In the second webinar of the Culture in Hygiene Webinar series, FoodClean’s Nick Turner was joined by Alex Carlyon, Director at Klipspringer, and Technical Consultant Andy Fletcher to share thoughts and ideas regarding how food factories can maximise the hygiene window.
Webinar 2 – Cleaning Efficiency – Maximising the Hygiene Window
In the second webinar of the Culture in Hygiene Webinar series, FoodClean’s Nick Turner was joined by Alex Carlyon, Director at Klipspringer, and Technical Consultant Andy Fletcher to share thoughts and ideas regarding how food factories can maximise the hygiene window.
The role of hygiene in food production often doesn’t get the attention it deserves. With costs on the rise, it’s about making sure we’re being cost-effective at all times. Culture starts at the top of our organisations and filters down – it’s about actions, not just words. Great culture creates buy-ins from our teams. It creates willingness to get things done and to follow best practice. A good culture drives cleaning efficiency and in return, cleaning efficiency drives a good culture.
Across the food and beverage industry, hygiene teams perform a crucial role in keeping factories clean, compliant and risk-free. At the heart of this is a culture which puts food safety and hygiene first, while operating efficiently and maximising the production window.
‘Creating a leading hygiene culture’
Director, FoodClean by QJS
Director, Klipspringer Ltd
Technical Consultant
FoodClean is an established provider of unique hygiene solutions within the food industry, helping manufacturers maximise production whilst minimising waste.
From hygiene equipment to visual management, Klipspringer is the dependable partner of choice for food safety compliance, and a leader in supporting hygiene teams across the UK & Ireland.
Nick Turner started the discussion about cleaning efficiency by addressing its biggest barriers. Areas highlighted were:
Choice of equipment is critical to ensuring it’s fit for purpose,” explained Nick. “Take an application-first approach. Ask yourself ‘what is the task to be done?’ rather than ‘what tools do I have to do it with?’ Carry out an audit and make sure your teams have everything they require. Trial equipment and get operator feedback. Conduct an equipment review and engage the equipment supplier if necessary.
Perhaps most importantly, Nick points out that working efficiently is not expensive, as it actually saves money in the long run. Every minute you’re reducing your cleaning window, it gives money back to the business.
It’s about the right tool, right place, right time,” Nick added. “How long should it take for operators to start cleaning? Consider a hygiene operator toolkit so that people know what they have and where to find it. Ensure tool accessibility – does it fit, and does it work?
It’s also crucial that when it comes to cleaning and storing equipment, your hygiene teams have a clearly defined cleaning and storage process. This process must be easy to follow through visual prompts and information. The cleaning equipment itself must also be kept clean and in good working order, as this aids its longevity and serviceability. Key factors here are knowing know how to clean it, where to keep it, and what good looks like.
Protecting machinery is key,” Nick stated, who then offers some key questions that should be asked in your food manufacturing facility: “How long does it take to protect machinery before cleaning? Is unused and unprotected equipment having to be recleaned? How much single-use plastic is being discarded when protecting machinery? Think about the environmental impact of this – is there a better way of doing it?
Just as important as cleaning efficiency is labour efficiency, which is another area in which Nick has plenty of knowledge that he was keen to share. His main points are to integrate the following into your hygiene culture:
Alex Carlyon at Klipspringer then moved the conversation to the final point, which is how zone segregation is key in ensuring cleaning efficiency.
If we implement the right zone controls and segregations, we can achieve more in a shorter space of time, Alex said.
It’s important to ask what the cleaning is actually for. Is it equipment efficiency, such as to prevent machine blockages? Is it product quality, such as product colouration or taint? Or is it allergen control or the removal of other food safety risks? Once this has been established, there are other questions that need asking in order to optimise the system:
Technical Consultant Andy Fletcher had some excellent points to add to this topic of discussion, with the mission being to mitigate the risks that arise during in-process cleaning. There are multiple factors to bear in mind here, such as:
Work on your ‘what if?’ scenarios in advance,” Andy expressed. “Have equipment in place and a well-trained team that can speed up reaction time to unexpected scenarios and mitigate risks. Once they’re in place, don’t forget about them. Most of all, review and update regularly.
You can watch the full webinar via the link below. If you enjoyed this discussion and would like to find out more about how FoodClean can support your food manufacturing facility, we recommend visiting the newly launched FoodClean Experience Centre. To book a phone call, a video meeting or a personalised tour of the FEC, get in touch with our team at info@foodclean.com
