Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures
Michael Cramer says, “Think about when you were first starting out in the food industry, for example, in a FSIS regulated meat and poultry facility. Or, you transitioned from a FDA regulated facility to a USDA establishment. What do you need to do for an effective Sanitation Standard Operating Procedure? The thought can be so overwhelming at first, but it doesn’t need to be complicated. The basics are provided in this slide, and in the book Food Plant Sanitation: Design, Maintenance and Good Manufacturing Practices.”
Slide Content
USDA regulated food establishments will develop, implement and maintain Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOP’s), per 9 CFR 416
SSOP’s will, at a minimum, include the following:
– Procedures conducted sufficient to prevent direct contamination or adulteration of meat and/or poultry products
– Frequency pre-operational and operational procedures will be conducted
– Documented processes to be conducted prior to operations to verify the cleaning of food contact surfaces of facilities, equipment and utensils
– Methods to assure the facility operates under sanitary conditions
– Application of sanitizers to cleaned food contact surfaces
– Identification of the employee responsible for implementation of the SSOP’s and signed/dated by the individual with overall on-site
The SSOP does NOT require specifics on chemicals or utensils used for sanitation, chemical concentrations or methods.
The SSOP will be reassessed at least on an annual basis or if there are significant changes to the facility, equipment or personnel.