ABB’s improved Baldor-Reliance Food Safe motors, designed with smooth contours and advanced sealing, exceed IP69 ingress protection ratings for washdown conditions to maximize motor life in high-pressure, sanitary cleaning environments.

There is a growing trend of pathogenic outbreaks being traced to processed fruits, leading to industry players implementing more diligent control processes. This article discusses methodologies and regulations around fruit washing and sanitizing.

This article explores the total cost of ownership and the many categories of expenses involved in operating, maintaining, and cleaning equipment, as well as the different criteria to consider during the design phase.

The Center for Produce Safety has provided insight into an ongoing study funded by the center that is examining the efficacy of superheated steam, also known as “dry steam,” as a sanitization method for dry food production environments. The researchers are looking for industry respondents to fill out a survey on the financial realities of this technology.

Ongoing research funded by the Center for Produce Safety aims to evaluate the efficacy of commercially available sanitizers against common foodborne pathogens and biofilms encountered during tree fruit harvesting, and then conduct a validation study of the best-performing treatments at commercial facilities.

Researchers are exploring the use of superheated, dry steam to clean food manufacturing facilities where the use of traditional wet sanitation is limited, such as in produce packing facilities and low-moisture food processing plants.

Sanitation is one of the most important, if not the most important, departments in the food manufacturing plant. The actions of sanitation personnel mean that production starts the day with clean equipment and a clean environment, and this helps maintain sanitary conditions during operations to prevent food safety hazards or quality failures.

A recent study has demonstrated the antimicrobial efficacy of a novel organic acid compound against common foodborne pathogens and biofilm.

The fall and winter seasons bring new challenges for food processing facilities and the teams that work to maintain them. One of the most notable challenges they face is increased pressure from rodents that seek out food and shelter within these facilities when outside temperatures fall. A rodent infestation can lead to a facility being shut down if the problem is not addressed promptly and properly. 

Many methods are available for verifying the viability of a sanitation program, and most facilities use a combination of different methods to ensure that the sanitation program is performing as expected. Pathogen environmental monitoring (PEM) programs are a key prerequisite program to a sanitation program and to any facility's overall food safety program. There is no one-size-fits-all PEM program for facilities; rather, a PEM program is based on a facility's risk factors and what product(s) the facility manufactures.