Cleaning and disinfection in the food industry are a crucial part of the production cycle; these activities can have devastating consequences if not carried out correctly. They are both fundamental to delivering and guaranteeing a safe and healthy end product. However, this is no easy task.
For Solutions Trexo, it is essential to tailor the food processing plant cleaning service to each customer: a one-size-fits-all approach would not be suitable for everyone. But there are certain rules that are essential for everyone, and certainly points to be respected during each intervention.
What are the steps involved in cleaning a food processing plant?
Step 1: Rough cleaning
This step is often overlooked by food companies. However, a well-designed cleaning procedure involves removing all contaminants visible to the naked eye before applying detergent.
Ideally, this should be done dry, by hand, by scraping, or by another physical method.
The collected residues should be placed in trash cans and removed from the area. All ingredients, food, and packaging materials should also be removed from the area before proceeding to the next step.
Step 2: Pre-rinsing
The purpose of pre-rinsing is to remove deposits that cannot be easily removed by scraping or any other form of manual rough cleaning (see step 1).
Excess water must be removed after pre-rinsing to avoid diluting the detergent in the next step.
Step 3: Using detergent
Detergents are not designed to remove large pieces of food deposits or thick layers of grease. However, they can remove layers of protein, grease, and other food deposits that remain on surfaces.
Cleaning with detergent must be done carefully, ensuring that all surfaces have been treated. These products must be prepared and used in accordance with the supplier’s instructions, and the detergent must be allowed time to work.
Step 4: Post-rinsing
The purpose of post-rinsing is to remove any remaining food deposits. Care must be taken to minimize splashing so as not to recontaminate surfaces.
After post-rinsing, the surface must be free of any visible deposits, layers of dirt, and detergent residues: even the slightest trace of disinfectant must be removed during post-rinsing.
Step 5: Disinfection
Disinfection should only be carried out on surfaces that are visually clean and have been thoroughly rinsed, using a minimal amount of water. Disinfectants must be carefully selected and used safely, again in accordance with the supplier’s instructions.
Step 6: Final rinsing
Most disinfectants can be left safely on surfaces that do not come into contact with food, without final rinsing.
However, in certain sectors of the food industry, it is mandatory to rinse surfaces that come into contact with food with water after disinfection. It therefore depends on each individual plant.
Depending on their intervention and the working environment, our industrial cleaning experts will know whether or not this final step needs to be carried out in your food processing plant.
2 golden rules for ensuring perfect cleaning in a food processing plant
Rule #1: Take the time to analyze the environment
To clean effectively and thoroughly, the first step is to understand the different types of contaminants and residues that need to be cleaned. To do this, a thorough analysis of the customer’s environment is essential and involves asking many questions about the company and the routines already in place.
A site visit is always the best option for gathering information on how the equipment is cleaned, the condition of the facilities, and whether the staff working there are careful when using them.
Other questions to ask concern the type of machines to be treated: what materials are they made of? Is there stainless steel or plastic? Is an advanced technique such as ultrasonic bath cleaning necessary to treat certain equipment? This makes all the difference in the choice of cleaning products and methods to be used.
Rule #2: The importance of disinfection after cleaning
It should be noted that cleaning and disinfection are two separate things. Effective cleaning involves completely removing dirt and residue from surfaces, leaving them clean so that the disinfection stage can be effective. Without disinfecting, some surfaces will be free of dirt, but microorganisms will remain.
When choosing a disinfectant, it is important to consider factors such as its toxicity and residues. It is essential to follow the instructions carefully, otherwise the use of the disinfectant could pose a threat to the health of factory employees.
New standards and digital traceability in the agri-food sector
Since 2024, traceability and compliance requirements in the agri-food industry have been significantly strengthened. Companies must now prove not only the effectiveness of their cleaning protocols, but also the complete traceability of each intervention. The use of connected sensors, tracking software, and digital reports ensures total transparency: each cleaning operation is recorded, time-stamped, and associated with the area treated. This digitization, encouraged by health authorities, facilitates audits and guarantees a consistent level of food safety.
Towards more sustainable and eco-responsible cleaning
Environmental concerns are gaining ground in the agri-food sector. Cleaning service providers are increasingly adopting sustainable processes: using biodegradable detergents, reducing water consumption, and cleaning with steam or dry ice to limit effluents. These innovations make it possible to comply with the strictest health standards while reducing the environmental impact of operations. For factories, this translates into better energy performance and a stronger brand image among consumers and partners.
Have your food processing plant cleaned by Solutions Trexo
Since there are many types of contamination, the cleaning procedure in a food processing plant is unique to each job.
Once again, it is important to know the customer and their business: if the intervention is not rigorous, the result will be poor cleaning. Time, money, and natural resources would be wasted. Because even though factory safety depends on cleaning equipment, a poor intervention can pose a real risk of contamination for teams.
Since 1987, our industrial cleaning company has developed its methods to meet the rigorous requirements of clients in the food processing industry in Quebec and Ontario.
Contact us today to learn more about our cleaning methods in the food processing industry, or for information about our various industrial cleaning services.