ICE Chips

Q. I work at a small plant, and we are developing a Chemical Control Program. Our sanitation workers are wondering how often they have to check the concentration of the cleaning and sanitizing chemicals we use every day? Is there an industry standard on this?

A. In this age of sophisticated centralized programs this is a great question. Too often we take for granted that everyone and every system is working as was designed for the program. We get lulled into being a bit careless with the systems we use every day. I have to go back to the adage I was taught so many times in my career: “Trust with verification.”

It is particularly critical that we monitor the proper concentrations in our sanitizing solutions. They play a critical role in reducing the potential for microbiological issues originating from the equipment and systems used in food manufacturing. You might find some concentration recommendations from the supplier you use, but many times you will have to assess the sanitizer in use and the conditions under which it is used. Chlorine sanitizers are less stable in warm environments or where organic material is being introduced. You may find that at a minimum you check the chlorine levels when the solutions are initially mixed and then each hour to determine when solutions lose their strength during normal use.

Other sanitizers like a quaternary ammonia solution can be more stable at higher temperatures or when organic materials are present. Regardless, they must be tested at the time of mixing and then characterized. I would start at one-hour intervals and develop a level of confidence based on the data acquired. You may settle on every two hours or more. The data collected will point out what needs to be done and when.

Often we overlook the concentrations of the cleaning compounds we use. They can pass through a metering device that requires weekly calibration and retesting. It is particularly important to check concentrations when cleaning compounds are manually mixed. This can be as simple as ensuring the correct measuring device is being used and the correct quantity is being mixed by employees.

I would suggest requesting assistance and guidance from your supplier’s technical advisor. They should be familiar with the products and how you are using them. Make sure they share their results with you and make you a partner in the decisions being made.