The FSMA Requirement: As a core Sanitation Control, you must have written procedures for cleaning and sanitizing all food-contact surfaces—and non-food-contact surfaces as appropriate—to prevent contamination. Crucially, these controls must be validated and monitored, with corrective actions documented.
Recommended Solution & Expert-Level Pitfall:
- The Solution: Develop detailed Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOPs) for every piece of equipment and area. Your SSOPs must define: Who, What (which chemicals, at what concentration), When (frequency), and How (e.g., 7-step process). Your monitoring step must be a verification, such as pre-op visual inspection and ATP swabbing, with results recorded.
- The Pitfall to Avoid: “Pencil-whipping” the records. An auditor can easily spot a logbook where all checks were signed off at the same time. The biggest pitfall is failing to validate your SSOPs. You must have scientific proof (e.g., microbial swabbing after sanitation) demonstrating that your cleaning procedure actually works to eliminate the target hazard.