Tag Archives: sanitation

Cleanliness with Value Added Water Savings

Tank cleaning technology has advanced as improvements to hygienic standards have changed. As that change has taken place, priority has been placed on cleanliness of equipment and storage tanks, which helps to ensure quality in food products.

Many organizations such as 3-A have developed standards across the food industry specific to cleaning of a tank. Coupled with hygiene is the added task of reducing chemical and water usage. A common acronym that is used with tank cleaning methodologies is TACT which stands for Time, Action, Chemistry and Temperature (see figure 1.) New technology harnesses the time and action portions of the acronym and are displayed in the chart commonly referred to as the sinner circle.

Some of the new technologies include:

Static Spray Balls – Gently sprays cleaning fluid onto the tank walls, enabling the fluid to fall freely down the tank wall and provide uneven cleaning coverage.

Rotary Spray Heads – Has a higher impact force and higher wall shear stress compared to the static spray ball. This reduces cleaning time.

Rotary Jet Heads – By far the most effective tank cleaning technology available today.

Rotary Spray and Jet Heads can provide all the benefits of a static spray ball, but they can also help decrease water usage (see figure 2 and 3.)

For your reference, we have several videos on our YouTube channel that can explain this technology further.

Source: Alfa Laval

 

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How Clean is Clean?

Food manufactures know they must produce a safe, quality food product that their customers will continue to trust. To do this they must be diligent in their quality assurance programs. Are you giving your sanitation group the proper allotted time and training to always perform their duties correctly? If you are involved in food manufacturing you want to answer “YES.”  But in reality, you have to implement programs to ensure the effective cleaning of your processes and equipment prior to each day’s start of production.

To be proactive many food manufacturers use a surface ATP (adenosine triphosphate-the energy molecule stored in all microorganisms) bioluminescence testing method. The ATP that is measured from a sample may be from food residue, bacteria, yeast, mold or some combination of these. Keep in mind the ATP methods only give a broad indication of the presence of organic substances and not specific microorganisms. This is a quick and simple to use system designed to detect ATP on surfaces after cleaning and prior to applying sanitation chemicals. If the ATP level found surpasses your established threshold the equipment must be re-cleaned and tested to confirm the surface is clean. By utilizing ATP testing this allows the sanitization group to improve their work immediately.

Monitoring your facilities hygiene is critical when it comes to HARPC and HACCP compliance. As part of comprehensive food safety program, it can also bring a great deal of peace of mind. If you compare the investment in strengthening your sanitization program verses the total costs associated with an outbreak or product recall (consider possible harm to your customers, litigation costs, wasted product, production downtime, and damage to your brand), the choice becomes pretty clear.

Simply put, ATP testing methods are an important tool in looking beyond the surface when it comes to clean. Keep an eye out for more ATP news right here on the Wide Line blog, including exciting new developments in ATP technology provided by 3M later this year. In the meantime, we’re here to help you with all of your ATP and environmental testing needs! Help is just a click or a call away!

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A Year of Learning: Food Safety & QA/QC Courses Offered

Food Safety CalendarYou may have seen our announcement earlier this year that we started working with Cherney Microbiological Services to provide educational opportunities for customers interested in learning more about food safety, sanitation, and a host of other topics.

Well, we are happy to announce that Cherney has released their Cherney College course offerings for 2016!

Contact us at sales@nelsonjameson.com or call 800-826-8302 if you would like to learn more about any of the following course offerings or to register (early bird discounts are available for registrations submitted 30 days prior to the course date). Courses are held in Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Course Dates Cost
Advanced Food Microbiology February 24-25, 2016 $995.00
Plate Interpretation March 15, 2016 $595.00
Food Safety for Suppliers March 16, 2016 $695.00
Sanitation and Environmental Monitoring Essentials April 13-14, 2016 $1295.00
Introduction to Food Microbiology – The Basics June 8-9, 2016 $995.00
Chemistry Analysis in the Food Laboratory August 16-17, 2016 $995.00
Plate Interpretation September 21, 2016 $595.00
Advanced Food Microbiology November 9-10, 2016 $995.00

Custom on-site training is also available from Cherney; contact us for more information.

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Associated Illinois Milk, Food & Environmental Sanitarians (AIMFES)

AIMFES is a not-for-profit state corporation dedicated to serving its members and friends by providing timely educational seminars which relate to the production, processing, handling, manufacturing, serving and distribution of safe, high quality foods and also the environmental issues which affect food.

For more information: https://www.aimfes.org/whoweare.html

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The Constant Student: The Importance of Continuing Education in the Food Industry

Books and appleBenjamin Franklin is famously quoted as saying, “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” In the food industry, this old adage is put to the test each time consumers open up a food product or sit down for a meal. The ability to create a safe and high-quality product demands critical thought, innovation, vigilance, and a willingness to seek out best practices. The return on this investment comes in creating a product one can be proud of and in protecting the best interests and health of one’s customers.

Yet, making sense of regulations, rules, and best practices can be somewhat daunting for the average producer. Small and medium-sized operations especially may view something as comprehensive as the Food Safety Modernization Act as an imposing and confusing path they are not sure how to navigate. So, how can one balance the want for excellence with these sometimes seemingly overwhelming demands placed on food industry interests? Simply put, the best weapon against being overwhelmed comes through education.

Nelson-Jameson is working with Cherney Microbiological Services to provide accessible educational opportunities for operations of all sizes and levels of experience. This April 21st-22nd, consider taking part in “Sanitation and Environmental Monitoring Essentials,” a course for employees involved in facility control programs where attendees will learn about food microbiology, sanitation, and environmental programs in an interactive environment. The course will be held in Green Bay, Wisconsin and an early registration discount is available through March 25th ($1195 early or $1295 after March 25th).

Contact us for additional information or to learn more about the course. We would like to know your ideas/thoughts on needed topics that you would like to see addressed in future courses and/or training opportunities, leave a reply in the comments section below or contact us at sales@nelsonjameson.com.

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