How to ensure hygiene using new technology when working in food plants

In virtually every sector, the latest global pandemic has demanded the observance of health and safety procedures. After clinics, if the hygiene standards are not enforced religiously, it is now the development of food and drinks that is more vulnerable to being poisoned in tremendous numbers. This field is the most important area for hygiene maintenance. Knowing the possible sources of pollution, the various zones inside food processing facilities, the system, and the atmosphere they work in are important.

The basis for effective food safety and quality assurance in food processing facilities is proper hygiene policies and procedures for workers deployed at food plants. Plant staff is essential repositories of micro-organisms and parasites, foreign products, and chemical residues. Therefore they may be a cause of substance degradation at the food plant.

Nowadays customers like to be certain that the food they purchase was processed using safe and effective procedures. In Covid-19’s backdrop and due to greater exposure to food allergy concerns, food producers and distributors need to be much more vigilant to follow the highest levels of food protection to sanitation in their establishments.

When it comes to keeping food production and packaging equipment safe, no producer or processor can cut corners. If it is constructing a new food processing facility, developing, updating, or actually preserving a factory, sound plant, and equipment sanitary design is an important food safety policy that a business should have in place. Sanitary architecture will help avoid the creation of microbiological niches, promote sanitation, and improve the shelf life of the product and enhance product safety by reducing the chances of a potential foodborne illness.

Chemicals (allergen cross-contamination), microbiological, and physical pathogens (such as wood, metal shavings, bottles, etc.) provide food safety risks that need to be detected and regulated. Moreover, a substance must not be exposed to dust and rat excrement.

The following are some ways in which facility managers can maintain hygiene and cleanliness at the plant:

Site Collection System

It is necessary to locate a food facility near resources such as labor, raw materials, transport, fuel, and cleaning services. It is important to specifically avoid areas that are vulnerable to pollution due to landfills, refineries, or chemical plants.

Grounds and Dust Control

For all new and updated structures, the grounds must be monitored and protected in order to mitigate the risk of pollution. The grounds are graded and designated for drainage, ensuring that there is no leakage or water clogging.

Basic Facility Flow

Microbiological monitoring of the plant’s ecosystem can be made possible by dividing workers who work in the raw and cooked fields. This is ensured by dividing staff entry into the plant and isolating lunch rooms, toilets, and lockers.

Using Hygiene Equipment

With state-of-the-art cleaning equipment, upholding proper hygiene standards, and implementing sanitation protocols is easily feasible. Completely systematic methods for industrial hygiene are the right response for all fields of manufacturing subjected to the possibility of pollution. Hygiene infrastructure that includes hygiene systems and stations ensures a safe and sterile operating atmosphere that satisfies sanitary requirements at all levels of the manufacturing process. These also ensure maximum hygiene of the workers at the food plants. By changing the dispensing amount of water & soap to conform with WHO safety standards, the touch-free smart handwashing machine regulates the washing and soaping time.

Designs on Food Safety

In ensuring better assurance of food safety and employee sanitation, proper preparation goes a long way. Initiatives such as cross-functional staff training in the construction of sanitary facilities and machinery strengthen and improve the appraisal of the current infrastructure and layout of the facility. It also encourages upgrades and expansion. Training courses or the literature available can help to achieve this

Plant Materials

Materials for the interior of the plant often range in toughness and expense, similar to materials used for the construction of the plant exterior. Several factors need to be taken into consideration, such as the substance and associated harm, dry or wet washing, and the process’s rigidity (such as extreme temperatures).

Materials can be washed more easily for floors, walls, and ceilings, which are non-porous and immune to production conditions and chemicals.

Conclusion

Efficient sanitary architecture lowers the plant’s maintenance expenses. The use of durable materials in construction projects decreases repair and maintenance costs. The same holds true for the construction of the machinery. Using the right equipment helps to keep the food plant hygienic and also makes the sanitization process much simpler, which is particularly essential for product safety.

Authored by Mr Raghav Gupta, Director, Kanchan Metals