Sea food plant sanitation

Sea food plant sanitation

Seafood plant sanitation

Seafood sanitation has been defined as the controlling of all conditions or practices within the plant so that seafood processed is free from disease causing microorganisms and foreign matter.It is essential to provide the processor with guidelines that will give the consumer a high quality ,wholesome food.

Sanitation construction considerations

A hygienically designed plant can enhance the wholesomeness of all foods and dramatically improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the sanitation program.In a hygienic operation ,the employer or management team should ensure good housekeeping should be constantly vigilant against ineffective sanitary practices for all physical facilities ,unit operations,employees and materials .

site requirements 

 It should be clean and attractive .

 Clean premises should be maintained .

 Should be adequately drained .

 Should be free from excessive dusty roads ,yards.

 Should be equipped with capability to dispose off the seafood plant waste.

 Must supply an ample amount of potable water

 Adequate provisions should be made for wastewater discharge.

Construction requirements

Materials that do not absorb water and are easily cleaned ,resistance to corrosion and 

other deterioration. Openings should be equipped with air or mesh screens to prevent entry of insects , rodents , birds and other pests.

Ceilings

Should be constructed at least 3m high in work areas with material impervious to moisture .Acceptable material is portland cement plaster .Should be constructed of an impervious material such as waterproof concrete or tile.The material should be durable with a surface i,e; even enough to prevent accumulation of debris but Smooth enough to cause slipping and falling. A rough finish or use of embedded abrasive particles can reduce accidents. A frequently used surface is water based acrylic epoxy resin that provides a durable ,non absorbent, easy to clean surface that can double the life of the concrete floor.Finish should contain an abrasive material to provide a skid-resistant surface. Acid brick floors are known to satisfactory and durable. A drainage outlet should be provided in processing area for each 37 m2 of floor space .Floors in the processing area should have a slope to a drainage outlet of 2% and be uniform ,with no dead spots to trap water and debris.

All drains should contain traps. Drainage line should have an inside diameter at least 10cm and should be constructed of cast iron , steel or polyvinyl chloride .Drainage lines should be vented to outside air to reduce odors and contamination.All vents should screened to prevent entrance of pests into the plant.Connection of drains lines from toilets directly into sewage system can further reduce contamination.

Walls and windows

 Should be smooth and flat with a nonabsorbent material such as glazed tile , glazed brick , smooth surface portland cement plaster or other non toxic material.

 Concrete walls are satisfactory if they contain smooth finish.

 Although,Painting is discouraged, a nontoxic paint not lead based can be applied.

 Window sills, if present , should be slanted at 45 degree angle to    reduce      debris accumulation. 

Entrances

Should be constructed of rust resistant materials with tightly soldered or welded seams.

Double entry screened doors should be provided for outside entrances as well as air 

curtains over side doorways in the processing areas .

Processing equipment

 Should have a durable , smooth finish that is easily cleaned .

 Surface should be free of pits ,cracks and scale.

 Equipment should be designed to prevent contamination of products from 

lubricants ,dust and other debris.

 Hygienic design for cleaning ease .

 Should be installed and maintained to facilitate cleaning of equipment surfaces 

and surrounding areas. 

 It should be made up of stainless steel .

Cutting boards 

 Should be fabricated of a hard, non porous , moisture resistant material .

 Should be easy to remove for cleaning and should be kept smooth.

 Cutting board should be abrasion and heat resistant , shatterproof , and nontoxic.

 Should not contain material that will contaminate products.

Conveyor belts 

Should be constructed of moisture resistant material and easy to clean .

Should be designed to eliminate debris catching corners and inaccessible areas.

Contamination sources 

 Environment conditions at seafood plant location can contribute Within the 

plant and as well as contamination to products.The processing equipment, 

containers and work surfaces.Raw fish and processing environments are potential source of Listeria monocytogenes .Raw product if improperly harvested and subjected to unsanitary practices on vessel or truck , delayed refrigeration , improper handling 

 Workers 

 Equipments ,boxes, belts, tools ,walls , floors , utensils , supplies , and pests .

 Scombroid contamination is associated with some of dark fleshed , fast 

swimming fish. This is also called histamine poisoning and causes allergic reaction.

 Undercooked shellfish can be contaminated with Vibrio vulnificus and contain 

viral infections from hepatitis A.

Sanitation principles 

A seafood sanitation program must encompass proper handling of the sanitation tasks as well as personnel allocation.

Personnel allocation

In addition to the need for adequate cleaning methods and seafood facilities, a well 

qualified sanitarian is required. seafood plant manager is ultimately responsible for an effective sanitation program and the production of wholesome products, sanitation employees who are trained to maintain a clean plant must be provided. Cleaning Schedule

A cleaning schedule with sequential cleaning steps is essential.The schedule should be adopted for each area of the plant and should be followed. Continuous-use equipment should be cleaned at the end of each production shift. At the end of the production shift, this equipment should be disassembled, and all parts should be cleaned and sanitized. 

The following sanitation checks should be conducted:

1. Compliance with good manufacturing practices (GMPs) should be confirmed 

2. Effectiveness of equipment cleaning and sanitizing should be inspected.

3. Hand washing and sanitizing facilities and the appropriate solution strength 

should be checked.

4. The correct usage and storage of pesticides should be verified.

5. The proper processing and storage temperature should be verified to ensure reduced microbial growth.

High Hydrostatic Pressure Treatment

HHP processing is a viable treatment technique for use in reducing pathogenic microorganisms associated With food and in extending shelf life.

HHP has been applied to a variety of foods, including seafoods, fruit juices, sauces, and meats. HHP was effective in killing microorganisms in raw fish fillets, but its significant effect on the color and overall appearance of the product limits its application to the processing of fish for raw fish markets.

HHP offers seafood processors advantages such as reduced process time; retention of freshness,flavor, texture, appearance, and color; and reduced functionality alterations compared to traditional thermal processing.

HHP of 250 to 300 MPa for 120 seconds curtails many of the disease risks (such as from Vibrio parahaemolyticus, V. cholera, and V. vulnificus) associated with the consumption of raw oysters .

Ozone Generation

Ozone has utility in aquaculture to disinfect water and assist in filtration and for cooling tower water. Production units are available that concentrate oxygen from the air using pressure swing absorption (PSA), use air directly, or feed pure oxygen from another source. The most common is PSA, because the feed gas must be dried away (to prevent formation undesirable by-products from ozone formation) and the drying process is similar to the concentration process

RECOVERY OF BY-PRODUCTS

Waste management, including the recycling of seafood waste products, has become 

increasingly important. In addition to the economic considerations, an effective 

recovery system can contribute to a more hygienic operation 

Innovations in water conservation are:

● Wastewaters used for noncontaminating purposes in one area of a food processing 

operation are now being redirected to other areas that do not require potable water.

Closed water system food processing operations in which all process waters are 

continuously filtered to remove solid materials have been established.

● Dry conveying equipment has been utilized to replace water transport of solids.

Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point

Models

Seafood processing regulations, which became effective on December 18, 1997, 

require that a seafood processing plant (domestic and exporting foreign countries)

represent a preventive system of food safety controls known as hazard analysis and 

critical control point (HACCP). The basic concept of HACCP is to: 

(1) identify food safety hazards 

(2) establish controls at those operations 

HACCP provides a systematic approach for taking those measures that demonstrate to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), customers, and consumers that food safety and design are being practiced.Four raw fish workshops conducted by the NationalM MarineFisheries Service developed HACCP models for each region that identified between 23 and 26 steps with 5 to 11 critical control points. The HACCP model nsr breaded shrimp production identified 30 rawcess steps, with 9 identified as critical.Similar evaluations were made through analysis of cooked and raw shrimp processing. This surveillance model is designed to develop a seafood products 

inspection program to protect consumers, based on the HACCP concept.