The scenario

The ChemStation team was called upon to help identify and prioritize repairs needed in a facility facing continuous contamination issues. The facility had asked for a total plant evaluation; identification of harborage points, workflow contamination potential, and sanitation practice revamp. Overall, several key harborage points were determined and a plan of action to correct these and improve the general process of keeping contamination to a minimum.

The solve

One of the key harborage points found was at a tomato paste tote press. The press, comprised of a rubber mat on a hydraulic press, is used to move the paste to other parts of the facility to make tomato sauce and other products. When the press operates, some tomato paste is squeezed around to the other side of the press and is not properly removed by the machine for processing. To avoid wasting “usable material,” an operator was seen scraping the paste off the press arm and plate with a gloved hand and back into the tote, once the press was raised. Beyond this, the rubber mat of the press displayed several rips and tears, making it challenging to clean without further mechanical action.

The team had noted that the operator who was scraping the tomato paste into the tote was not wearing proper coverings to handle the food in this way. Additionally, scraping the product by hand left behind a lot of unused tomato paste, which would not be removed until the machine was taken down for the once weekly cleaning. Furthermore, the press was not stored away or removed during the facility’s nightly cleaning, leaving the equipment susceptible to any debris or contaminants sprayed in the direction of the press during the cleaning.

The solution

In relation to this problem, the ChemStation team worked with the plant to determine an action plan to mitigate contamination potential at this step in their process. First, the rubber of the mat should be removed, inspected, and tested for spoilage organisms and other harmful contaminants. The mat should be properly repaired or replaced, as needed. Beyond this, it was recommended that the press undergo cleaning more often. Once a week, in this instance, is too infrequent of a cleaning, and leads to dried tomato paste and potential cross-contamination. If cleaning occurs around this press and the press is not due for cleaning, the press and any other food-contact surfaces should be removed from any potential spraying of the surrounding flooring and drains. If repairing and replacing the mat does not correct the other tomato paste “seepage,” operators adding the paste back to the bulk container should be using sanitized tools, as well as be wearing properly cleaned gloves, sleeves, and smocks.

Equipment upkeep can be an expensive portion of food manufacturing, but in this example, not maintaining equipment to prevent rips, tears, scratches, or otherwise will worsen the potential for spoilage organism growth and lead to consumer risks for illness. It is also important to be cognizant of potential spraying and cross contamination risk during cleaning shifts and implementing measures to minimize transferring harmful organisms from one surface to another.