Food Safety Magazine - October/November 2017

expect them to clean it? So proper lighting was important. Processing room requirements were between 55 and 65 foot-candles of light; packaging room requirements were between 70 and 80 foot-candles; and sanitation requirements were between 80 and 100 foot-candles. This explains why he would inspect the plant every 6 months with a light meter. When bulbs were going dim, he would have the area relamped and not wait for bulbs to burn out. He was that organized.

CIP Systems and Circuits

But nothing was more important in this project to review than his and my old favorite—the CIP system and circuit diagrams. A three-tank CIP system was to be installed—a tank for rinse water, cleaner and sanitizer, respectively. Pumps used in the CIP circuit could not be PD pumps used for product (they don’t deliver the same velocity or turbulence needed for effective cleaning) but rather centrifugal pumps with sufficient horsepower to move the water with speed and turbulence. The success of effective cleaning with CIP systems depends on time, temperature, chemical concentration, velocity and turbulent flow versus laminar flow.

The volume of water needed to fill the largest circuit had to be calculated to determine the size of CIP tanks to eliminate pump cavitation. Because of the lengths of some circuits, and knowing that every elbow and pipe size reduction impeded flow, portable booster centrifugal pumps would be added to the circuits where necessary to ensure the minimal required velocity of 5 feet/ second.

Air-actuated valves had to be fer-
ruled in-line for cleaning removability
and have a sight glass with pop-up
button to ensure they were pulsing cor-
rectly during CIP operation. Associated
jumper pipes for the CIP mode had to
be labeled for the correct circuit and
designed as swing pipes from produc-
tion mode to CIP mode. If the swing
couldn’t be made due to the line con-
figuration, jumper pipes were stored in
a designated area with easy access to the
operators who would use them. Spray
balls for tanks and
vessels on the circuit
had to be evaluated to
make sure the interior
surfaces had a full-
coverage spray pattern
and enough force to
completely remove
product residue.
Mr. Jay was amaz-
ing to watch. He was
in his element and
worked so well with
the project engineers
in terms of explaining
why design changes
needed to be made.
His focus was on
people and system in-
tegration to ensure product protection.
He may not have won every challenge,
but he certainly won those that were
most important. He had long-range vi-
sion and could see how putting the hard
work in on the front end of the sanitary
design phase would pay off on the back
end with the continued success of his
sanitation program and operators who
conducted cleaning.

Lessons in Sanitation

I had a front-row seat to this unique experience. Mr. Jay took me under his wing. What should have been a short month or two stint on third shift lasted 2. 5 years. During that time, I picked the brain of a man who was truly a sanitation genius and learned everything I possibly could. He gave me a book that I still reference to this day. It’s called Engineering for Food Safety and Sanitation — A Guide to the Sanitary Design of Food Plants and Food Plant Equipment.1

Although the pictures may be a bit out-
dated, the principles and foundation of
the book are still relevant. It is my bible
for sanitary design. I always say I got
my B.Sc. in food science from that Big
10 university, but I earned my “ M.Sc.
in sanitation” from working under the
mentorship of Mr. Jay.

That project was back in 1990: To this day, I have never met another sanitation manager like him. He had absolute control over the plant’s sanitation process, was very strategic and organized in his approach. He knew every piece of equipment, the capabilities and knowledge of his cleaning crew, various cleaning techniques, chemical handling, cleaning verification and pest control. Mr. Jay conducted trend analysis of microbial swab results for clean equipment, nonproduct contact surfaces and drains. He understood cleaning verification data and used them to make sanitation process improvements. He also knew sanitary design; it is the keystone upon which an effective sanitation program is built.

It has been almost 30 years since that project. The plant and Mr. Jay are both gone now. So, as a consultant, I try to do my part in sharing what I’ve learned from him and subsequent experiences with the young, bright sanitation and QA professionals coming up in this industry. This is my passion.

A few years ago, I had the good fortune of seeing my former QA boss, the wise old sage who had since retired from the food industry. I thanked him for sending me to third shift. He was right about sanitation—understanding it, embracing it, living it and breathing it did give me the tools I needed for a successful career. n

Ronda Dunson is the CEO of Food Systems Consulting Group.

Reference

1. Imholte, TJ. 1984. Engineering for Food Safety and Sanitation — A Guide to the Sanitary Design of Food Plants and Food Plant Equipment (New York: Thompson & Co.).