Maintenance & General Cleaning:

Objective:

- Ensure adequate and appropriate maintenance and cleaning of the

equipment & food establishment facilities.
- Monitor effectiveness of maintenance and sanitation programs implemented
in the establishment.
- Prevent Pests infestations in the food Establishment ( pest control ).

Rationale:

- To facilitate the continuing effective control of food hazards, pests, and

other agents likely to contaminate food.

Rules:

- The Maintenance programs shall be based on:

o Procedures.
o Schedule.
o Monitoring.
- Records shall be maintained.
- All documents templates shall be prepared by the Supervisor, checked &
verified before implementation by the Chief Engineering in the food
establishment.

- The Cleaning programs shall be based on:

o Procedures.
o Schedule.
o Monitoring.
- Records shall be maintained.
- All documents shall be prepared by the supervisor, checked & verified
before implementation by the Chief Steward in the food establishment.

- The Food Establishment shall have trained Maintenance & Steward

staff on:
o Basic Food Hygiene.
o The job they will be conducting & responsible for.

- Cleaning Requirements:

o Good hygiene demands effective and regular cleaning of the

establishment, equipments and vehicles to remove Food residues
and dirt which may contain food poisoning and spoilage micro-
organisms and act as a source of Food contamination.
 o This cleaning process may where necessary, be followed by, or
associated with, disinfections to reduce the number of any micro-
organisms remaining after cleaning to a level which will not cause
harmful contamination of Food.
o Cleaning and Disinfections procedures shall be properly established
by a hygiene specialist after consultation of Chief Steward and
disinfections manufactures or suppliers instruction.
o The cleaning and disinfections procedures shall be designed to meet
the particular needs of the process and product concerned, and shall
be set down in written schedules which shall be made available for
the guidance of employees and management.
o Procedures shall be established for the cleaning and disinfections of
the equipment, used for cleaning, e.g., mops, swabs, buckets, etc.
o There shall be adequate supervision by management to ensure that
the procedures set down are carried out in an effective manner at
the specified intervals of times.
o An individual, preferably a permanent member of the staff of the
establishment and whose duties preferably shall be independent of
production, shall be appointed to be responsible for cleaning and
disinfections procedures and for supervision.
o Industrial detergents and disinfections require careful handling.
o Alkaline and acidic products must not be mixed.
o Hypochlorite solutions shall not be mixed with acidic products, as
chlorine gas will be released.
o Operators handling strong, alkaline or acid products shall wear
protective clothing and goggles and shall be thoroughly instructed in
handling techniques.
o Containers in which such substances are kept shall be clearly
marked and stored separately from Food and packaging materials.
Manufacturers instructions shall be carefully observed.

- Cleaning Procedures:

o The removal of gross debris from surfaces by brushing, vacuuming

and scraping of deposits or other methods where necessary followed
by the application of potable water. The temperature of the water
used will depend upon the type of soil to be removed.
o The application of detergent solution to loose soil and bacterial film
and hold them in them in solution or suspension.
o Rinsing with potable water to remove loosened solid and residues of
detergent.
o Care shall be taken that the use of abrasive material does not alter
the character of the Food contact surface and that fragments from
brushes, scrapers and other cleaning materials do not contaminate
the Food.
o These steps may be followed by a disinfection process.
 o Cleaning is carried out by the separate or combined use of physical
methods, e.g., scrubbing or turbulent flow, and chemical methods,
e.g., the use of detergent, alkalis or acids.
o Heat is an important adjunct to the use physical and chemical
methods. Care shall be employed in the selection of the temperature
depending on the detergents and the nature of the soil and working
surfaces. Some synthetic organic materials can absorb constituents
of Food, such as milk fat and the amount absorbed rises with the
temperature.

- One or more of the following methods is used according to the

circumstances:

o Manual Cleaning:
 Involving removal of soil by scrubbing in the presence of a
detergent solution. For removable parts of machinery and for
small items of equipment, soaking in a detergent solution in
a separate receptacle may be necessary to loosen the soil
prior to the scrubbing process.

o Equipment Cleaning:
 The cleaning of equipment including pipe runs, with water
and detergent solution, without dismantling the equipment or
pipe runs.
 The equipment shall be properly designed for this cleaning
method. A minimum fluid velocity of 1.5meters per second (5
feet per second) with turbulent flow is required for effective
cleaning of pipe runs.
 The parts of equipment which cannot be satisfactorily
cleaned by this method shall be identified and eliminated. If
this cannot be done satisfactorily, the parts shall be
dismantled for cleaning to prevent build up of contamination.

o Low Pressure High Volume Spray:

 The application of a water or detergent solution in large
volumes at a high pressure, i.e., up to approximately 6.8 bar
(100psi).

o High Pressure Low Volume Spray:

 The application of water or detergent solution in low volume
at a high pressure, i.e., up to 68 bar (100psi).

o Foam Cleaning:
  The application of detergent in the form of a foam which is
allowed to remain for 15 to 20 minutes and is then rinsed off
with a water spray.

o Dish Washing Machines:

 Some containers and equipment used in Food processing can
be washed by machines. These carry out the cleaning
procedures set out above with the addition of disinfections by
hot water rinse at the completion of the cleaning cycle.
 Good results can be obtained with such machines provided
that the effective and efficiency of the machine is maintained
by adequate and regular servicing.

o Detergents used for cleaning purpose:

 Detergents shall be have a good wetting capacity and the
ability to remove soil from surfaces and to hold the soil in
suspension.
 They shall have good rinsing properties so that residues of
soil and detergent shall be easily removed from equipment.
 There are many types of detergent and advice shall be
sought to ensure that the detergent used in any particular
circumstance is suitable to remove the type of soil resulting
from a particular Food process and is used at the correct
concentration and temperature.
 The detergent used shall be non-corrosive and compatible
with other materials including disinfectants used in the
sanitation program. Whilst cold solutions of detergent may be
effective in some circumstances, removal of residues of fat
requires the use of heat.
 The deposition of mineral salts on equipment may from a
hard scale (“stone”) especially in the presence of fats or
proteins, the use of an acid or alkaline detergent sequentially
may be necessary to remove such deposits. The “stone” can
be major source of a bacterial contamination. It can be easily
detected by its fluorescence under ultraviolet light, which will
detects deposits usually missed by ordinary visual inspection.

o Drying after cleaning:

 If equipment is left wet after cleaning, micro-organisms may
grow in the water film. It is important to ensure that
equipment is left dry as soon as possible after cleaning and
where possible to allow equipment to air-dry naturally. Single
use tissue shall be used for drying & they shall be used once
and discarded.
 Adequate drainage points shall be provided in equipments
that cannot be dismantled and drying racks provided for
small places of equipment that cannot be dismantled and
drying
  Racks shall be provided for small pieces of equipment that
are dismantled for the purpose of drying.
 Any equipment that unavoidably remains wet for a period
during which significant microbial growth might occur shall
be disinfected immediately before use.

- Disinfection:
o Effective disinfections does not necessary kill all micro-organisms
present but reduces their number to a level at which they can
reasonably assumed to present no risk to health.
o No disinfections procedure can exert its full effect unless its use is
preceded by thorough cleaning.
o Disinfections shall be chosen according to the micro-organisms to be
killed, the type of Food being processed and the material making up
the Food contact surfaces during their preparations. Selection is also
affected by the character of the water available and method of
cleaning used.
o The continued use of certain chemical disinfectants may lead to the
selection of resistant micro-organisms.
o Chemical disinfections shall be used where use of heat would not be
practicable. Cleaning methods mentioned in the provisions of this
Order could also be used.

- Disinfections by heat:
o The application of moist heat to raise the surface temperature to at
least 70o C(160o F) is one of the common and most useful forms of
disinfections.
o High temperatures, however, will denature protein residues and
bake them on the surface of Food equipment. It is therefore
essential that all material such as residual Food is removed by
thorough cleaning before the application of heat for disinfections.
- Hot Water Disinfections:
o Removable parts of machinery and smaller items of equipment shall
be submerged in a sink or tank containing water at disinfections
temperature for a suitable time, e.g., at 80o C (176o F) for two
minutes.
o The disinfectant rinse in mechanical washing machines shall reach
this disinfections temperature and the period of immersion shall be
sufficient to allow the equipment surfaces to reach this temperature.
o Water at disinfections temperature will scald bare hands so basket
racks or some other type of receptacle will have to be used during
manual cleaning.

- Steam Disinfections:
o Where steam is used the surface to be disinfected shall be raised to
a disinfecting temperature for a suitable time. It may not be
practical to have steam available for disinfections throughout the
Premises. Lances producing steam jets are useful to disinfect
 surface or machinery and other surfaces which is difficult to reach or
which shall be disinfected on the kitchen floor.
o The heating of surfaces during the application of high temperature
steam promotes their subsequent drying. The use of steam can
present problems by creating condensation on other equipment and
other parts of the structure.
o High pressure steam can strip paint from painted surfaces and
lubricants from the working parts of machinery. Moreover, some
types of materials such as plastics are unsuitable for treatment with
live steam.
o Steam jets shall only be used by trained personnel as they can be
dangerous in unskilled hands.

- Chemical Disinfections:
o The following factors affect the performance of chemical
disinfectants:

o Inactivation by Dirty Condition:

 The effectiveness of all chemical disinfectants is reduced by
the presence of dirt and other soiling matter.
 Disinfectants will not act at all where there is gross soiling.
 Disinfections with chemicals shall, therefore always follow or
be combined with a cleaning process.

o Temperature of Solution:
 In general, the higher the temperature the more effective will
be the disinfections. A warm or hot solution is therefore
preferable to a cold solution of disinfectant.
 There are, however, limitations to the temperature that they
may be used and the manufacture’s guidance shall be
followed. Iodophors release iodine at a temperature above
43o C (110o F), which can result in staining of materials. The
corrosive action of chlorine is increased when hot hypochorite
solutions are used.

o Time:
 All chemical disinfectants need a minimum contact time to be
effective. This minimum contact time will vary according to
the activity of the disinfectant.
o Concentration:
 The concentration of the chemical solution, which is required
will vary according to the conditions of use and shall be
suitable for the particular purpose and environment in which
it is to be used. The solutions shall therefore be made up
strictly according to the manufacture’s instructions.

o Stability:
  All disinfectant solutions shall be freshly made in clean
utensils.
 Topping up existing solutions or prolonged keeping of ready-
to-use dilute solutions may render the disinfectant solution
ineffective or may allow it to become a reservoir of resistant
organisms.
 Disinfectants may be inactivated if mixed with detergents or
other disinfectants. The strength of disinfectants shall be
checked regularly, particularly when diluted for use. Easy-to-
use inexpensive test kits are available for this purpose.

- Chemicals Suitable for Disinfections in Food Premises:

o Chemical disinfectants that are liable to taint the Food such as
phenolics shall not be used in Food Premises or vehicles.
o Care shall be taken that chemical disinfectants do not cause harm
to the personnel and when used in places where animals are kept
or transported, such as lairages and vehicles, do not cause distress
to the animals.
o Among the disinfectants more commonly used in the Food industry
are those listed below:
 Chlorine and Chlorine Based Products Including
Hypochlorine Compounds:
 They can be obtained as liquid hypochlorine solutions
containing 10,000 to 120,000 milligrams of available
chlorine per liter, or they can be combined with a
detergent in a chlorinated crystal from. These
disinfectants act rapidly against a wide range of
micro-organisms.
 These disinfectants shall be used at concentrations of
100 to 250 milligrams of available chlorine per liter.
 These groups of disinfectants are corrosive to metals
and they also have a bleaching action.
 Surfaces disinfected with them shall therefore be
subjected to a final rinsing as soon as possible after
an adequate contact time.
 Chlorine disinfectants with the exception of chlorine
dioxide are readily inactivated by the presence of
organic soil.

 Iodophors:
 They have a rapid action and wide range of
antimicrobial activity.
 A solution of about 25-50 milligrams per liter of
available iodine at pH < 4 is usually required for
disinfections of clean surfaces.
 They are readily inactivated by organic matter.
 Iodophors give a visual indication of their
effectiveness since they lose their color when the
residual iodine has dropped to ineffective levels.
  They are toxic when used in normal concentrations
but may add to the total dietary iodine load.
 They have little taste or smell, but may combine with
substances in the Food to cause taint.
 Iodophors may have a corrosive action on metals
depending on the particular formulations of the
Iodophors is being applied.
 For these reasons special care shall be taken to rinse
them away after use.

 Quaternary Ammonium Compounds:

 They are colorless and are relatively non-corrosive to
metal and non-toxic but may have a bitter taste.
 They are not as effective against gram-negative
bacteria as are chlorine, chlorine-based disinfectants
and Iodophors.
 The solutions tend to adhere to surfaces and thorough
rinsing is necessary.
 They shall be used at a concentration of
approximately 200-1200 milligrams per liter.
 The higher concentrations are necessary when used
with hard water.
 They are not compatible with soaps or anionic
detergents.

 Amphoteric Surfactants:
 They are of low toxicity, relatively non-corrosive,
tasteless and odorless and are efficient disinfectants
when used according to the manufacturer’s
recommendations.
 They are inactivated by organic matter.

 Strong Acids and Alkalies:

 They have considerable antimicrobial activity.
 Particular care shall be taken that they do not
contaminate food.
 After an adequate contact times all surfaces which
have been disinfected shall be subjected to a final
rinse with water.

- Monitoring of Procedures:
o The effectiveness of cleaning and disinfections procedures shall be
verified by microbiological monitoring of the product and Food
contact surfaces.
o Similar regular microbiological monitoring of the food at all stages
of production will also give information on the effectiveness of
cleaning and disinfections procedures.
 o When sampling of microbiological monitoring of equipment and
Food contact surfaces the use of a quenching (neutralizing) agent
is required to eliminate any residual disinfectant.

- Maintenance Requirements:
o Food establishment shall have an effective preventative
maintenance program to ensure that building construction &
equipment that may be impact on food safety functions as
intended.
o This includes :
 A list of equipment requiring regular maintenance.
 The maintenance procedures and frequencies e.g.:
equipment inspection, adjustment & parts replacements are
based on the equipment manufacturers manual or
equivalent, or are based on operating conditions that could
affect the condition of the equipment.
 Reason for activity.
o Equipment is maintained to ensure that no physical or chemical
hazard potentials result.
o Maintenance and calibration of equipment is performed by
appropriately trained personnel.
o Temperature control thermometers shall be calibrated six monthly
& records shall be maintained.
o Protocols including identification of equipment, calibration
methods, frequencies are established by the manufacturer for
equipment monitoring and \or controlling devices that may impact
on food safety.
o In addition to this information, records shall be indicating the
calibration results.
o All maintenance records shall be maintained.