Food processing facility sanitation is an integral part of good manufacturing practices.
Effective sanitation aids in ensuring the wholesomeness, safety and quality of shell eggs.
The negative impacts on food safety and egg quality are a result of microbial growth.
Research has shown that ineffective cleaning and sanitation practices or programs can lead
to reduced quality duration or potential product contamination.
Residual microorganisms can lead to egg spoilage or foodborne illness.
A variety of styles of egg processing equipment, packaging, and storage are utilized.
Throughout the training modules, multiple examples will be presented.
These modules use current machines, but the sanitation principles apply regardless of
the type of machine.
Each style of equipment has different characteristics, technologies and capabilities.
In general, accessibility to the components of egg processing equipment has increased
in modern versions.
In older processing lines, it may be challenging to view all areas during sanitation inspection
which could increase the time needed to fully assess.
Detection techniques for cracks, bloods, and dirts can vary from human perception to digital imaging.
All are effective in determining egg quality.
The footprint of the processing line, as well as mechanisms to be inspected can be drastically
different between processing lines.
Specifically, the mechanisms and materials associated with egg orientation and transfer
can look very different.
Additionally, the manner in which eggs move from carriage baskets to the packer lane can
employ any combination of brushes, trampolines, and cups.
Furthermore, robots are being added to both modern and legacy processing lines to aid
in processing efficiency.
Before conducting sanitation procedures or inspection, it is important to be familiar
with the design and components of any processing line.
Similar models of processing equipment may have different features based on the preferences
of the egg processor.
Most of this training series will focus on the United States Department of Agriculture
- Agricultural Marketing Service pre-operational sanitation inspection expectations.
However, remember that the Food and Drug Administration has oversight of consumer shell eggs in the
United States as stated in 21 CFR 117.
Additionally, customers, accrediting organizations (such as Safe Quality Food, British Retail
Consortium Global Standard, and others), as well as state and local regulatory agencies
may have additional facility sanitation expectations that can impact your facility.
AMS sanitation requirements are meant to protect the integrity of the USDA grademark by requiring
additional sanitation expectations at facilities that utilize AMS voluntary grading services.
To meet these goals, AMS inspectors will assess for voluntary grading program requirements
during the pre-operational sanitation inspection and throughout processing operations by utilizing
organoleptic inspection assessments.
While AMS may review microbial test results as part of certain export programs, AMS does
not conduct nor require swabbing or biological testing during routine sanitation assessments.
So what is organoleptic inspection?
Organoleptic inspection assessments include sight, smell, and touch.
However, microbial growth will not always be seen, smelled, or felt.
During pre-operational sanitation inspections, AMS assessments focus on areas of direct egg
contact (defined as critical areas) and other machine and facility areas that do not come
in direct contact with the eggs (defined as non-critical areas).
Within critical and non-critical areas, satisfactory or unsatisfactory findings will be recorded
based on the assessment of cleanliness at time of observation.
Let’s further define the terms we will be using.
Critical areas are defined as equipment with potential surface contact with eggs or come
in contact with wash water or air blown to dry the eggs.
More detail on critical areas will be presented in subsequent modules focused on specific
sections of the processing equipment and facility.
Critical unsatisfactory conditions, if allowed to continue, present a high risk of a detrimental
effect to the product through direct contact or exposure with the unsanitary equipment
or condition.
Critical areas MUST be cleaned prior to the start of the processing day.
An unsatisfactory finding will delay processing until corrective actions have been implemented.
Non-critical areas are defined as areas that are not likely to imminently affect product quality.
Non-critical does not mean it is not important.
Non-critical unsatisfactory conditions should be addressed after the processing line has
been started, unless unable to safely do so during processing.
A non-critical deficiency that continues to occur over time can become a critical deficiency
and prevent the start of the processing day until corrected.
In instances where the correction of deficiencies will require additional time or labor-intensive
intervention, plant management should defer to the AMS Supervisor to reconcile a timeframe
to correct the deficiency.
In addition to the processing equipment, pre-operational sanitation inspection includes:
Outside grounds Air handling equipment (such as vents and fans)
Ceilings, walls, and floor
Cold storage Dry storage
Loading docks Transportation equipment (such as forklifts,
pallet jacks, and carts) Employee welfare areas (lunch rooms, break
rooms, and restrooms) and Support areas (boiler rooms, chemical
areas, maintenance shops, and janitorial closets). More detail on what is included in the pre-operational
inspection will be covered in the modules.
Egg processing facilities shall be thoroughly cleaned at the end of each operating day.
The term reasonably clean is applied during the egg processing shift to indicate that
equipment and processing areas are maintained with minimum egg meat accumulation.
Although a reasonable amount of egg and organic matter buildup is expected while processing
a raw agriculture commodity, equipment and processing facilities should not be allowed
to remain in an unkept manner.
Food processing facility sanitation is an integral part of good manufacturing practices.
This introduction covered the basics of the AMS pre-operational sanitation inspection
expectations.
However, management and employees should always be aware of any facility sanitation expectations
beyond those found in the AMS voluntary grading program requirements.
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