Many packinghouses in New Jersey have not been updated in many years. If you haven’t, now is the time to be thinking about what changes will be needed to comply with a third-party audit or the Food Safety Modernization Act. Analyzing your packinghouse may also save money. Any time saved during packing will save money. If your produce moves quickly through the packing process it will maintain higher quality and be fresher.
Start by making a drawing of your packinghouse showing how the product comes from the field to the point it is loaded on the truck. Make sure to include how the produce is received, where the produce is dumped on the line or grading table, whether it goes through a washer, holding area after packing, the cold room, if applicable, and the loading area. Once you have the drawing, ask someone to watch the packing process to make sure everything is included. There may be more than one flow diagram depending on whether the produce is washed under spray bars; placed in a dump tank, not washed, etc.
What is a good layout? The produce should come in one end of the building and go out the other to reduce the chance for cross contamination. The other option is to use a U-shape design, but again making sure the field and packed product does not come in contact with each other.
The material for walls, ceilings and floors should be washable. A smooth concrete floor that is sloped (1/4 inch/foot) toward a drain is the best. Water that collects on the floor is a prime source for human pathogens such as Listeria, E. coli and Salmonella. Make sure the drains are sloped to prevent standing water where pathogens can collect and grow.
No matter how the packinghouse is laid out, consider how it will be cleaned and sanitized. Make sure all parts of the building are acceptable. Remove or physically separate anything that is not used during the grading and packing process. This does not mean that the building cannot be used for storage during the off season if the structure is cleaned and sanitized prior to the harvest season. During packing, establish a schedule for cleaning and sanitizing different parts of the packing area.
There are four areas to consider when cleaning and sanitizing. Zone 1 is any surface that comes in direct contact with the produce. This could be the dumping table, brushes or sponges, grading line or packing table. Zone 1 is the most critical area and should be cleaned and sanitized after each use (at least once a day when packing). Zone 2 is the area immediately adjacent to zone 1. It is the spray nozzles, surfaces outside the washer, packing line, grading tables, etc. Zone 2 can be a major concern if there is no access to the interior of the washing equipment. Most older and even new equipment do not have access panels to clean and sanitize the interior walls. There can be buildup of microorganisms over time that contaminate produce as it is being washed. If the equipment does not have access panels construct them. Zone 2 should be cleaned and sanitized at least weekly. Zone 3 are the areas in the packinghouse such as floors, walls, ceilings, restrooms, garbage cans, etc. Restrooms should be inspected and cleaned on a regular basis. Walls and ceilings should be cleaned and sanitized at the beginning of the packing season to remove any dirt and dusk that has accumulated over the winter. Pay attention to pipes, air ducks, etc. Zone 4 are areas outside, but close to the packinghouse. This could include animal pens, compost piles, loading docks, etc. Make sure these areas do not lead to contamination in the packinghouse. In the next post, I will discuss how to clean and sanitize the packing equipment. Remember clean before you sanitize! They cannot be done in the same step.
