Knife Holder Magnet- Zone 1 or Zone 2 Location?

This came up in a recent audit. (RTE production, each item cut multiple times before packaging, USA, Seafood HACCP)

The auditor said a knife magnet should be considered zone 2 since no food touches it.

I have been treating it as zone 1 because of cross-contact risk between all unused knives if one is put away unwashed.

Please let me know how you would treat this area. 

I totally agree with you. I would still treat the area as a Zone 1 due to it's purpose, it holds a food contact item. The risk is high for cross contamination. 

An auditor should give you suggestions or best practices to minimize food safety risks, not backtrack on what you already have in place to do so. 

He brought up that we have had multiple zone 1 positives for an allergen swab.

I told him I test the knife holder every session because of the risk and need to remedy immediately.

I carry a sanitizer bucket with me as I test. Each area (and ~2' around it) is washed and sanitized before moving on.

I do this to immediately correct any positives that may show after the 45 minute incubation cycle.

The plan will likely stay as-is. Until we can get months of negative swabs, and change some habits, I'm treating it as zone 1. 

I

This came up in a recent audit. (RTE production, each item cut multiple times before packaging, USA, Seafood HACCP)

 

The auditor said a knife magnet should be considered zone 2 since no food touches it.

I have been treating it as zone 1 because of cross-contact risk between all unused knives if one is put away unwashed.

 

Please let me know how you would treat this area. 

Hi ABFC,

A little more info might assist, eg -

Standard (if any) = ?

Context = ? eg EMPG or designating Risk Levels of Production Areas ? eg BRC define their EMPG as related to microbial factors.