Efficiency and savings related to sanitation for protein processors is one of the most important aspects of plant production. We understand the struggle plant managers have in balancing the demands of production, while also building in enough time for cleaning and sanitation. Both have a drastic impact on bottom line growth.
So how do you become more efficient without having to jeopardize food safety and sanitation effectiveness?
The answer is collaboration.
Having managed sanitation and food safety for nearly 50 years for the largest protein processors across the U.S. and Canada, we’ve seen firsthand how much the power of partnership matters. From construction and redesign to day-to-day operations, sanitary design plays a key role in every aspect of production. Even the smallest decision or issue can have a major impact, which is why it is important to include your sanitation and food safety partner as part of your core team. They can bring specific engineering, technology, and other product expertise that can help enhance the overall function of your facility.
Based on our own experience at PSSI, we’ve identified a few areas we believe have the greatest opportunity to impact sanitation efficiency and effectiveness.
Automation and Engineering
There are certain areas inside of plants that pose significant challenges in terms of worker safety and time needed to clean properly. It takes a team of experienced professionals to observe and identify new ways to innovate how sanitation and production can work together in the most efficient manner.
For example, chain and rail cleaning was a major area of concern for many of our protein processing partners. Traditionally, it was an area that was neglected due to the time and resources needed to clean. It also posed significant risks to food safety with the oil used for lubing that was frequently contaminating the meat being processed below.
Our team of engineers at PSSI came together to design a solution that could automate the cleaning of the chain and rail system. They developed a cleaning cabinet that is fixed onto the chain/rail system with a portable cart that can be moved around with a remote control. It encapsulates the entire cleaning system including the rinse, dry, sanitation, and oil process so it can be done overhead with minimal resources without disrupting the production process.
The PSSI team also designed a new automated cleaning process for the production of tripe. Our chemical team built the solution from the ground up leveraging years of experience working with protein processors who struggled finding a way to produce a consistent product.
“Automation is the key to moving forward as an industry,” said Matt Prine, Director of Corporate Accounts for PSSI. “The chain/rail cleaning system we developed is a perfect example of how we can leverage our experience and engineering resources to bring additional value to our partners.”
New Construction and Plant Remodeling
Sanitary design starts from the ground up. Everything from the equipment to the line design to drain location can play a significant role in sanitation process and the overall effectiveness.
Many times, it is an overlooked aspect of plant construction and remodeling, but one of the most important. Especially with new regulations recently being introduced by the USDA. Having an experienced sanitation partner as part of your team to consult on proper hygienic design during new plant construction or remodeling process can help streamline sanitation efforts allowing more time for production.
PSSI has been involved in several new ‘factory of the future’ projects recently as an expert and food safety leader. The experience and visibility we have to new innovative design and automation is where we can provide incredible value across our network of protein processing partners.
Sustainability
Many processing plants are being regulated on how much water can be used per day and in-house sanitation teams are having to get creative on how to manage without jeopardizing the quality of work. But, these regulations can be catastrophic for the industry from a food safety perspective if not managed properly.
At PSSI, we believe it is one of the most important areas of innovation this year. As a company we’ve set a goal to save 2 Billion gallons of water by 2026. To do this, we are bringing together experts across a variety of teams including engineering, chemical and food safety to develop new solutions and processes that will help save water and ultimately wasteful spending for our partners. This includes new auto-shut off water nozzles as well as new chemical products with a stronger concentration.
Product Innovation and Consistency
The supply chain of chemicals and other sanitation products like hand sanitizer were greatly impacted by the Covid-19 outbreak. Many plants were struggling to find the sanitation products they needed and were forced to put operations on hold.
As an experienced food safety partner with an in-house chemical team and lab, our team at PSSI has access to key resources that allowed us to stay ahead of the needs of our partners and help navigate issues. We acted early on to ensure we had enough supply and could continue supporting our partners without disruption. In times of need, it demonstrated the value of having the right resources when you need them most.
Intervention Services is another key area of growth in food safety for protein processors. PSSI has partnered with Safe Foods to offer this enhanced chemical application as part of its comprehensive food safety services. This additional layer of protection will give our partners an even higher level of confidence in the health and safety of their products.
Food safety and sanitation is so much more than a cleaning staff and when approached the right way can be a huge asset to a production business. Find a partner that has the experience and passion to work alongside your team to continually find innovate new ways to enhance your production operations.