The Importance of Hygiene in Food Processing and Manufacturing

 Food safety is extremely essential. Food is directly linked to our overall wellbeing, whether physical, mental, or spiritual. Especially, the food processing businesses must make ensure food safety for their consumers. Adhering to necessary food hygiene and safety standards, regulations and ethics can prevent the outbreak of food-borne diseases due to different types of food adulteration. In this article, we will read more about how businesses can apply food safety and hygiene in their production processes.

Location of facility

The location of the factory depends a lot on the safety of production. Areas can be hotspots of pests as well as prone to pollution. Such areas should be avoided for production of food. The site of production should be of suitable size, location, and construction. The business should constantly work on the maintenance of the area and reduce the risk of contamination.

Machinery and Design

Food processing machine or food processing equipment is a parasol term referring to the various components of the processing unit. These machines work on extending the shelf life of the food, palatability, consume-ability, and digestibility of the food. Some food processing machinery manufacturers design their machinery in a way that they are pieces of equipment involved in the performance of preliminary and auxiliary functions like handling, preparation, and packaging.

Food processing machinery should allow an easy cleaning and maintenance system. This is to prevent contamination of the food products and ingredients during the production process. in the place where the actual production takes place. The design of machinery used for food processing also has to be taken into account to comply with food safety regulations. Poor design can result in the build-up of food material in hidden places that are difficult to clean. The American Meat Institute’s Equipment Design Task Force used the NSF standard to develop 10 principles be addressed when designing machinery used in food processing.

 

The 10 principles of sanitary design of food processing machinery are:

1. It should be cleanable to a microbiological level
2. It should be built of compatible materials
3. The parts of the machinery should be accessible for inspection, maintenance, cleaning, and sanitation
4. The machinery should not lead to a product or liquid collection
5. Hollow areas of the machinery should be hermetically sealed
6. No niches
7. The machinery should have a sanitary operational performance
8. Hygienic design of maintenance enclosures
9. The machinery should be safe and should have hygienic compatibility with other plant systems
10. Validation of cleaning and sanitizing protocols

 

Waste Management

The provision of appropriate containers and suitable waste storage areas will help minimize wastage in the factory. Establishing adequate storage for the removal of waste will reduce the build-up of pests and reduces the reduction of contamination of ingredients, equipment and products.

For more articles on food Marketing, agrotech, and technology related to the Indian food industry, check out FMTmagazine. FMT Magazine is an edition of the German publication. It is a comprehensive food and beverage magazine that connects the buyers and the sellers through content that is of international quality. The magazine over the entire spectrum of the food industry including content on policies. FMT Magazine stands for Food Marketing & Technology Magazine. The magazine carries articles on ingredients, processing, packaging, food safety, and marketing, along with interviews with top personalities in the Indian food industry.