A SYSTEMS APPROACH TO HYGIENE IN FOOD PROCESSING ENVIRONMENTS

摘要

Food processing is a hygiene-critical activity; precautions are necessary to minimise microbial survival and growth. To achieve clean surfaces and environments during food processing, a systems-based approach is essential. This includes effective cleaning and sanitisation, workflow optimisation, environmental controls, and the integration of antimicrobial technologies where appropriate. "Visual clean" refers to a surface being clean to "sight and touch". The presence of organic matter on food contact surfaces (FCS) can support microbial attachment and create a food safety risk. Proper surface cleaning and sanitising are essential safeguards against foodborne illness. While visual clean is a basic requirement in the food processing environment, microbiological clean is only attainable with sanitising after a thorough cleaning to remove food residues and other organic materials.