Good Retail Practices for Retail Meat Operation Processes

Sanitation Program

Chemical Storage

Store chemicals away from food or food contact items in well ventilated areas and in the original labelled container.

Containers which are used to handle cleaning chemicals should be labelled and colour coded to avoid mixing with incompatible chemicals causing release of toxic gases.

Cleaning Chemical Usage

In order to ensure that equipment and other surfaces are not damaged by cleaning solutions, costs are controlled, and cleaning is effective, chemical concentrations should be monitored periodically using indicator strips or other suitable methods.

Make certain that the manufacturer’s literature is consulted to ensure that chemical, water temperature, and dilutions are appropriate for the type of cleaning being performed. Select cleaning chemicals approved by the CFIA for use in food establishments.

Sanitize Effectively  

Be sure to clean surfaces thoroughly with cleaning chemicals such as detergents before applying sanitizing solutions as they will otherwise be inactivated by organic materials and bacteria will not be killed.

Remember that sanitizers such as those containing chlorine must be rinsed off unless they are below specific concentrations noted in the manufacturers instructions.

Protect Food

When cleaning be sure to have all packaging materials, ingredients and meat products covered as chemicals and/or spray will contaminate products.

Keep Surfaces Dry

Do not allow water from the floor to be splashed onto clean surfaces and be sure surfaces are free from pooled water to avoid bacterial growth.

Sanitation Tools   

Be sure to periodically disinfect cleaning tools and brushes or these will contaminate clean surfaces. If reusable cloths must be used, always disinfect them before reuse.

Monitor brushes to ensure that bristles are not loose so that they will not be deposited on food contact surfaces.

Written Sanitation Program   

Construct a written Sanitation Standard Operating Procedures (SSOP) which specifies who does the work, how it will be done, how often, concentrations of cleaning chemicals, and a procedure for monitoring cleaning effectiveness such as a preoperational inspection report. It is recommended that a sanitation log be used to document completion of cleaning activities.

Keep all Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for all chemicals used in an easily accessed location.

Temperatures and Sanitation

Remember that bacteria grow much more quickly at warmer temperatures, if the air temperature is over 10°C you should do a thorough cleaning of food contact surfaces at noon.

Equipment Installation and Condition

Be sure that equipment is installed so that access is possible to allow effective cleaning.

Replace or repair equipment surfaces that are difficult to clean because of cracks, pits, or other conditions resulting from excessive wear or other damage.

Sanitation Verification   

Each morning a preoperational inspection should be conducted to verify that equipment and premises are visually clean. On a periodic basis it may be useful to conduct microbiological or other type of testing to ensure that surfaces are adequately sanitized.

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