Risk Management by Hygienic Design and Efficient Sanitation Programs

Hygiene in food processing factories is highly dependent on hygienic design of the process lines and equipment as well as on cleaning efficiency. Principles of hygiene design are simple but several faults appear in food processing premises. Hygienically designed process lines are supposed to be cleanable but still optimization of cleaning programs is worthwhile. Cleaning of complex equipment is very challenging. Choosing suitable cleaning agents and disinfectants for various food processing equipment and process environment requires knowledge about efficacy of chemicals and properties of surface materials. It is important to apply the knowledge of good cleaning practices in everyday cleaning routines in food factories and improve sanitation programs constantly. The seminar on risk management by hygienic design and efficient sanitation programs was held in Tallinn (Estonia) 4th - 6th of May 2009. This final seminar of SAFOODNET EU-project (Food Safety and Hygiene Networking within New Member States and Associated Candidate Countries; FP6-022808-2006) provided information about hygienic design and cleaning procedures and concluded the pilot case studies performed during this 3-year-project. Participants were challenged to create risk management plans for different imaginary factories using all the knowledge gained in the workshops and seminars of the project. These groupworks interactively summarized the lectures and more importantly built firm network between group participants. The groupworks as well as participant abstracts on risk management are published in this publication.