Listeria Prevention

I work at a food production plant. Our main function is dry blending of powdered flavor components. We have been facing a re-occurring Listeria problem in one of our blending rooms. We have had two hits on the floor and one in the drain. The first two investigations we deduced that it was due to the ineffective cleaning by a poorly trained operator. We re-trained him and are still experiencing issues. I am trying to conduct a root cause analysis to see if there are any other factors contributing to our Listeria problem. 

What are everyone's experiences with Listeria and what are some sources you have seen and also corrective actions to prevent another hit from occurring. 

Any help is greatly appreciated 

Hi Megan,

I would suggest complete disassembly of all equipment in the area of concern and a deep clean after disassembly. High concentration fogging can also be completed after this deep clean. You would be surprised with what you can find in the areas of equipment which are not opened up daily or missed by sanitation.

It would be preferable if you could complete this activity on a non production day and have your maintenance personnel with you to help with thorough disassembly.

I would also suggest that you add the sites identified during this tear down to a non daily cleaning program. We had a similar issue and this is what helped us in identifying the root cause.

1st. - The FDA recommend that personnel who clean the drains change clothes and gloves and wash, sanitize hands before subsequently touching an FCS Surface. 

 

2nd. - Rotating sanitizes has been reported to provide for greater long term effectiveness and prevention of Lm becoming established in niches in the environment and it forming biofilms. 

 

3rd. - Look at the room walls, floors, ceiling. 

 

4th. - Check maintenance records.

 

5th. - Interview and observe sanitation, maintenance, and production personnel to determine whether appropriate procedures are being followed. 

 

Hope this help.  You need to find out the Root Cause first and after that you can deal with the problem.

I work at a food production plant. Our main function is dry blending of powdered flavor components. We have been facing a re-occurring Listeria problem in one of our blending rooms. We have had two hits on the floor and one in the drain. The first two investigations we deduced that it was due to the ineffective cleaning by a poorly trained operator. We re-trained him and are still experiencing issues. I am trying to conduct a root cause analysis to see if there are any other factors contributing to our Listeria problem. 

What are everyone's experiences with Listeria and what are some sources you have seen and also corrective actions to prevent another hit from occurring. 

Any help is greatly appreciated 

 

Hi megan,

 

I deduce this is basically a dry process.

 

So where do you think the Listeria is coming from ? Shoes ?

 

Are you using a sanitizer ?

Did you conduct vector swabbing to ensure it is ONLY located in the drain?  If that was done and you've had only hits in the drain then I suggest using a quat based sanitizer on the drain at regular intervals, after a thorough cleaning of the drain and surrounding areas.

 

You can also get quat rings which will dispense quat as water flows down the drain.

 

Being a dry process I imagine your intervals between drain cleaning is quite long.  The quat sanitizer will help keep listeria at bay.

 

Of course, this is all assuming you have tested and verified the cleaning and sanitizing of the drain (Before and After) is actually working...

Some potential sources I would check having not seen the room or situation specifically (fishbone attached for thought process)

 

Brought in by people (manning):

-Shoes, clothing

- Forklift wheels, pallet jacks, carts, tools

 

Brought in by materials

-Have you tested your raw materials (and the pallets and boxes they come in/on)? There have been a few outbreaks recently tied to suppliers (e.g. aspen hills, CRF) and we get so focused on assuming it's native to the room that we don't stop to think it may be native to the materials that we consistently take into that room that may be the source.

 

Hiding in the environment

-any dust/condensate overhead? Sprinkler pipes can accumulate material in dry rooms and are hard to clean.

-Recent construction dust?

-are there baseboards/walls.cracks, areas under bolted down equipment feet that can't be cleaned and material could enter/edit?

 

Sanitation methods

-The stuff you're looking at for sanitation intervals, cleaning chemicals, and intervals (less likely if you don't see it in other areas under teh same conditions)

 

Equipment

-insanitary machine, old gaskets, lack of complete dissassembly

-backed up drains, uncleanable drain baskets or grates (have you taken the screws out and cleaned EVERYWHERE on the drain? Elbow grease, not foam.

 

 

 

 

Also, some sweet music relevant to your situation as you make an action plan: http://furfarmandfor...ty-the-musical/

Hi Megan,

 

Any further thoughts ?