Guidelines for Cleaning & Sanitizing to ensure Good Food Hygiene Practices

Cleaning Activity 

Cleaning and sanitizing are two very important aspects that help to prevent the growth and spread of contaminants that cause food borne illnesses. Cleaning and sanitizing often involves the use of chemicals and cleaning agents which need to be stored safely too. 

Cleaning requires that all food surfaces, preparation areas and equipment are clean to the touch. Surfaces should be free of grease, dirt and any leftover residue of raw foods. Eating and drinking utensils must be clean and properly dried. There should be no odour either in the premises or in the crockery and equipment used for food preparation. 

Sanitizing involves the process of applying either heat or chemicals on surfaces to reduce the growth of bacteria and other contaminants. Sanitizing also reduces the entry of pests into the food preparation area or food serving premises. 

FSSAI has laid down certain guidelines for best practices for maintaining cleanliness and to ensure proper sensitization of the premises as well as the equipment. FBOs must ensure cleaning and sensitization at every point of the food preparation chain by using the recommended cleaning agents, methods and cleaning schedules. For this, FBOs must 

Develop systematic cleaning schedule with proper instructions that can be followed by the staff 

Implement a documented cleaning and sanitation programme and maintain a record for the same 

Ensure that food handlers clean all food areas and equipment between the tasks, especially after handling raw food. 

Ensure that all the surfaces are cleaned thoroughly after spills of food/ water/ beverages 

Clean food preparation areas at regular intervals with water, detergent and disinfectant 

Clean and disinfect food surfaces, equipment, utensils and crockery thoroughly 

Clean surfaces like racks, chimneys, door knobs, burner heads, drip trays at regular intervals with disinfectant even if these do not come directly in contact with food 

Equip the milk receiving area with brush/ rotary/straight through can washer (For Milk Manufacturing /Chilling Centre/ Storage Units) 

Ensure that the waste disposal system is hygienically operated 

The staff and food handlers must follow the systematic schedule for cleaning strictly. The schedule must include 

What needs to be cleaned 

How often it needs to be cleaned 

How the cleaning should be done 

Cleaning instructions must be clear and should indicate 

What cleaning products to use 

How to store and use cleaning and sanitizing products (Store away from raw, cooked, packed food) 

How much to dilute the solution/ chemical and how much to use at one time 

How long the cleaning agent or disinfectant should be left in contact with the surface