they produce lactic acid thereby decreasing the pH of the milk. As the pH decreases, the protein that is present in the milk precipitates. This protein, combined with some fat which precipitates with it, is then processed to become cheese. Some speciality cheeses, e.g. blue vein, are deliberately inoculated with moulds which are allowed to grow producing special flavours and the distinctive colour. Sour milk, a delicacy in many countries, and yoghurt, are similarly made by adding acid-producing bacteria to milk. These products have been made for many centuries, and were developed as ways to preserve the milk.

Other products made using the activities of microorganisms are beer and wine. In this case, the organisms involved are yeasts, which convert the sugar present in malted barley or grape juice to ethanol, to produce beer or wine, respectively. The production of wine has been used for many centuries as a means of preserving grape juice so that it can be consumed “out of season”. Sometimes, however, the beer or wine spoils, and bacteria known as acetic acid bacteria convert the ethanol to acetic acid. The beverage is now known as vinegar, and, because of its low pH value, it can be used to prevent the spoilage of other food products by “pickling”.

Hence, in the dairy and alcoholic beverage industries, growth of microorganisms is encouraged, but always in a controlled manner. However, it must be emphasised that if the wrong bacteria or yeast gains access to the process, the product will be spoiled. Hence, sanitation procedures are just as important in these industries as they are in any other.

Microorganisms are divided into several groups:

• bacteria

• fungi, including moulds and yeasts

• protozoa

• algae

• viruses.

The ones that concern us most in the food industry are bacteria and fungi, but some protozoa, algae and viruses are also capable of causing disease.

2.1 NOMENCLATURE

All living organisms, including microorganisms have two names. The first name is called the genus name, and the second the species name. For example, the human race is called Homo sapiens. Homo is the genus name, and sapiens the species name.

The yeast that is used to make beer and wine is in the genus Saccharomyces. However, there are two different species, one called Saccharomyces carlsbergensis and the other Saccharomyces cerevisiae. If we mention the name of a particular microorganism several times in the same chapter, the generic name can be shortened, e.g. S. cerevisiae. Notice that these names are always written in italics (or un...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half Title
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Preface
• Chapter 1: Introduction
• Chapter 2: The Nature of Microorganisms
• Chapter 3: Nutrient Requirements and Growth of Microorganisms
• Chapter 4: Effect of the Physical Environment on Microorganisms
• Chapter 5: Food-Borne Illnesses and Food Spoilage
• Chapter 6: Cleaning and Sanitising Chemicals
• Chapter 7: Cleaning Procedures
• Chapter 8: Water Treatment
• Chapter 9: Effluent Treatment
• Chapter 10: Other Aspects of Sanitation Programs
• Chapter 11: Management of Sanitation Programs
• References and Further Reading
• Appendix 1
• Appendix 2
• Appendix 3
• Appendix 4
• Index