Shell egg packing plant cleaning, sanitation guidelines

Learn why a clean packing plant is different than a sanitized egg packing plant.

This clean packing room demonstrates a floor that looks clean and dry, without holes, cracks or depressions. | Terrence O'Keefe
This clean packing room demonstrates a floor that looks clean and dry, without holes, cracks or depressions. | Terrence O'Keefe

Proper shell egg packing plant sanitation is crucial in preventing food safety problems, Christine Alvarado, Ph.D., professor of Poultry Science at Texas A&M University said during the United Egg Producers’ area briefing in Des Moines, Iowa, on August 28, 2018.

Significant plant-related causes of food safety problems stem from improper employee training, contamination of raw materials, poor plant design, lack of cleanliness, condensation and poorly designed traffic flow patterns, she explained.

“Condensation is not your friend; anytime that there is water there is probably going to be bacteria,” she said. Producers should aim to get rid of water cooling or dripping from condensation to make their facility a much safer place from a food safety standpoint.

Cleaning versus sanitation

It is important that producers understand that a clean plant is not necessarily sanitized. Those involved with the industry are often guilty of believing a plant is clean without knowing if it’s sanitary.

“Cleaning is the removal of debris, dirt, soil or anything that is visible,” Alvarado said.

Sanitation is an entirely different step that includes the reduction of microbes to a safe level. “That’s what you can’t see with the naked eye; we really have to make a cultural shift from 'it looks clean' to verifying that it really is clean from a microbial standpoint,” she said.  

Order of cleaning and sanitation

Dry clean-up is the first step in the cleaning process. Then, producers should rinse all the residue from machinery and floors. “This is where water temperature can become very important,” Alvarado said. If the temperature is too high you risk cooking the egg proteins on to your equipment and other surfaces.

employee behind machine

It is important for employees to understand why clean and sanitized machinery is so important. Employees in charge of cleaning should be given extra support and guidance. | Photo by Austin Alonzo

Detergent application and scrubbing should be next. “Scrubbing is needed to prevent biofilm formation,” she said. Biofilm is produced when different bacteria get together and can be very difficult to clean off. Anytime the product encounters biofilm it risks generating a shorter shelf life and potentially food safety hazards. A final rinse should also be done.

“Inspect and spot clean are steps within the cleaning part of the sanitation process which occur after the final rinse step. It is a process to determine (double check) the cleanliness of areas or equipment prior to the sanitizing step,” Alvarado said. The sanitation employees check under the equipment (or hard to reach areas) they are responsible for cleaning to ensure cleanliness prior to the sanitizing step. If they find visible organic material during this “spot check” they reclean (or spot clean) that area, she explained.   

These jobs can be challenging, and often employees are on a time crunch to get them done. Giving employees support and teaching them how important it is to go back and get under equipment, pull panels off and get in hard to reach places is crucial.

“As far as sanitation goes, one of the most important things that we see as far as people not doing things correctly is mixing according to the manufacturer’s instructions,” Alvarado said. Too high of a concentration is just as bad as too low of a concentration, she explained.

“Too high can create a chemical hazard, which can result in a recall or negative effects against bacteria, and too low, you’re just wasting money because you’re not killing bacteria the way you need,” she said. Sanitation crew members should test concentration levels before application.

A cleaning schedule is also important, whether it is daily, weekly or monthly.

Things to consider

Each plant is responsible for its own sanitation. Corporate sanitation standard operation procedures (SSOP) versus plant specific SSOP have both pros and cons. The benefits of corporate sanitation standards are that it’s usually less work, it’s done at the corporate level and includes a standard form. Corporate sanitation cons are that it doesn’t reflect specific issues, can be difficult to change and not all plants are constructed the same way.

Know your water,” Alvarado said. Quality attributes of water like pH and water hardness can affect your sanitation chemicals; for example, chlorine. “Chlorine is most effective at water pH 5.5 to 6.0,” she said.

Understanding your water is crucial in working with your sanitation companies to get the right products and develop a plan for your plant.

“You’re responsible for what happens in your plant. We can point fingers at an equipment company and at a sanitation company, but at the end of the day, you’re responsible for what happens at each individual plant. That’s the cultural change we are trying to instill,” Alvarado said.

Review your SSOP often. Alvarado explains that it needs to be done at least yearly.

"We really have to make a cultural shift from 'it looks clean' to verifying that it really is clean from a microbial standpoint.” — Christine Alvarado
 Christine Alvarado

Christine Alvarado | Photo courtesy of Texas A&M University, Department of Poultry Science

 

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