Suggestions for hand cleaning (during process) in low risk bakery
I'm currently working in a low-risk bakery where operators make flapjacks by hand. As a result, it gets messy! They currently clean their hands in a bowl of manky looking water.
I'm struggling as I've come from a high care chilled environment where standards are very high, and so, working in bakery is something very new to me. Ideally, I want to replace the manky bowl of water with something more sensible and fit for purpose.
Could anyone recommend anything? I'm thinking of some kind of barrier cream (which is the wrong thing, but its the kind of application I'm thinking). What we're currently growing in the water doesn't bare thinking about.
All I get from the bakery sector is "it doesn't matter because the oven will kill everything". This is all well and good, but coming from high care, it's all about good GMP standards.
Also, part of the factory has "office ceiling tiles" is this normal for a bakery?
Kind Regards
Steve
Morning,
"it doesn't matter because the oven will kill everything".. we hear this in the bakery sector more than hello!
All I can say, coming from the sector myself: it's quite a messy business, where GMP practices are often neglected.
unfortunately, we use the same bowl technique to clean hands in between, we tried using gloves, but they ended up causing more problems than before.
Sorry for not being able to help but regarding the ''office ceiling tiles'', most bakeries opt for surfaces that are easily cleaned...
Cheers!
Coming from High Care: "we hear this in the bakery sector more than hello!" scares me slightly!!!!
Some people have talked about an "oil emulsion" type of sanitiser applicator they have seen before, have you ever come across anything like that?
You need a handwashing sink installed where the work is occurring. Just because "its what we've always done" doesn't make it right or ok. And we all know, the cleaner the product starts off, the longer the shelf life (so use that to get the $$$ to install the sink.)
ewe, gross, dough etc stuck under finger nails
As for the ceiling tiles, walls and ceiling are supposed to be capable of repeated cleaning and sanitizing, so no, not in food manufacturing is that the norm
The problem with the "oven will kill everything" thinking is that someone has to package the items....so could reintroduce microbes on unclean hands......
Here is Canada and the USA, there was a HUGE recall recently for flour tainted with ecoli-----so hands that were working on the raw side could theoretically cross contaminated the whole production floor.....likely a smallish bakery wouldn't survive that massive expense (and heavens hopes no one dies)
Hi StevieP
The ceiling tiles you describe do not sound like they are a cleanable surface, and they likely need to be. I have seen shops that have the standard 24" x 36" ceiling tile grid in their ceilings but they have tiles that we made out of a somewhat lightweight material similar to a whiteboard. These were taken down every six months (in rotation) and cleaned, which also gave the maintenance team an opportunity to check for evidence of pest activity in the air plenum. Whatever your solution, be sure your facilities team is aware of the additional weight that you will likely be adding in the form of ceiling tiles to the ceiling and any special issues associated with working at heights.