FAO Good Hygiene Practices along the food chain training tool

Supporting Document for Section 2, Module 4 – Design and Facilities

Applying hygiene zones to prevent contamination

This document explains the principle of organizing a production facility into areas in which different hygiene rules apply.

Basic

Medium

High

Cor

rect

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Hygiene level Raw materials reception

Adm

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MediumHygiene

HighestHygiene

Finis

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flow

Basic

Medium

High

Cor

rect

wor

k flo

w

Hygiene level Raw materials reception

Adm

inis

trat

ion

MediumHygiene

HighestHygiene

Finis

hed

Goods

&D

ispat

ch

Raw materials reception

Adm

inis

trat

ion

MediumHygiene

HighestHygiene

Finis

hed

Goods

&D

ispat

ch

Wro

ng w

ork

flow

Food can be contaminated at many stages during a production process. One GHP method to manage the risk of contamination is to divide a food producing facility into zones in which different hygiene levels apply and ensuring that products flow only from levels of basic hygiene in direction of levels of higher hygiene. Deciding upon how to apply these zones is done by

1. Identifying process steps where products or intermediate products are easily contaminated, for example because they are still unpacked.

2. Deciding on how to demark or enclose those rooms/areas so that strict hygiene rules can be applied. This might require some reorganization of the flow of process.

3. Deciding on rules that need to be applied in each defined zone.

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FAO Good Hygiene Practices along the food chain training tool

The ideal production plant would be designed in such a way that raw material would enter at one end of the building and follow a linear path through zones of increasing hygiene before exiting as a final product at the other end. This ideal situation would minimize cross-contamination and should be applied to the design of new food plants. In reality, businesses often have to make do with less than ideal buildings. However, most processes can be (re)arranged in order to comply as much as possible with the ideal flow of product through a plant. In addition, identification of potential cross-contamination in the flow of material and processes and taking actions to prevent contamination will significantly enhance the level of product safety. (Management of cross-contamination risks is discussed in a separate supporting document). Table 1 presents an overview of hygiene zones as well as examples of production steps, corresponding hygiene rules, material requirements, and the potential risks associated with the different areas of hygiene. Not all production types require exactly 3 hygiene zones. In certain cases only 2 zones are required whereas in others perhaps 4 might be more appropriate. What is important is to understand and follow the principle of differentiating between process steps where contamination is more likely to occur and defining the necessary design and corresponding behaviour to prevent contamination from happening at these steps.

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FAO Good Hygiene Practices along the food chain training tool

Zones and their corresponding processes and behaviour requirement

Risk of contaminating food

Hygiene level (incl. access rules)

Production step Design rules

High. Final product is unprotected and, apart from packaging, will not undergo any further hazard eliminating process steps.

highest (+ in addition to rules for medium risk zone)

- access only with clean protective clothing, hair covered, hand-washing (and if necessary disinfecting) upon each entry, boot dips (if necessary)

- stringent controls of cleaning, frequent cleaning, disinfection prior to start of new process;

- access only for specially trained personnel required for process;

Final unpacked product such as

- yogurt prior to filling,

- raw meat prior to packing,

- iced tea prior to bottling.

stringent (+ in addition to rules for medium hygiene zone)

- no wooden pallets, cardboard or other unhygienic material;

- air flow out of area (i.e. higher pressure inside zone);

High. Avoid contamination of raw materials and/or opened packaging materials.

medium

- access only for personnel trained according to hygiene requirements;

- no jewels allowed, hair covered, protective clothing required;

- stringent controls of cleaning, frequent cleaning;

- hand-washing according to personal hygiene rules

Preparation of raw materials for processing (heating, drying, fermenting, chopping, cutting, etc.) Storage of unpacked raw materials, ingredients and opened packaging materials.

- no breakable glass (protective coverings in front of lights, protective foil on glass windows);

- no hiding spaces for pests, no cracks in walls or floors, rounded corners, effective draining;

- hand-washing facility at entry to zone

Low. No unpacked raw materials, opened packaging or unpacked final product in this area.

standard

- no ill personnel - hand-washing requirements

after use of toilet

- access to anyone allowed on premises

- no pets

No processing steps. Areas reserved for

- office work, - delivery, - storage, - technical

treatment facilities (heating etc.).

- special arrangement of equipment for easy access and cleaning

Table 1: 3 hygiene zones and corresponding production steps

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FAO Good Hygiene Practices along the food chain training tool

References

Food Safety Magazine Feature, Hygienic Design of Food Processing Facilities, Frank Moerman, October/November 2010 http://www.foodsafetymagazine.com/article.asp?id=3816&sub=sub1

Hygiene in Food Processing: Principles and Practice, H. L. M. Lelieveld et al., Woodhead Publishing Ltd; illustrated edition (31 July 2003), ISBN-10: 1855734664

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