Clean Breaks Important Component of Traceability, Food Safety Regulations
When harvesting produce, it is important that all food contact surfaces are clean and sanitary, especially if that produce may be eaten raw, writes Michigan State University Extension’s Phillip Tocco in a recent post.
A clean break is the last time all direct food contact surfaces were fully cleaned and sanitized at the same time. This is true whether the food contact surface is on a harvester, harvest container, dunk tank, produce grader or hydrocooler. There are four steps to cleaning and sanitizing any food contact surface. The surface should be pre-rinsed to remove soil, washed with soap and water, rinsed of soap and water, then sanitized. Without all four of these steps, no clean break has occurred.
The Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule (PSR) includes requirements for cleaning and sanitizing food contact surfaces, including harvest containers. Clean breaks are an important component of an effective traceability program.
Read the full post from Tocco over at MSU.edu.
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