Hygienically designed tools are easier to clean, more durable, and less likely to facilitate cross-contamination than standard cleaning or material handling tools. Amit Kheradia, education and technical support manager at Remco Products, gives the ins and outs of how they can increase food safety.

1. Why is it important that a tool be hygienically designed?

Hygienic tools lack the crevices and nooks that standard tools have that can allow bacteria to hide. Unhygienic tools may also harbor allergens and foreign bodies. Hygienically designed tools have smooth surfaces and angles, eliminating or reducing these danger areas and making the tools easier to clean.

2 . What are the hallmarks of hygienically designed tools?

These are generally defined in 3-A and EHEDG Industry-standard guidelines. Some of the characteristics of hygienically designed tools that set them apart from conventional tools are as follows:

• Smooth surfaces.
• Non-toxic, non-absorbent, corrosion- or wear-resistant under conditions of use.
• Appropriate FDA and/or USDA-compliant materials.
• Rounded corners.
• Self-draining surface.
• No crevices or gaps where contaminants may get lodged during use.

3. How frequently should cleaning tools be cleaned?

The frequency of the cleaning of tools is normally a risk-based decision. Food contact tools are often cleaned after each use, while others may be cleaned weekly. Hygienically designed tools can go longer between cleanings.

As a rule of thumb, tools for handling moist products are cleaned more frequently than tools for handling dry powders. Processing facilities that have environments with high contamination loads must clean tools more often.

4. How should hygienic cleaning tools be stored?

Tools should be stored in a clean, dry area off the floor, and without touching one another. Brooms should be stored with their bristles facing the ground. It is always better to have a dedicated area where tools are stored and maintained as a group. For instance, tools used on processing equipment must be stored on a separate station, away from floor tools.

5 . How does color-coding interconnect with hygienic design?

Color-coding complements the benefits of hygienically designed tools. Color-coding tools acts as a visual cue for identifying different tools, such as in a primary pathogen control area like a ready-to-eat packing and handling room.

In terms of hygiene, this is a high-risk/high-care zone. Tools used on product contact surfaces should be of a different color, and stored and identified separately from, say, brooms used for sweeping floors.

Dr. Virginia Gordon has published papers in numerous scientific periodicals during her career. Her work and success in the fields of toxicology and degradation testing have led to numerous speaking engagements at scientific forums in the U.S., Japan, and Europe. She has 13 patents in the fields of testing for toxicity and degradation and other key parameters critical to the food and pet food industries.

1. What are some benefits of brining MP Bio’s SafTest lipid quality analysis on-site?

Lipid quality is usually the key indicator of overall quality, consistency, and freshness of foods. Lipid quality is continuously changing and therefore should be tested on-site for speed and rapid response to changes in lipid quality. The SafTest system provides cost effective and rapid quality results on fats, oils, and matrices on-site without the time and cost of sending samples out to an external testing lab.

2. How do the results compare to traditional test methods?

The SafTest Methods have demonstrated excellent correlation to traditional AOCS test methods in earlier AOAC Performance Tested Methods Certification. Many articles and studies conducted by the food and pet food industries have shown that the SafTest peroxide, FFA, and fat content tests produce results similar to the comparable AOCS test methods.

3. What variability can be expected in these on-site testing methods?

Lipid quality parameters are continuously changing as are test results, depending on handling, storage, and sampling. Light, heat, head space, and certain materials can affect the lipid quality parameters and may introduce variability in lab-to-lab and method-to-method testing. Lower values of these parameters may exhibit less variability, typically less than 5%, while higher values that are changing more quickly may exhibit variability greater than 20% by any method.

4. How can we make the transition to on-site testing?

With over 15 years of experience in helping industrial laboratories establish new testing methods, MP Bio recommends an on-site training in performing its test methods and evaluating the results. The SafTest kits contain calibrators and a control to ensure standard test performance on-site and full QC analysis. Part of the on-site training includes sample handling, storage, and preparation for analysis.

5. How do we validate and QC new methods?

MP Bio will perform analysis of a sub-set of your samples in its lab and then perform the analysis on-site at your lab. With the full QC of every lot of test kits at MP Bio, key QC results are provided with every kit. This QC data documents the slope, the reagent blank, and the control range for the kit. This allows for the rapid evaluation of test kit performance on-site in your lab. Technical support personnel are available for any questions about results or the analysis of problem samples.

Cross-contamination can occur at any time in the food production process, making it imperative for food processors to proactively prevent pathogens from entering and spreading throughout a facility. Often overlooked, cross-contamination from footwear can come from inside or outside a plant. And, as most footwear sanitizing programs involve moisture, footwear sanitizing in dry production facilities can be a huge challenge. Meritech President Michele Colbert explains the importance of fully automated systems for footwear sanitizing to prevent the entry of pathogens and moisture into dry production areas.

1. Why are footwear sanitizing programs such a challenge in dry production?

The reality is that many sanitizing practices that are commonly used today can actually result in the spread rather than the elimination of pathogens. Manual footwear sanitizing pans, sanitizer sprays, dry quat pellets, or pails with brushes for manual scrubbing of shoes are all common practices that introduce variability and risk as they rely on manual intervention. The prevalence of these ineffective methods coupled with the additional limitations present in dry food production further compound the issue.

2. What is the key to an effective footwear hygiene program?

The ability to validate effectiveness consistently. The sanitization method must ensure the appropriate “kill” concentration of the sanitizing chemical and the appropriate contact time required for the chemical to be effective.

3. What should one consider when evaluating footwear sanitizing solutions for dry production environments?

The most important factor is the sanitizing chemical and method of application— it must effectively sanitize footwear while controlling moisture. One approach we recommend is to use an alcohol-based sanitizer that quickly evaporates post-application.

4. What makes Meritech’s systems different and more effective?

All of Meritech’s equipment is fully automated, requiring no manual intervention and eliminating variability. Meritech handwashing systems are clinically proven to remove 99.98% of pathogens from hands and seamlessly integrate with our extensive line of fully automated footwear sanitizing pans and boot scrubbers. Each of our systems automatically maintains the required PPM level of sanitizing chemical and ensures proper contact time to eliminate footwear as a vector for the spread of pathogens. We recently introduced our newest fast-evaporating footwear-sanitizing product, the Sole Clean Dry Step, for use in dry and semi-dry production zones.

5. Why should food processors choose Meritech as their employee hygiene partner?

All of our equipment is proudly manufactured in the USA and is protected by an industry leading five-year warranty. Our equipment is easy to clean and reliable because they are regularly calibrated, certified, and supported by our professional team of service engineers. Our HACCP-certified team is dedicated to helping food-processing leaders achieve employee hygiene and food safety excellence.

In the food processing industry’s quest to reduce foreign object contamination, metal detectable products have become a critical tool in helping achieve that success. Paul Gaertner, President of Detectapro Products, LLC, has been helping food processors work towards zero percent foreign object contamination for more than 15 years.

1. What products can be made metal detectable?

Virtually any product can be made to be metal detectable. In the past 15 years, we have seen an explosion of metal detectable offerings. It started with a pen and now includes flanges, retainers, aprons and more. At Detectapro we react to what end users are asking for. We recently introduced a line of Detectable Aprons and Oversleeves. These products are made from a metal detectable TPU (thermoplastic polyurethane), making them ultra light, durable, washable and tear resistant. Let us know if you need something currently not offered, we’ll look into it for you.

2. How detectable are your products?

Our products are 100% detectable when using metal inspection and X-ray detection systems. The key in detecting our metal detectable products lies with the ratio of the aperture to the size of the product. Every product is different and every detectable fragment size need is different. A good starting point is a 3mm fragment. However, you have to consider what the product is and take into account the different environmental variables. Ice cream, for example, may change its density and moisture levels throughout the processing and packaging cycle. This creates a need for the sensitivity being measured at the geometric center of the machine’s aperture to change from one machine on the line to the next.

3. Can you help my company with BRC 8, HAACP and the Food Safety Modernization Act?

4. Can your products prevent a recall?

The loss of product, lost time in wages in the production of the product, bad PR from the recall itself, possible litigation, and the inconvenience to the retailer and the consumer are just a few of the consequences of a recall. We keep track of recalls resulting in hard plastic being found in the final product. Working with Detectapro Products will reduce your chances of hard plastic contaminating the final product. While we cannot prevent a recall, using our 100% Detectable products in conjunction with properly calibrated detection systems will go a long way toward ensuring zero percent foreign object contamination in the future.

5. Where are your products produced?

All our products are produced in the U.S. and the U.K. Because of this practice, our products carry liability insurance. (Products produced in China and India do not carry liability insurance.) Many of our products are created through injection molding. By molding our products in the U.S. and the U.K., we are able to oversee the process. We never mold using a compromised mold allowing us to deliver the highest quality product to you, every time. This process helps you as you work toward achieving zero percent foreign object contamination.