Model Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures

The following model SSOP addresses the sanitation concerns for a fictional seafood company processing cooked ready-to-eat shrimp. SSOPs will vary from facility to facility because each facility and process is designed differently. This SSOP is for illustrative purposes only and does not constitute a recommendation by the National Seafood HACCP Alliance. The use of trade names does not constitute endorsement by the National Seafood HACCP Alliance for any specific product. 

1. SAFETY OF THE WATER THAT COMES INTO CONTACT WITH FOOD OR FOOD-CONTACT SURFACES, OR IS USED IN THE MANUFACTURE OF ICE.


Control Measures

All water used in the plant is from a reliable municipal water system. The water system in the plant was designed and installed by a licensed plumbing contractor, and meets current community building codes. All modifications to the plumbing system will be completed by a licensed plumbing contractor and will be inspected to ensure conformance with local building codes. All hoses inside and outside the plant have anti-siphoning devices installed. Floors are sloped to facilitate drainage.

Monitoring Procedures

The municipal water district routinely monitors the water to ensure that it meets state and federal water quality standards. The quality assurance supervisor receives and reviews annual reports of municipal water quality.

Twice a year, and when modifications are made to the plumbing system, water samples from at least four locations in the plant are sent to a private testing laboratory and examined for the presence of coliforms. Cultures testing positive for coliforms are examined for the presence of fecal coliforms. The quality assurance supervisor receives and reviews the laboratory reports.

Hoses are inspected daily during production for the presence of antisiphoning devices. Processing area floors are inspected daily during production for adequate drainage.

Corrective Actions

In the event of municipal water treatment failure, the plant will stop production, determine when the failure occurred, and embargo all products produced during the failure until product safety can be assured. Production will resume only when water meets state and federal water quality standards.

If in-plant sampling indicates the presence of coliforms in more than 5% of plant water samples, the plant will contact the municipal water system and inspect the plumbing system to determine the source of the coliforms. Corrections will be made to the plumbing system, if necessary, to correct problems.

If in-plant sampling indicates the presence of fecal coliforms in any plant water sample, the plant will stop production and embargo all products until product safety can be assured. The plant will contact the municipal water system and inspect the plumbing system to determine the source of the fecal coliforms. Corrections will be made to the plumbing system, if necessary, to correct problems. Production will resume only when water meets state and federal water quality standards.

Hoses without antisiphoning devices will be red-tagged and will not be used until antisiphoning devices have been installed. Floors with standing water will have the drains unplugged, or, if necessary, consultations will be held with plumbing or general contractors and corrections will be made to correct floor drainage problems.

Record Keeping

Reports are kept for municipal water quality, in-plant water quality testing, and corrective actions. Hose inspections, floor drainage inspections, and corrective actions are recorded on the Daily Sanitation Report.

2. CONDITION AND CLEANLINESS OF FOOD CONTACT SURFACES, INCLUDING UTENSILS, GLOVES, AND OUTER GARMENTS.


Control Measures

Food-contact surfaces are adequately cleanable.

Food-contact surfaces are cleaned and sanitized twice each day during processing.

In the morning before processing. Food-contact surfaces are rinsed with cold water and sanitized with a 100-ppm sodium hypochlorite sanitizer.

At the midday break. Major solids are physically removed from floors, equipment, and food-contact surfaces. Equipment is disassembled as required for adequate cleaning. All surfaces are rinsed with cold water. Equipment and food-contact surfaces are scrubbed using brushes with a chlorinated alkaline cleaner in warm (120ºF) water. All surfaces and floors are rinsed with cold water. Food-contact surfaces are sprayed with a 100-ppm sodium hypochlorite sanitizer solution. Floors are sanitized with a 400-ppm quaternary ammonium chloride sanitizer. Utensils are cleaned in a deep sink with a chlorinated alkaline cleaner, rinsed in hot water (190ºF), soaked in a 100-ppm sodium hypochlorite sanitizer for at least 10 minutes, and rinsed in hot water (190ºF) prior to use.

At the end of the shift. Major solids are physically removed from floors, equipment, and food-contact surfaces. Equipment is disassembled as required for adequate cleaning. All surfaces are rinsed with cold water. Equipment and food-contact surfaces are scrubbed using brushes with a chlorinated alkaline cleaner in warm (120ºF) water. All surfaces and floors are rinsed with cold water. Floors and walls are sprayed with a 400-ppm quaternary ammonium chloride sanitizer solution. Utensils are cleaned in a deep sink with a chlorinated alkaline cleaner, rinsed in hot water (190ºF), soaked in a 100-ppm sodium hypochlorite sanitizer for at least 10 minutes, and air-dried.

Workers working with raw and cooked products wear clean gloves, waterproof aprons and waterproof boots. Waterproof aprons are cleaned and sanitized twice each day, at the midday break and at the end of the shift. Administrative personnel wear smocks and waterproof boots when in processing areas. Smocks are laundered in-house as needed. Maintenance workers wear gray uniforms and waterproof boots. Uniforms are laundered in-house as needed.

Monitoring Procedures

The sanitation supervisor inspects food-contact surfaces to determine if they are adequately cleanable and are clean and sanitized before processing begins and after each clean-up period. Production supervisors monitor the use of gloves and the cleanliness of workers outer garments.

Corrective Actions

Food-contact surfaces that are not adequately cleanable are repaired or replaced. Food-contact surfaces that are not clean are recleaned. Gloves that become a potential source of contamination are cleaned and sanitized or replaced. Outer garments that become a potential source of contamination are cleaned and sanitized or replaced.

Record Keeping

Condition of food-contact surfaces, sanitation inspections, use and cleanliness of gloves, cleanliness of worker outer garments, and corrective actions are noted on the Daily Sanitation Report.

3. PREVENTION OF CROSS-CONTAMINATION FROM INSANITARY OBJECTS TO FOOD, FOOD-PACKAGING MATERIAL AND OTHER FOOD CONTACT SURFACES, INCLUDING UTENSILS, GLOVES, AND OUTER GARMENTS, AND FROM RAW PRODUCT TO COOKED PRODUCT.


Control Measures

Production supervisors have received basic food sanitation training. Workers wear hairnets, headbands, caps, beard covers, or other effective hair restraints and do not wear jewelry or other objects that might fall into the product, equipment, or containers. Workers wear disposable gloves and replaced them as needed. Workers wash their hands and gloves thoroughly and sanitize them before starting work, after each absence from their workstation, and anytime they have become soiled or contaminated.

Clothing and personal belongings are not stored in production areas. Workers do not eat food, chew gum, drink beverages, or use tobacco in production areas. Workers wear color-coded aprons (blue aprons in raw product areas and white aprons in cooked product areas) and are not allowed to enter or pass through other processing areas.

Workers sanitize their boots in boot baths containing 800-ppm quaternary ammonium chloride sanitizer solution before entering processing areas. Boot sanitizing solutions are changed every 4 hours during production.

Cleaning and sanitizing equipment is color-coded for specific plant areas: blue for raw-product processing areas, white for cooked-product processing areas, and yellow for toilet facilities and general plant cleaning.

Plant grounds are in a condition that protects against contamination of food. Waste is removed from processing areas every 4 hours during production.

Plant buildings are maintained in good repair. Raw-product processing and cooked-product processing areas are separated. Drip or condensate does not contaminate food or packaging materials. Safety-type light fixtures are used in processing and packaging areas. Coolers, including the evaporators, are cleaned annually, or more often if needed. Nonfood-contact surfaces in processing and packaging areas are cleaned daily at the end of the shift.

Raw and cooked products are physically separated in coolers. Packaging materials are protected from contamination during storage.

Monitoring Procedures
PR>Plant manager schedules basic food sanitation courses for new production supervisors.

Production supervisors monitor hair restraint use, glove use, hand washing, personal belonging storage, eating and drinking in processing areas, and boot sanitizing.

Sanitation supervisor monitors use of proper sanitation equipment and removal of waste from processing areas.

Sanitation supervisor inspects plant and coolers before processing begins. Sanitation supervisor inspects packaging material storage area and plant grounds daily.

Corrective Actions

New production supervisors receive basic sanitation instruction.

Workers correct deficiencies in hair restraint use, glove use, hand washing, personal belonging storage, eating and drinking in processing areas, and boot sanitizing before working with raw or cooked products.

Sanitation equipment that is being used in the wrong plant area is cleaned and sanitized and exchanged for correct equipment. Sanitation supervisor initiates correction of any potentially contaminating condition.

Raw and cooked products are physically separated and potentially contaminated cooked products are re-cooked or destroyed.

Record Keeping

Training records indicate that production supervisors have received basic food sanitation training.

Hair restraint use, glove use, hand washing, personal belonging storage, eating and drinking in processing areas, boot sanitizing, use of proper sanitation equipment, plant grounds and waste inspections, plant and cooler inspections, packaging material storage inspections, and corrective actions are noted on the Daily Sanitation Report.

4. MAINTENANCE OF HAND WASHING, HAND SANITIZING, AND TOILET FACILITIES.


Control Measures

Toilet facilities are provided off the worker's dressing room, physically separated from processing areas. Toilet facilities have self-closing doors, are maintained in good repair, and are cleaned and sanitized daily at the end of the shift.

Hand washing facilities are provided in raw and cooked processing areas and in the toilet facility. Hand washing facilities have: hot and cold running water with foot activated valves; liquid sanitizing hand soap; hand sanitizer solutions that are changed every 4 hours during production; sanitary towel service; Signs directing workers to wash their hands and gloves thoroughly and sanitize them before starting work, after each absence from their workstation, and anytime they have become soiled or contaminated; and refuse receptacles.

Monitoring Procedures

Sanitation supervisor inspects the toilet facilities and hand-washing facilities daily.

Corrective Actions

Sanitation supervisor initiates cleaning of dirty toilet facilities and correction of any potentially contaminating condition. Repairs are made as needed.

Record Keeping

Inspections of toilet and hand washing facilities and corrective actions are noted on the Daily Sanitation Report.

5. PROTECTION OF FOOD, FOOD-PACKAGING MATERIAL, AND FOOD-CONTACT SURFACES FROM ADULTERATION WITH LUBRICANTS, FUEL, PESTICIDES, CLEANING COMPOUNDS, SANITIZING AGENTS, CONDENSATE, AND OTHER CHEMICAL, PHYSICAL, AND BIOLOGICAL CONTAMINANTS.


Control Measures

Cleaning compounds, sanitizers and lubricants used in processing and packaging areas are listed in the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety and Inspection Service's "List of Proprietary Substances and Nonfood Compounds Authorized for use under USDA Inspection and Grading Programs" (FSIS Miscellaneous Publication No. 1419). Food-grade and non-food-grade chemicals and lubricants are stored separately outside processing and packaging areas. Food, food-packaging materials and food-contact surfaces are protected from adulteration from biological, chemical and physical contaminants.

Monitoring Procedures

Invoices are checked at receiving before chemicals are stored in the food-grade chemical storage area. Sanitation supervisor inspects chemical storage areas daily and inspects processing and packaging areas daily before production begins.

Corrective Actions

Unapproved chemicals are returned or used in non-processing areas. Improperly stored chemicals are moved to the correct storage area. Sanitation supervisor initiates correction of any potentially contaminating condition. Repairs are made as needed.

Record Keeping

Invoices are kept for food-grade chemicals and lubricants. Chemical storage area, processing and packaging area inspections and corrective actions are noted on the Daily Sanitation Report.

6. LABELING, STORAGE, AND USE OF TOXIC COMPOUNDS.


Cleaning compounds, sanitizing agents, lubricants, and pesticide chemicals are properly labeled and are stored outside processing and packaging areas and separately from packaging materials. Food-grade chemicals and lubricants are stored separately from non-food-grade chemicals and lubricants.

Monitoring Procedures

Sanitation supervisor inspects chemical storage areas daily.

Corrective Actions

Unlabeled chemicals are removed from storage areas and properly disposed. Improperly stored chemicals are moved to correct storage areas.

Record Keeping

Chemical storage area inspections and corrective actions are noted on the Daily Sanitation Report.

7. CONTROL OF EMPLOYEE HEALTH CONDITIONS THAT COULD RESULT IN THE MICROBIOLOGICAL CONTAMINATION OF FOOD, FOOD-PACKAGING MATERIALS, AND FOOD-CONTACT SURFACES.


Control Measures

Workers are instructed to report to their immediate supervisor any health condition that might result in food contamination.

Monitoring Procedures

Supervisors report suspected health problems to the plant manager. The plant manager decides if a potential food contamination situation exists.

Corrective Actions

Workers who represent a potential risk are sent home or reassigned to non-food-contact jobs.

Record Keeping

Worker health and corrective actions are noted on the Daily Sanitation Report.

8. EXCLUSION OF PESTS FROM THE FOOD PLANT.


Control Measures

A pest management firm treats the outside of the building every other month. They also inspect the interior of the building and treat as necessary with appropriate chemicals. Plant grounds and interior areas are kept free of litter, waste, and other conditions that might attract pests. Outer plant doors are kept closed, processing areas are screened with plastic curtains, and electric bug-killing devices are located outside entrances to processing areas. No pets are allowed in the plant. Supervisors report any pest problems to the plant manager.

Monitoring Procedures

The plant manager reviews reports of pest treatment. The sanitation supervisor inspects the plant's exterior and interior daily.

Corrective Actions

The pest management firm is notified of any pest problem and treats the problem. Pest treatments are more frequent if problems are identified.

Record Keeping

Records of pest treatment. Plant inspections and corrective actions are noted on the Daily Sanitation Report.

Reviewed by (Plant Manager):
Date:

1. Municipal water quality reports and corrective actions are reviewed and kept on file for two years.
2. In-plant water quality testing and corrective actions are reviewed and kept on file for two years.
3. Daily Sanitation Reports are reviewed and kept on file for two years.
4. Invoices for food-grade chemicals and lubricants are reviewed and kept on file for two years.
5. Records of pest treatment are reviewed and kept on file for two years.

The authors are Robert J. Price, Extension Specialist, Seafood Products, Food Science & Technology, University of California, Davis, and Kenneth S. Hilderbrand Jr., Seafood Processing Specialist, Oregon Extension Sea Grant Program

UCSGEP 98-3W; November 1998

This work is sponsored in part by NOAA, National Sea Grant College Program, Department of Commerce, under grant number NA36RG0537, project number A/EA-1, through the California Sea Grant College Program, and in part by the California State Resources Agency. The U.S. Government is authorized to reproduce and distribute reprints for governmental purposes.

Send comments to rjprice@ucdavis.edu