HOW TO MAINTAIN FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT IN A FOOD PROCESSING FACTORY?

 

Facility is a system or a building that specific activities are performed whereas equipment is an physical stuff, device, machines for performing a specific purpose.  Facilities could be a assembly of varies of equipment.  There are numbers of facilities and equipment in Food processing factory. Each individual item’s functionality and cleanliness should be maintained well to avoid contamination while producing food products.
 
Besides Receiving steps, food handlers should process food product in the processing factory. They should make sure that doors are closed and food handlers who are working in the processing factory, wearing working attire, are not allowed to go outside of the facility.   If they are going outside (for visiting toilet etc), they should re-enter the factory following entrance procedure. So, when there is a need to bringing in or out of stuff, they should communicate and arrange personnel(s) to standby inside and outside of the facility to pass and receive the stuff. Doors are open for passing stuff only. After the task, the door should be closed immediately.  Closing doors could avoid pest or airborne contaminant flow into the processing factory and contaminate anything in the facility.
 
Maintenance for every facility and equipment is crucial. I always use example of car maintenance / service. How frequent we service our car (changing lubricant and oil filter)? Some saying 3 months, 6 months or every 5,000, 10,000 meter journey, depending on the car condition and the type of oil. Correct? Maintenance in processing factory is the same. For examples, maintenance personnel needs to apply grease in hand Jacks  or any equipment that has bearing.  Based on his experience of maintenance, the personal could decide the minimum frequency of maintenance so that  the equipment and facility would not broken down. Maintenance personnel should repair broken equipment and facility after the production, or repairing them outside of the processing area.  No cleaning on the broken items should be done before that.  
 
Facilities and equipment should be cleaned and checked in a period of time, depends on the necessity. For examples, processing tables is used in every processing day and food waste left on it. Thus, food handlers should clean it after production, before they are go home.  The cleanliness of processing tables are checked  before and after the processing.  Dirty equipment or facility could attract pest, causing contamination.  Wooden equipment and any wooden material of facility is not allowed in food processing factory.  Measuring devices, such as thermometer and scale should be calibrated.  Every activity of cleaning and maintenance should be documented.
                            
Maintenance and cleaning is an important element in MeSTI. It is when every facility and equipment is maintained and sanitized, then we will be able to avoid cross-contamination on  the food products.  
               
 
Jacky Chung
Trainer and Consultant
JACKYZ SOLUTION