Hygiene management in the food industry
Hygiene management in the food industry: five aspects that everyone should know.
Hygiene must be structured. Anyone who does not have a plan and does not apply a system will one day fail to meet the hygiene requirements of the food industry. This is why systematic hygiene management is necessary. But what is it?
Let’s first take a look at the term ‘hygiene management’. It is made up of hygiene and management.
Hygiene: According to Wikipedia, hygiene in the broader sense is ‘the totality of all endeavours and measures to prevent diseases and damage to health’. The term hygiene is derived from the ancient Greek ὑγίεια hygíeia, ‘health’ and from ὑγιεινή [τέχνη] hygieinḗ [téchnē], ‘art serving health’.
Management: The term originally comes from Latin and is composed of manus, ‘hand’ and agere, ‘to lead’, ‘to lead by the hand’; English ‘Leading’. According to the online dictionary, management is any goal-oriented human action of leadership, organisation and planning based on economic principles that encompasses all areas of life.
This means that the definition of hygiene management can be as follows: Hygiene management is the guided action of a person, an organisation, etc. that serves health or prevents illness and damage to health. It follows economic principles and encompasses all areas of life. This definition applies to the food industry.
Hygiene is comprehensive health protection.
What does hygiene management look like? Let’s take a look at the most important aspects.
1. HACCP concept: Proactive risk minimisation
Better safe than sorry. We know this saying from the past. Translated into today’s management language, it means: prevention is everything. We must act proactively. HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) is an internationally recognised system for identifying and monitoring risks in food production.
It is based on analysing the critical control points where contamination can occur. A well-implemented HACCP system helps to identify and minimise risks at an early stage. It is mandatory for food processing companies.
2. personnel hygiene: the basis for food safety
Anyone who deals with hygiene knows that the greatest hygiene risk is the human factor. Poor personnel hygiene is therefore the most common cause of food contamination. It is therefore essential that all employees who come into contact with food adhere to strict hygiene rules. This includes regular hand washing, wearing clean protective clothing, hairnets and gloves if necessary, cleaning shoes and general personnel hygiene. Modern hygiene technology is now an essential part of hygiene management.
3. facility hygiene: clean production environment as a basic requirement
In addition to personnel hygiene, facility hygiene plays a decisive role in hygiene management in the food industry. A clean and well-maintained production environment prevents microorganisms or foreign bodies from entering the food. This includes not only regular cleaning, but also the correct design of production facilities to minimise the risk of contamination.
One important measure is the separation of areas where raw and processed food is handled in order to avoid cross-contamination. The maintenance and regular cleaning of machinery and equipment is also important, as residues from production processes can lead to contamination. Ventilation systems, floors, walls and ceilings must also be easy to clean and in perfect condition. Last but not least, the machines themselves should be easy to clean and have hygienic properties.
4. cleaning and disinfection plans: a structured approach
As described above, management is more than just ideas and products, management is ‘guided action’. Effective cleaning and disinfection plans are therefore an important key to avoiding cross-contamination and reducing pathogens. Routine is important. These plans should clearly define which surfaces and equipment need to be cleaned, when and how. Particularly sensitive areas such as production lines where perishable food is processed require special attention. A well-structured cleaning plan should be fully documented and verifiable. Routine also harbours the risk of negligence.
5. traceability: rapid response in an emergency
And management means not only proactive action, but also active intervention in an emergency. In the event of a contamination incident, fast and complete traceability is crucial in order to quickly withdraw affected batches from circulation and prevent further damage. Good traceability makes it possible to precisely follow the path of a product from the raw material supplier to the end customer. Ideally, these systems are automated and can be called up at any time in order to be able to react quickly in an emergency.
Let us summarise: Hygiene management is the objective, planning, organisation, management and control of all measures that serve health. We are happy to support you in this – with our experience and our hygiene products, which serve both personnel and facility hygiene.
Contact us to find out more about our hygiene solutions for personnel and facility hygiene.
