ISHS Acta Horticulturae 746: International Conference on Quality Management of Fresh Cut Produce
SANITARY DESIGN OF FRESH-CUT PROCESSING PLANTS |
| Author: | L. Lipschutz |
| Keywords: | fresh-cut produce, facility sanitary design, process design, equipment sanitary design, sanitation |
| Abstract:
The recent outbreak of fresh-cut produce related illness in 2006 has resulted in a comprehensive reexamination of facilities from “farm to the fork”. This article will review the best principles of sanitary design for a fresh-cut facility; impart an understanding of equipment design and its relationship to facility sanitation. The sanitary design criteria include site location, choice of building materials for the shell and interior structures as well as zones of control for the interior facilities. Various types of construction materials will be discussed. The sanitary design in the facility must consider production flows; this includes separate raw product areas, high care processing and finished product zones. Separate areas will include microbiology laboratories, maintenance, fabrication shop, waste areas, and chemical storage, along with employee break room and toilet facilities. Air quality and the flow of air from high care processing is a very important consideration. Services for utilities will be reviewed. A well planned facility using current sanitary design ideas will improve the efficiency of the overall operation including cleaning and sanitation. This in turn will reduce the risk or probability of fresh-cut produce related human illness. | |
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