Principles of Cleaning and Sanitizing
Cleaning and Sanitizing - important activities in all retail food establishments.
- Enhance the safety and quality of food, increase the life expectancy of equipment and facilities, and improve overall sanitary conditions.
Cleaning - physical removal of soil from surfaces of equipment and utensils.
- Single-use items do not need to be cleaned. They must be discarded after use.
Sanitizing (sometimes called sanitization) - treatment of a clean surface to reduce the number of disease-causing microorganisms to safe levels.
Water -
primary component of cleaning materials
Potable water - free from harmful microorganisms, chemicals, and other substances that can cause disease.
“Hard” water -
caused by dissolved salts of calcium, magnesium, and iron.
Water hardness - reduces effectiveness of detergents and leaves “lime”
.
Effective Cleaning Consists of Four Separate Events
- A detergent or other type of cleaner is brought into contact with the soil.
- The soil is loosened from the surface being cleaned.
- The loosened soil is dispersed in the wash water.
- The dispersed soil in rinsed away along with the detergent to prevent it from being
redeposited onto the clean surface.
Removal of Food Particles
- Use warm water when pre-flushing and pre-scraping equipment
and utensils. - Avoid using very hot water or steam because they tend to “bake” food particles onto the surface of equipment and utensils and that makes cleaning more difficult.
Application of Cleaning Agents
Cleaning agent - chemical compound formulated to remove soil and dirt.
Soaking
soaking equipment or utensils for a few minutes before scrubbing, increase the effectiveness of manual and mechanical warewashing.
Cleaning agents - include an acid or alkaline detergent and may include degreasers, abrasive materials, or a sanitizer.
Spray Methods
Cleaning solutions can be sprayed on equipment surfaces - by fixed or portable spray units that use hot water or steam.
Abrasive Cleaning
- form of powders and pastes, are used to remove soil firmly attached to a surface.
Abrasive-type cleaners not recommended for stainless steel surfaces.
rinsing
- Rinse all equipment surfaces immediately after cleaning.
- Use hot, potable water to remove the cleaning solution.
Detergent
- originates from the Latin “detergeo,” meaning “to wipe away.”
- Water acts as a natural detergent for readily soluble soils.
Cleaning is enhanced by adding soap, alkaline detergents, acids, degreasers, abrasives, or sanitizer detergents.
Water supply must be portable, free of harmful microorganisms, chemicals, and substances.
Cleaning Frequency
Some guidelines for cleaning food-contact surfaces
include:
• Before each use with a different type of raw animal food, such as beef, fish, lamb, pork,
or poultry, except when the surface is in contact with a series of different raw animal
foods each requiring a higher cooking temperature.
• Each time there is a change from working with raw foods to working with ready-to-eat
foods.
• Between uses with raw fruits and vegetables and with potentially hazardous food (TCS food)
• Before using or storing food temperature-measuring device
• At any time during the operation when contamination may have occurred
Exceptions to the 4-hour cleaning rule.
One exception is when equipment and utensils are used to prepare potentially hazardous food (TCS food) in a refrigerated room
- Equipment and utensils that contact potentially hazardous foods (TCS foods) must be cleaned every 24 hours.
Ice tea dispensers, carbonated beverage dispenser nozzles, water dispensing units, ice makers,
and ice bins: examples of equipment that routinely come into contact with food that is not
potentially hazardous.
The FDA Food Code recommends surfaces of utensils and equipment contacting food that is not potentially hazardous be cleaned:
• At any time when contamination may have occurred
• At least every 24 hours for iced tea dispensers and customers self-service utensils, such
as tongs, scoops, or ladles
• Before restocking customers self-service equipment and utensils such as condiment
dispensers and bulk food display containers
• Whenever possible, follow the manufacturer’s guidelines for regular cleaning and
sanitizing of the food-contact surfaces of equipment and utensils.
Sanitizing principles
Heat and chemicals - 2 types of sanitizers most commonly used in retail food establishmentIn all instances, a food-contact surface must be thoroughly cleaned and rinsed to remove soil and
detergent residues before it can be properly sanitized.
Heat Sanitizing
Heat sanitizing - submersed in hot water maintained at 171℉ (77℃) or above for at least 30 seconds.
Heat Several Advantages over Chemical Sanitizing Agents Because it:
• Can penetrate small cracks and crevices
• Is noncorrosive to metal surfaces
• Kills all types of microorganisms equally effectively
• Leaves no residue
• Is easily measurable
Sanitizing with hot water - most commonly performed as part of mechanical warewashing
operations.
The FDA Food Code requires the hot water used for these purposes to be between 180℉ (82℃) 𝑎𝑛𝑑 194℉ (90℃) when it leaves the final rinse spray nozzles.
This assures the temperature of the water will be at 171℉ (77℃) or above when it reaches the surfaces of the equipment and utensils being sanitized.
- The only exceptions to these temperature requirements
are single-tank, stationary rack, and single-temperature machines, where the final rinse water temperature must be at least 165℉ (74℃) as it leaves the spray nozzles.
Chemical Sanitizing
Chemical sanitizers : used in retail food establishments are chlorine, iodine, and quaternary ammonium compounds (quats).
There are two ways to sanitize surfaces using chemical compounds:
• Immerse a piece of equipment or a utensil into a sanitizing solution at the prescribed concentration
• Swab, brush, or pressure spray the sanitizing solution directly onto the surface of the equipment and utensils.
Chlorine
- hypochlorites.
- chemical sanitizers
- Hypochlorites: are available as powders and
liquids.
-The germicidal effectiveness of chlorine-based sanitizers depends, in part, on water temperature and the pH of the sanitizing solution.
Iodine
- Iodophors are effective against a wide range of bacteria, small viruses, and fungi.
- Effective for killing disease-causing microorganisms found on human hands.
- They function best in water that is acidic and at temperature between
75℉ (24℃) 𝑎𝑛𝑑 120℉ (49℃). - Iodophors must be applied at 12.5 parts per million (ppm) when
immersion sanitizing and at 25 parts per million in swab and spray applications.
Quaternary Ammoniun Compounds
- (quats) are ammonia salts used as chemical sanitizers
- Quats are effective sanitizers, but they do not destroy the wide variety of disease-causing microorganisms
- noncorrosive and have no taste or odor when used in the proper dilution.
- More heat stable and can be used in hotter water than either hypochlorites or iodophors
How do I clean and sanitize?
Manually
Step 1. Wash in hot water with cleaner
Step 2. Rinse in clean water
Step 3. Sanitize in a warm chemical solution 75℉ (24℃) 𝑡𝑜 120℉ (49℃) or sanitize with
171℉ (77℃) water
Step 4. Air dry
Mechanically
Step 1. Pre-rinse
Step 2. Place objects to be cleaned in rack
Step 3. Place loaded rack into machine
The machine will:
a) Wash
b) Rinse
c) Sanitize
d) Step 4. Remove rack and allow objects to air dry
Cleaning Fixed Equipment
Fixed equipment - food-contact surfaces but cannot be
cleaned using either traditional mechanical or manual warewashing processes.
- examples of fixed equipment: include band saws, floor-mounted mixers, slicers, grinders, produce
display cases, and live tanks used to display live lobster and molluscan shellfish.
This equipment
must be disassembled to expose food-contact surfaces to cleaning and sanitizing agents.
Large equipment, such as preparation tables and band saws: cleaned by using a foam or
spray method.
In this process detergents and degreasers, fresh water rinse, and a chemical
sanitizer are applied using foam or spray guns. The hoses, feed lines, and nozzles that make up
the foam or spray unit should be in good condition and attached properly.
The various display cases used in meat, seafood, dairy, bakery, produce and other departments
in retail food establishments will have racks and other parts that can be removed for cleaning.
Some equipment, such as produce and self-service bakery cases, may be equipped with accessory, such as misting heads and tongs or other handling devices. Theses accessories must also be cleaned and sanitized regularly to assure the safety and wholesomeness of products with which they are used.
Cleaning Environmental Areas
The manager or supervisor should create a master cleaning schedule that will list the following items:
• The specific equipment and facilities be cleaned
• The processes and supplies needed to clean the equipment and facilities
• The prescribed time when the equipment and facilities should be cleaned
• The name of the employee who has been assigned to do the cleaning
Ceiling and Walls
Ceiling should be checked regularly to make certain they are not contaminating food production
areas.
Ceilings, lights, fans, and covers can be cleaned using either a wet dry-cleaning technique.
- wet-cleaning ceilings and fixtures, it is best to use a bucket method to keep water away from lights, fans, and other electrical devices.
Walls may be cleaned using either the bucket or spray methods. Whenever possible, disconnect power before cleaning fixtures.
Floors
Floors in shopping areas are cleaned with floor cleaning machines, and floors in food production areas can be cleaned using a spray system for washing and rinsing.
Floors that will be damaged by spray cleaning can be cleaned using the bucket method.
Follow all safety rules to prevent accidents
- Know where the first aid kit is located
- Use caution signs when mopping floors
- Use special gloves when cutting foods
- Know the locations of exits
- Know where fire extinguishers are located and how to use them
- Turn power off when maintaining equipment
