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Is Your Food Safety Management Program Working For Your Business?

    

Food Safety Management Program

When creating food safety management plans, Food Safety and Quality Assurance (FSQA) managers must look at the big picture. In addition to choosing sanitation products that are effective and meet regulatory requirements, it is also important to think about the business as a whole. Regular sanitation and deep cleans will always require time and resources, but the more you can streamline processes, the more cost-effective your food safety management program will be. 

A proactive approach to food safety can also help reduce the risk of expensive product recalls and production line shutdowns for unscheduled deep cleanings. Consider these important factors when assessing and improving your food safety management program.

Product Efficacy

Sanitation products and protocols must meet minimum standards, but those are just a starting point. Choosing products that are proven to have high log kills will help ensure that environmental tests are passed the first time. This can reduce the frequency of reapplication—a process that typically requires more product, additional crew time, and production downtime, which are all avoidable expenses that reduce profits.

Efficacy against biofilms is also an important consideration. Many products that are effective against biofilms require mechanical scrubbing, which consumes time and resources. It is also important to consider how many applications are required to remove biofilms. Choosing products that are effective against biofilms without the need for mechanical scrubbing or multiple applications is a smart food safety strategy and business choice. Decon7 products remove biofilms with a single application and no mechanical scrubbing. 

Application Efficiency

The longer it takes sanitation crews to do their work, the more costly the process is. Look for products that are easy to mix and apply so you can optimize application efficiency. This may include equipment with timers, such as entryway foamers and timed foggers. Invest in equipment that doesn’t have to be moved because it taps into house air lines and has long hoses (like the D7 Foam Cannon), or is readily mobile with a built-in compressor or option to use the house air line (like the D7 spray wagon).  

Maximized Resources

The more you can get out of the sanitation crews and equipment you invest in, the more cost effective your food safety management system will be. For sanitation crews, providing products that are easy to apply and remove biofilms with no scrubbing allows for smaller crews that require less time per sanitation event. This leads to less production downtime because sanitation can happen between shifts, so production crews can promptly return to work. 

Clear protocols and regular training are also important for maximizing your resources. When crews understand sanitation processes, they can execute them more efficiently. This might include ensuring that products are appropriately diluted or showing employees how much product is needed to minimize waste.

Preventive solutions require a little investment, but they more than pay for themselves. Plant shutdowns due to cross contamination or bacteria outbreaks are costly, and recalls are even more expensive. Taking steps to prevent these situations will save money (and protect brand credibility) in the long run.

How Decon7 Helps

Decon7 provides proven products that can be applied as foam, spray, liquid, or fog. No scrubbing is required to remove pathogens and biofilms, which saves time and resources. We also provide reliable equipment, including foamers, electrostatic sprayers, foggers, timed entryway foamers, and more. 

With our professional consulting services, we can help you create a food safety management plan using Decon7 products and equipment. When you’re ready to deploy, we will provide training to ensure your team knows how to appropriately use the products and equipment to maximize efficiency and minimize waste. 

For more strategies on creating a food safety management program that allows you to maximize resources and protect your brand, read The Busy FSQA Manager’s Guide to Proactive Plant Sanitation.

The Busy FSQA Manager's Guide to Proactive Plant Sanitation