Factors like the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), the evolution of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP) best practices, and the proliferation of different ingredient types to suit customer tastes and health concerns—including gluten-free production and handling known allergens—have led snack food and bakery facilities to place greater emphasis on cleaning and sanitation.
That trend has continued in 2020, with the additional factor of COVID-19 to take into account. “One shift we have seen, as it relates to sanitation, is the enhanced focus on stressing the importance of personal hygiene for team members—not only at the workplace, but also at home,” says Jake Watts, vice president of food safety, PSSI, Kieler, WI. “PSSI has designed a ‘COVID-19 Playbook’ that lays out all aspects of our sanitation plant to mitigate risk associated with the virus.”