A clearly defined sanitation program is one of the most important steps of any food manufacturing facility. There are a number of ways that bacteria or other potentially threatening organisms can be introduced into any manufacturing environment, and it’s important that a sanitation program, one that employees are trained upon and knowledgeable of, exists and that records of these activities are kept.
A great first step is an environmental program for abatement. This includes things like hand washing prior to entering the facility, foot baths/doorway foamers/floor beads in areas where foot or forklift traffic is high and drain cleaning programs. All of these help prohibit potential contamination coming in from outside the plant or areas within the plant that may be hidden from view, i.e. cracks in flooring or foundation.