When it comes to washing and sanitizing work environments, many food processors rely on wet cleaning methods. And, with the industry’s increasingly rigorous standards, processing facilities following a HACCP program may often utilize a wet cleaning method that validates the cleanliness of surfaces and equipment.
Although wet cleaning methods—using high-pressure water to pre-rinse and then hot water to clean the processing floor and equipment—is a practical and proven cleaning procedure, if not properly executed, wet cleaning could allow the growth of harmful microorganisms, failure to remove allergens and contribute to lost productivity and wasted materials. The issue, however, is not with the “wet” process of the cleaning, but the proper “drying.” As outlined in the Five Keys to Safer Food manual by the World Health Organization (WHO), drying is integral to the prevention of bacteria spreading; specifically, if an item is not completely dried, residual bacteria can remain. In fact, within six hours, a single bacterium can multiply to over 16 million.