 All equipment, utensils, and food contact surfaces in the processing facility should be cleaned and sanitized on a daily basis or more often if needed in order to prevent the adulteration of food products. Food contact surfaces are all surfaces that touch or are likely to touch sprouts. Surfaces that could indirectly contact sprouts are also considered food contact surfaces. In order to properly clean and sanitize equipment, utensils, and food contact surfaces, it's important that they be adequately constructed and maintained. The materials used for equipment, utensils, and food contact surfaces should be non-toxic, durable, and non-absorbent. In addition, equipment should be designed to be accessible for cleaning and sanitizing or be easily disassembled to allow for cleaning and sanitizing. It's important to understand the difference between cleaning and sanitizing, even though many people believe them to be synonymous, they are really two completely separate steps in an effective operation. Cleaning is the removal of organic material and debris from surfaces in preparation for sanitizing. Cleaning involves washing and rinsing and is usually done with detergents and soaps and physical scrubbing or agitation, followed by a potable water rinse. Sanitation is the reduction of pathogens and other microbes from the surfaces that have been cleaned, using various means, such as chemicals, heat, or other antimicrobial agents to yield a 99.999% reduction of pathogenic microorganisms. In order to properly conduct cleaning and sanitizing activities and to maximize the effectiveness of those activities, there is an order in which those activities should be conducted. First, any equipment that needs to be disassembled prior to cleaning should be taken apart. All surfaces should then receive a pre-rinse with potable water. Next, all surfaces and equipment should be effectively cleaned using hot water, at least 110 degrees Fahrenheit for manual wear wash, detergent, high pressure, or scrubbing as necessary. There are several factors that will influence the effectiveness of any cleaning program. For example, equipment pre-rinse, the type, strength, and temperature of detergent solution, exposure time, and the amount of physical scrubbing. The detergent's soap then should be completely rinsed off with potable water. Next, all surfaces should be sanitized with an antimicrobial agent approved for use in a food processing facility. Commonly used sanitizers include chlorine, quaternary ammonium, or iodine. It's important that the level of sanitizer be adequate to kill pathogens. When using chlorine, a level of 100 to 200 parts per million is considered acceptable. For safety and effectiveness, it's critical to follow label instructions when mixing and applying the sanitizers used. All sanitizer levels should also be checked and recorded. There are also several factors to consider when choosing a sanitizer such as what type of equipment or surface is to be sanitized, the temperature of the sanitizing solution, the pH and the hardness of the water in the facility, as well as the contact time of the sanitizer. When in doubt, consult with the chemical suppliers for guidance in the choice of detergents and sanitizers. Your SSOP should also detail what chemicals are to be used for each job, how and when they are to be mixed and applied, as well as all precautions to be taken when using each chemical. All chemicals should only be used as labeled and when safe. All chemical containers should be labeled properly. All chemicals should be stored in such a manner so as to not contaminate food, seeds, ingredients or packaging. Chemicals should not be stored on food contact surfaces and should not be stored in empty food or ingredient containers. Seeds or sprouts should not be stored in a container that previously stored chemicals. Check the labels of all chemicals and do not hesitate to contact the chemical supplier if you have questions. All cleaning and sanitation activities should be reviewed by a supervisor. This provides for uniformity in these activities and allows for changes if needed. If you have a written SSOP, it can help ensure procedures are adequate and consistently performed. Sanitation standard operational procedures detail how workers are to clean and sanitize, how sanitizers are to be used and mixed, and how and when tasks should be completed. SSOP should also detail how and where equipment and utensils are to be used and stored. The SSOP should be reviewed by management periodically and be updated as needed. Another way to check on the effectiveness of all cleaning and sanitation activities is to conduct environmental monitoring. There are various types of monitoring such as bacterial swabbing and the use of luminometers that use bioluminescence in showing whether a surface has been cleaned and sanitized properly. Workers measure the amount of organic matter that may be left on food contact surfaces after inadequate cleaning and sanitizing. The amount of organic matter is read in the form of numbers from one to six with anything under 2.5 being considered acceptable. This form of monitoring allows for immediate feedback and can pinpoint problem areas that need more thorough attention. Firms may conduct these monitoring activities in-house or they may choose to hire an outside lab. That lab should be qualified by the proper authorities in order to conduct monitoring activities. Check with your local or state authorities for qualified labs in your area. If a firm chooses to monitor in-house, proper procedures should be followed at all times and all monitoring should be documented and verifiable. It's always recommended that whatever methods used provide accurate results. The importance of acceptable equipment construction in proper cleaning and sanitizing activities can be summed up in one word, biofilm. Some common examples of biofilm in everyday life might include the plaque which can grow on our teeth or the algae in a stream growing on river rocks. As it relates to sprouts, biofilms are a collection of bacterial cells that attach to equipment and other surfaces in food plants and surround themselves with a protective layer of complex carbohydrates. These pathogens, such as Listeria, Salmonella and E. coli 0157H7, have been shown to form biofilms that can contaminate food products during production. Biofilms can be found on the surfaces of product lines, growing trays or drums, spinner baskets, stainless steel and plastic conveyor systems, and any food contact surface. Bacteria in biofilms are difficult to detect and control. Once established, the bacteria in biofilms are extremely resistant to sanitizers, disinfectants and heat treatment. However, biofilms take days to build up. Timely and proper cleaning and sanitizing can deactivate the bacteria in the early stages of formation. Sanitation workers should carefully follow all cleaning steps, pre-rinse, clean, post-rinse and sanitize every time. The cleaning crew should also carefully follow the directions for the concentration, temperatures and contact times for all cleaners and sanitizers. They should ensure that those cleaners and sanitizers used reach all food contact surfaces. This can be accomplished by inspecting all equipment and surfaces after cleaning, both visually and through microbiological monitoring of the environment. Following the SSOPs is critical in controlling biofilm formation. It's also important that any rusty, pitted or deteriorated equipment and food contact surfaces be repaired or replaced. Rust and deteriorated equipment allow for the growth of bacteria and become difficult to clean, which makes the formation of biofilms very easy. Pests can and do contaminate foods and transmit disease. Safe and effective control and exclusion is a priority. All insects, rodents and birds, as well as domestic animals, should be excluded from the facility at all times. Proper pest control and exclusion can be separated into two categories, physical controls and chemical controls. Physical controls include items such as window screens, screen doors, proper weather stripping of all doors, plastic curtains and air fans at all doorways. Even the practice of keeping all doors closed serves as a physical control. Proper removal and storage of waste products from the facility, removing old, unused equipment and maintaining the exterior ground surrounding a facility all serve to remove possible vermin attractants. Keeping a cleared space around the exterior perimeter of the building is also helpful. Proper storage of ingredients, finished products and packaging as well as the timely cleanup of spills and the proper lighting of the facility all help in discouraging vermin infestations. Physical controls consist of the use of pesticides, traps and baits in and around the facility. It's suggested that a licensed pest control operator conduct these activities. Any chemicals used in pest control applications should be acceptable for use in a food processing facility and their applications should not contaminate foods, ingredients or food packaging. All pest control chemicals should be stored properly. They should not be stored on food contact surfaces or in any areas of the facility where they could contaminate ingredients, finished products or packaging. All pest control activities should be routinely monitored and recorded. Proper monitoring will show the effectiveness of those activities and can identify areas that need more attention. Remember, chemical controls can only be effective when used in conjunction with well-established physical controls. The primary goal of a successful pest control program is to exclude all pests.