Sanitation and Cleaning

Cleaning removes physical and organic soil; sanitation reduces microorganisms on a cleaned surface. The sequence, chemicals and verification method depend on the equipment and hazard.

Dry areas may use controlled dry cleaning, while wet cleaning uses water, detergent, mechanical action and drainage. Unnecessary water can spread contamination or support persistent niches.

Detergent and sanitiser identity, concentration, temperature, contact time, water quality and compatibility matter. Mixing chemicals or using an unlabelled concentration is unsafe.

Seals, shafts, grinders, fillers, drains, evaporators and hollow structures can retain product. A surface-clean appearance does not prove internal cleanability.

Pre-operational inspection, ATP or protein tests, microbiological sampling and environmental trends answer different questions. Verification should target difficult and historically positive sites.

Define responsibilities, frequencies, methods, chemical records, corrective action and release. Sanitation procedures must be reassessed after equipment, product or allergen changes.