Sanitation procedure for HONEY packing

Hello everyone,

I'm new to this forum for only 2 months. Found many useful from professionals all around the world!

I recently started working in a honey packing plant (SQF level 2 certified), and found there was barely any SSOP developed. We are using just hot water for daily cleaning, some areas weekly or every half year (inside pipes). Env swab used to be done once a year. 

My background is in meat processing, so I found it kinda confusing. I want to develop an SSOP. Does anyone have any experience in honey, or to give me some ideas in general, for this kind of "low-risk" RTE?

My major concerns are:

- No chemical used for cleaning

- Minimal env swab to verify cleaning effectiveness

- No finished product testing (b/c the low AW & low moisture in honey does not support pathogen growth, according to literature)

Any ideas would be appreciated!

Is your facility packing RAW honey where it is filtered only or is there a heating process?

We bring in raw honey from bee keepers, then do filtration - pasteurize (heat process) - filtration - consumer package. 

Is your facility packing RAW honey where it is filtered only or is there a heating process?