Cleaning, and a vision for the future

Good cleaning and disinfection are paramount for the delivery of a product that is safe to eat. The basic principles remain unchanged. The thing that changes is the fact that it can be done in a smarter way. We let six professionals do the talking.

‘Clean’ is a term embedded in many details. You have hygiene barriers that are (hopefully) used by the staff in the correct manner, the washing and disinfecting of hands according to a strict protocol, appropriate clothing, cleaning and disinfectant agents approved by the food industry, the hygienic design of machines. Clean crates to store the products (see report 'Washing crates in the Netherlands' - which can be downloaded on our website), sanitised lorries that transport the crates to the client. Hygiene must be managed from A to Z, across the entire organisation.

New ISO 22000 standard 

On 26 September, NEN hosted a conference to introduce the new version of ISO 22000, the globally applied standard for the management of food safety and the base for the FSSC 22000 certificate. ISO published the English version in June. The previous version of ISO 22000 is from 2005. This standard has been adjusted and improved on several points. The definitions of various terms, for example, have been clarified in the updated version, and the text has also been adjusted to the ISO High Level Structure. The standard is now also better aligned with the ISO 9001 standard for quality and the ISO 14001 standard for the environment. This will make the integration of multiple systems easier.

Control and more openness

The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) recently published the compliance monitor for poultry slaughterhouses and, before that, the compliance monitor for the slaughterhouses for red meat. It becomes clear that the NVWA, with regard to working in a hygienic manner, sees points of improvement on a number of subjects. Especially the compliance of regulations for cleaning & disinfecting (C&D) of means of transportation has decreased over the past period. The NVWA believes that improvements in this regard are urgent and necessary. 'This is particularly important with respect to the prevention of contagious diseases such as avian influenza (bird flu).' Both compliance monitors now also contain the names of organisations, which is a first. This gives more insight into the hygiene and animal welfare situation in individual companies and it explains more about how the NVWA inspects the slaughterhouses. The NVWA also expects that the publication of names will also be an incentive to slaughterhouses to learn from each other. "Why is a certain slaughterhouse performing better and what can be learned from that? When the names of the best performing slaughterhouses are made public, it can have an encouraging effect on others. This may result in less-performing slaughterhouses feeling challenged to implement improvements", says Jan Meijer, Inspection Manager with the NVWA: "Partly thanks to the inspections, the compliance by slaughterhouses, in general, has strongly improved since 2014. But there can still be significant differences between the companies. It is, therefore, good to indicate how the individual companies perform on the different aspects of animal welfare and hygiene".

'The demands that are imposed on hygiene in the food industry and the inspections are getting more and stricter', is a much-heard remark. Is this true? 

Wouter Burggraaf, owner of Burggraaf and Partners: "I don't think that the requirements as such are getting stricter, but they are being applied in a more consequent manner. The basis for this, which was established in the 1980s by Unilever and which was then passed on in the European Hygienic Engineering and Design Group, is still standing. The legislation requires, via the Machine Guidelines, that equipment and machinery for the food products industry have to comply with the minimum requirements regarding cleanability. These requirements are further determined in the NEN-EN 1672-2 standard. This standard can be considered as a summary of 60 pages of ground rules, which can also be found in the 2,000 pages of the EHEDG guidelines. When you comply with these, you also comply with the minimum requirements as established in the Machine Guidelines.

Therefore, all the machinery and equipment used in the food products industry must be cleanable to a microbial level. This means not just visibly clean, but also invisibly clean. EHEDG has developed a testing method that can be used to verify this. The design principles have, in turn, been established in the almost 50 guidelines published by the EHEDG in the meantime (www.ehedg.nl, for English: www.ehedg.org). Machinery and equipment that pass the tests will get an EHEDG class EL-1 certificate. In the Netherlands, these tests are carried out on behalf of the EHEDG by TUV Rheinland in Arnhem.

Wouter continues: "As the industry is becoming more aware that a recall caused by a microbiology that is too high can be attributed to an insufficiently hygienic design, and because there are more EHEDG certified equipment and machinery available, these requirements more and more become part of the provisions within the design. After such a recall, the production lines are also immediately adjusted according to the EHEDG guidelines. Manufacturers of baby food have invested heavily in this since 2007, and also the vegetable and meat processing industry is applying the principles increasingly often. Manufacturers of baby food have now upgraded these requirements even further, not just for the equipment, but also for the zoning at the premises, such as for production and maintenance staff, and the air control."

As a food company, how do you know that you are buying a machine, or installation, which has really been designed with a view on hygiene, even into the smallest corners? 

Wouter Burggraaf: "For smaller components that are cleaned in-line (CIP), such as pumps, valves, and instruments, the EHEDG certificate offers a guarantee that the equipment can be cleaned up to that invisible, microbial level. For larger machinery, such a meat processing equipment or entire production lines, there are only a few specialist advisory agencies within the EU that conduct inspections based on drawings and performance, followed by a cleaning validation. Burggraaf & Partners is one of these agencies (www.burggraaf.cc). You can ask a machine builder to give insight into how they validated the cleaning."

Where is the innovation when it comes to improving hygiene in the food industry? 

We asked Leo Frings, Director of Qlean-Tec | Christeyns and Gert Visscher, Director/Owner of Eco2Clean.

Leo Frings: "A lot is done to make machines and materials easier to clean (EHEDG). You see, for example, that nanotechnology is increasingly used, as well as coatings that ensure less dirt adhesion. We also apply new methods for disinfection (chlorine dioxide, Ozon, and UV radiation) and we look at the applicability of these methods after and during the production process. However, the most important aspects are attention, control, and measurability while always bearing in mind that the achieved result and final goal are the focal points, and certainly not just the amount of work it takes. In order to guarantee the food safety and to maintain a constant quality in hygiene, we absolutely need a widespread awareness of which standard is required where and when. This will allow you to make improvements within your own company."

Gert Visscher: "The keyword is insight. Insight will give you an overview after which well-founded choices can be made. For this, the availability of a good registration system, preferably with extensive analysis systems, is a must. Having that at the back of our minds, we already started working on the development of our HIMS software tool in 2010. This online registration system is not a stand-alone but must be supported by a clear communication and consultation structure. Cleaning is an integral part of a company. When the production, cleaning, and technical services are constantly in consultation with each other, bottlenecks are determined and fixed on the spot. Our HIMS App, which is used on the production floor, makes this communication even easier. During a periodical meeting, the frequent analyses are discussed and agreements are made about improvements that must be implemented. This work method prevents a lot of miscommunication and ambiguities."

Just as in the food industry itself, the cleaning must be done increasingly more efficient and fast (or so it seems), both cheaper and more eco-friendly (using less water, fewer chemicals). Do you recognise this development? And if so, how do make sure that the end result maintains the required quality?

Gert Visscher confirms the dilemma many companies find themselves in. "Production areas are filled with equipment and machines to realise even more capacity. When the production finally halts, a bunch of cleaners is swooped in and released on the production floor", Gert Visscher exaggerates. "They have to carry out the cleaning in as little time as possible. An almost impossible task. The already limited time for cleaning is often shortened even more due to, for example, disruptions or malfunctions during the production (often caused by a lack of structural technical maintenance), or because there are ad hoc commissions from the retail sector. The production will then continue for a much longer period, which will be at the expense of the cleaning result. This may result in substantial hygiene risks."

"The degree of how clean an object or component has to be, partly depends on the kind of product you work with. Are the products susceptible to contaminations? Do the micro-organisms in the area where the production takes place have a good or very little chance to grow?

After that, we look at the organisation of the cleaning process. Are the cleaning staff properly trained? How do you ensure as little staff turnover as possible? Is there a fixed consultation structure?

We use a simple rule of thumb: 'Too much cleaning costs money; too little cleaning will be at the expense of the quality'. We ask our clients to look at the cleaning process as a whole, so they can make conscious choices. Most of the times, this will result in a reduction of the cleaning costs."

Leo Frings: "We certainly recognise this trend. Efficiency can best be found in preventing soiling. Try to work as clean as possible, organise intermediate cleaning, avoid calcification, rust, and sticky beaten egg whites. The more people are aware of 'where dirt cannot reach, no or less cleaning is required', and the more efficient you can work.

People often think that less time, water, and chemicals will reduce the costs. But this approach mostly leads to stubborn dirt, which requires more effort to remove.

The Sinner Circle will not be misguided; Chemicals, Temperature, Power, and Time affect each other. You will have to know and accept where the limitations are, you need to establish your minimal parameters and maintain them at the required minimum. When this has been done, you can look at systems and methods that can have an effect on the origin and the degree of soiling, and on the impact on the entire process. So, first you need to determine your result, then you establish the fixed factors and the basis of acceptance. Only then you assess which variables can be changed in order to achieve a more positive result. The only thing that counts is Total Cost in Use. In my opinion, cleaning is an essential part of the production process. And hygiene is an integral part of the final product and it needs the same care and attention as the product itself. You cannot leave out elements that are crucial to your process. New cleaning methods and agents can help, but they must be applied in a technically responsible manner, not based on commercial falsehoods. The desired end result is leading."

Why is a good air distribution so important for safeguarding the hygiene in the food products industry? What is the concrete effect of it on the production floor? And how can you make sure that the air supply ducts do not become a source of possible contamination?

Rolf Langeweg, manager Smitsair-JETsystemen BV: "The air stream is of vital importance for the production process. Over the years, we have gained a lot of expertise in the food industry through simulations and measurements. This has resulted in our inducing Smitsair JET system that ensures a proper ventilation of the entire space with clean, conditioned (ventilation) air. Moisture on ceilings, walls, and floor is disposed of faster together with the circulating 'dirty' air stream. This is done by our JET grilles, of which the ventilation direction is adjusted in such a way to provide the optimal ventilation without blowing on the products or causing hindrance to the employees. A minimum number of air ducts in the area, making sure that the blind spots are kept to a minimum as well, will create a homogeneous climate. The air ducts are easy to clean, both internally and externally, in compliance with the EHEDG guidelines."  

Last but not least, a view on the future: What will the cleaning industry look like in 5 years’ time? 

René Bakker, account manager Hago Food & Industry: "I was asked the same question about 10 years ago. I said that we were on the brink of far-reaching automation of open plant cleaning but, at the time, we didn't have the financial means to make machines self-cleaning. In the beverage industry, you already had the Krones filling stations which had a completely automated cleaning and disinfection system. A matter of copy-paste, you would think. But the economic crisis brought this development to a standstill. Now we see the introduction of (cleaning) robots in the healthcare and domestic care sector, including robot vacuum cleaners, floor polishers, and washing installations for beds. Even so, this development is lagging in the food industry. The ROI often proves to be a big stumbling block in the world of huge discounts, 2-for-1 promotions, and cut-price meat; the margins are small and people expect short payback periods. You do see that production environments and machines are increasingly often made according to a good hygienic design. They soil less easily, but the desired hygiene level rises at the same time. Legislators, customers, and the own quality services demand even cleaner production lines and areas. This requires manpower, it takes more effort. Even with a correct, optimal alignment between means, materials, machines, and chemicals, we haven't seen significant savings in time over the past few years.

The integration of cleaning processes within process installations continues. Also from the idea that we have to facilitate the cleaning staff as much as we can. The shortage in the labour market is also noticeable in the industrial cleaning branch. But cleaning staff are still needed in five years’ time, so the question is: How do we commit them to us? That's not so easy, the image of food cleaning is far from sexy. I believe that the cleaner deserves more than the status of 'the person who turns off the lights'. Why would you only take good care of your production staff? Professional cleaners work hard, so give these cleaning specialists a voice and appreciate them as full employees in your organisation."

Hugo ter Hoeve, (co-)owner of Simpel Desinfecteren, agrees: "Well-trained cleaning staff is already hard to find, this really becomes a problem. Cleaning companies are now trying their best to train their staff well, because it is a huge responsibility to clean and disinfect production areas properly, every day of the year, year in year out, in order to guarantee the food safety at all times".
No one can tell what the future will bring, of course, but I do see some developments that might just continue to grow. Cleaning and disinfection products are becoming more effective thanks to more know-how and research, and new methods are implemented. Look at cleaning products based on enzymes and disinfectants based on ionisation, and what about automated disinfection. This saves time and staff. The legislation, and especially the inspections, will only become stricter. We currently have a strong enforcement on Listeria. That will also happen on Campylobacter and Clostridium. In the Netherlands, we have reached a high standard thanks to the strict legislation and proper enforcement. These measures may not always be very convenient for the manufacturers, but they are vitally important.

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