Plant Sanitation Procedures

Promoting a Culture of Food Safety

Although the sanitation department receives most of the focus, effective sanitation involves multiple departments, including quality assurance, production, maintenance, and even human resources. Vocal and active support by managers is vital in setting sanitation as a plant-wide priority.

If top management stresses the importance of food safety and sets measurable goals, lower levels of management will be proactive in meeting the objectives. The organization as a whole will become even more focused on following plant sanitation procedures. Management commitment is very important in the development of a zero-defect sanitation culture.

Plant Sanitation Procedures are Food Safety in Action

Managers and personnel of food processing companies need to understand the Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) that apply to their plant. Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) contain both requirements and guidelines for manufacturing of food products in a sanitary environment.

Various governmental organizations have developed GMPs for different food products. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) enforces GMPs for a list of food products that include milk, cosmetics, seafood, and pharmaceutical drugs. The USDA's Food Safety Inspection Service has regulatory authority for most meat and poultry products.

Regular monitoring of sanitation procedures and accountability need to be in place to ensure a culture of food safety, which is where Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures come in. Because SSOPs constitute the foundation of your plant's food safety program, they should explain, in detail, how your sanitation program will operate. Creating and implementing effective SSOPs can become a challenge for many food processors, but FSS can help you at each step.