Organic Cleaning SSOP
Hi,
Does anyone have a SSOP for organic cleanings? We just recently lost our sanitation manager and quality department is taking over in the mean time. I need help know the procedure on what's the difference between a regular cleaning and an organic one. I know we're supposed to test the quat resudue but I am not sure if I am allowed to use sanitizer. Does anyone have anything similar to what I am looking for?
Thank you in advance,
Aglaen.
It will depend a lot on your process and cleaning chemicals.
If you have an organic program, I would expect there to be a substantial quantity of documentation on your process and which approved organic cleansers or sanitizers you may be using. This is the kind of thing your organic certifying body will audit thoroughly and expect to see records for, so you probably have them.
Quaternary ammonia based sanitizers are normally a no. Your test strips are probably verifying they are not present at detectable levels.
Agreeing with post above. Whatever you have submitted as your cleaning procedure to your organic certifying body is what you will have to stick with.
In our facility, we have made it easier for everyone by changing our entire sanitation program to be the same as the one that is approved by our organic certifier.
I too will echo GM, the key here will be to get the credentials to your online organic program dashboard. There should be SOPs uploaded to your file that dictate exactly what your organic cleaning program entails. Of course, these should mirror your own internal SOPs, but they may be easier to find if you look through the organic documentation.
If you happen to be certified through OTCO like me, your sanitation plan will be on the H5 document. It's important to understand that while many cleaners/sanitizers could be acceptable for organic use, you're really only allowed to use the exact chemicals that you have been approved for by your organic certifier. Technically, even if you're switching from one brand of sanitizer to another brand with the exact same ingredients and use instructions, you still need to seek approval for the new brand.
I can't fathom why you don't have this already defined in an SSOP, but given an employee was released then there's a chance they did some damage and removed some files on their way out the door. The main difference (in my limited experience) will be that cleansers will be rinsed off and there might need to be a verification there is no residue, but your sanitizer will need to be approved by your organic body as any residues affect organic integrity.
You could try reviewing your last organic audit to see what they've recorded as your sanitation method for organic vs non-organic. They have a habit of documenting what your process is to defend their certification of your process. At least this way you're still acting under the last accepted practices. If you change up anything from what used to occur at your last audit without informing them you're opening yourself to a finding.
I find it curious that you don't already know this??
How exactly are you verifying the process when you perform an internal audit or reassessment? Sounds super shady to me. The QA manager should know all the ins and outs, even if the decisions are not ultimately yours
The only difference between organic and non is the chemicals used. They need to be approved by the certifying body for use in organic processing, and I have never seen an organic approval for a quat, even for cleaning and certainly not for sanitation