A good food processing plant have organized layout and working flows that could maximize food production as well as to avoid cross contamination. While designing the layout of a food processing plant, we should consider the proper working flows that fulfill production efficiency and food safety measures.
Working flow should be in one direction. Normally showing “I”, “L”, “U” or “S” shape. The purpose of having one direction working flow is to avoid cross contamination. For instance, food handlers passing To and Flo while handling food could easily cause contamination. Likewise, the raw material or dirty in-process product could contaminate finished products if both are moved facing each other.
The orientation of facility should fulfill the correct sequence of working flow. For instance, the toilet should be installed outside the processing plant and the door should not facing the production area. The toilet door should be closed automatically. After that, the changing room, hand washing station and then, the processing area. Let's refer to an example of processing plant layout. You might not design accordingly but just to make sure the one direction working flow and to ease your operation.
Human flow is a working flow of food handlers from the point of entry to the processing plant until exit from the processing plant. Food handlers should go through sanitation steps before entering processing plant. The sequence should be
1. Visiting toilet (wearing toilet slippers) or
2. Changing boots1
3. Changing food processing attire at changing room
4. Stepping into footbath (with Chlorinated water)1 and wash hand.
5. Dry hands and enter processing.
When food handlers come out from the processing plant to visit toilet, they should
i. Take off working attire
ii. Take off boots and change to toilet slippers to enter toilet.
After that, they would re-enter processing plant according to step 1 - 5 above. Processing area would be divided to production (dirty) area and production (clean) area. Food handlers that work in dirty area should be isolated from those working in clean area. They can be differentiate by attire colour.
Material flow is the movement of raw material and products. When determining the material flow, you should had know your process flow very well. Raw material should be moved into processing plant from the entrance other than food handler’s entrance. The door size could be smaller for raw material entrance only. The raw material is then processed at dirty production area before transferring to clean processing area and onwards. At last, the finished product should be distributed from another door. If they are 2 kind of productions in the plant, such as fish and prawns, we should try to arrange 2 sets of production facilities and equipment, to avoid cross contamination.
Other facilities such as packaging material store, equipment store, chemical store, water tank, water filter and so on should be located at the place that ease the operation. For example, packaging material store should be located at the place which is near the packing area / room. Door which connecting the processing area should be installed plastic curtain to avoid penetration of pest and dirt.
The orientation of facility should fulfill the correct sequence of working flow. For instance, the toilet should be installed outside the processing plant and the door should not facing the production area. The toilet door should be closed automatically. After that, the changing room, hand washing station and then, the processing area. Let's refer to an example of processing plant layout. You might not design accordingly but just to make sure the one direction working flow and to ease your operation.
Human flow is a working flow of food handlers from the point of entry to the processing plant until exit from the processing plant. Food handlers should go through sanitation steps before entering processing plant. The sequence should be
1. Visiting toilet (wearing toilet slippers) or
2. Changing boots1
3. Changing food processing attire at changing room
4. Stepping into footbath (with Chlorinated water)1 and wash hand.
5. Dry hands and enter processing.
When food handlers come out from the processing plant to visit toilet, they should
i. Take off working attire
ii. Take off boots and change to toilet slippers to enter toilet.
After that, they would re-enter processing plant according to step 1 - 5 above. Processing area would be divided to production (dirty) area and production (clean) area. Food handlers that work in dirty area should be isolated from those working in clean area. They can be differentiate by attire colour.
Material flow is the movement of raw material and products. When determining the material flow, you should had know your process flow very well. Raw material should be moved into processing plant from the entrance other than food handler’s entrance. The door size could be smaller for raw material entrance only. The raw material is then processed at dirty production area before transferring to clean processing area and onwards. At last, the finished product should be distributed from another door. If they are 2 kind of productions in the plant, such as fish and prawns, we should try to arrange 2 sets of production facilities and equipment, to avoid cross contamination.
Other facilities such as packaging material store, equipment store, chemical store, water tank, water filter and so on should be located at the place that ease the operation. For example, packaging material store should be located at the place which is near the packing area / room. Door which connecting the processing area should be installed plastic curtain to avoid penetration of pest and dirt.
Based on the determined layout and working flow, QC can study and conduct discussion about the production work and food safety measures with food safety team. When you had finalized your processing plant’s layout and flows, do submit to your local Food Technology officer for verification before submitting to MeSTI application.
Note: 1 For food processing plant that processing floor is wet
Jacky Chung
Trainer and Consultant
JACKYZ SOLUTION
Note: 1 For food processing plant that processing floor is wet
Jacky Chung
Trainer and Consultant
JACKYZ SOLUTION
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