Review

Maintaining sanitary conditions in your cheesemaking room is the best way to keep both your customers and your business healthy.

Cleaning and sanitizing

There are four steps for cleaning and sanitizing food contact surfaces.

The first step is pre-rinse. First, you wet the surface to help loosen the soil on the surface that is being cleaned.

The second step is to wash. This step is preformed with soap and warm water to remove food or soil from the surface.

The third step is to rinse the food contact surface. This step washes soap from the surface as well as any remaining food particles. At this point, the food surface should appear completely clean to the naked eye, as demonstrated in the photograph.

The final step is sanitizing the food the food contact surface. It is important that this step is completed after all food is removed and the surface is clean. This step reduces the number of microbes present in a surface to safe levels.

The order is important! Remember: you must clean and then sanitize.

TACT stands for temperature, action, concentration, and time

These important factors need to be considered when cleaning and sanitizing a surface to achieve proper cleaning and sanitation.

Sanitation chemicals can be dangerous

Use caution and handle sanitation chemicals properly to protect yourself and others.

Handwashing

Let’s go through the proper steps involved with handwashing:

1. Wet hands and arms with water
2. Apply soap
3. Lather and scrub your hands and arms for about 10-15 seconds. Do not forget the areas under your nails and between your fingers, and use a small brush as necessary.
4. Rinse thoroughly with warm water
5. Dry your hands using clean paper towel or an approved drying method.
6. When handling any ready to eat food, include the packing of cheese, be sure to wear gloves.

Remember that you should always keep yourself clean.