EQUPMENT AND UTENSIL

Cleaning and hygiene activities associated with facilities, utilities, and equipment
infrastructure is a fundamental responsibility for all good manufacturing practice (GMP)
professionals. When problems are discovered with infrastructure cleaning and sanitization,
they may have major impact on operations. These problems may require significant effort and
need cost to solve the problem. More importantly, they may affect literally every product
manufactured during the time period of the problem. The control of infrastructure is
fundamental to cGMP operations.

CONSTRUCTION AND REPAIR OF CONTAINERS AND EQUIPMENT

All the multi-use containers and equipment that in contact with the products need to be
smooth, impervious, corrosion-resistant, non-toxic material. It also must be constructed to
ease the cleaning process and need to maintain in good maintenance. The single-service
containers, closures and gaskets have to be inspected first before they are manufactured,
packaged, transported and handled in a sanitary manner. If the equipment is not constructed
well, it will cause problems such as cleaning process become difficult and it will need a cost
for repair. The design and construction of all utensils must prevent any possible adulteration
and contamination of food by metal fragments, water and other contaminates. Use of wooden
handles on equipment used in processing areas is forbidden to safeguard against bacterial
growth.

CLEANING AND SANITIZING OF CONTAINERS AND EQUIPMENT

The containers, utensils and equipment have to be cleaned daily after they had been used at
the end of the day. They also need to be sanitized before all the equipment and utensils can
be used for the operation by using a sanitizing dip for utensils at least every two hours.
Sanitizing concentration should be maintained at proper strength in accordance with
regulatory recommendations. All of these steps can be applied in transportation, processing,
condensing, drying, packaging, handling, and storage of cheese or dairy products.
Furthermore, cheese and dairy products cannot be kept clean and safe for a longer period
especially if the equipment and utensil are not been properly cleaned and sanitized.
STORAGE OF CLEANED CONTAINERS AND EQUIPMENT

After cleaning, all multi-use containers, utensils and equipment have to be transported and
stored in the provided place. Clean utensils should be stored in a sanitary location free of dirt
and moisture. This help to assure a complete drainage and protect the equipment from
contamination before using them. If containers and equipment are not protected from
contamination, the value of sanitization may be partly or entirely nullified.

STORAGE OF SINGLE-SERVICE CONTAINERS, UTENSILS AND MATERIALS

Single-service caps, cap stock, parchment paper, containers, gaskets, liners, bags and other
single-service articles that have been purchased, whether they are stored in sanitary tubes,
wrappings or cartons should be kept in a clean, dry place until used and need to handle them
in a sanitary manner. It is recommended that single service containers be stored above the
floor. The best method for assuring the cap cleanliness is by packing the caps in tubes, which
remain unbroken until they are placed in the bottling machine. Raw materials, ingredients,
packaging supplies, containers and finished product should be stored under conditions that
will protect them against contamination and minimize their deterioration. Suitable
temperature monitoring and recording equipment should be utilized and monitored for all
critical temperature storage areas.

PROTECTION FROM CONTAMINATION

The plant operations, equipment and facilities need to be located and conducted in a sanitary
manner to prevent any contamination of the products, ingredients, containers, equipment and
utensils. All the products or ingredients that have been spilled, overflowed or leaked must be
discarded. The processing or handling of products other than Grade A products in the plant
have to perform to preclude the contamination of such Grade A products. They also need to
ensure that air under pressure that comes in contact with cheese or dairy products or any
product contact surface complies with sanitary standards. Every effort should be made to
provide an adequate protection for the cheese and dairy product all the times because of their
nature and their susceptibility to contamination by bacteria, chemicals and other adulterants.
The misuse of pesticides and other harmful chemicals need to be avoided as it also provides
opportunities for contamination of the product or equipment.