The Hygienic design of a food plant is necessary for the prevention of food contamntation. Planning the factory layout is the most crucial step in the design of a new factory.

A well designed factory is no safeguard against bacterial or any other contamination unless it is accompanied by sound instructions for its installations, maintenance, operation and cleaning.

1. Factory management must ensure good house-keeping and be extremely vigilant against any bad house keeping.
2. We should recognize that there is no such thing as full-proof plant or process, and man shows an extraordinary ingenuity in finding ways around the operating instructions, if in his view his own method of working makes life a little easier. Simplicity will always pay off.
3. For successful operation of the plant, consideration at the layout and general design stage should include the engineer, the food chemist and the microbiologist. Involving the right people at this stage will ensure that operational procedures are coupled with the necessary quality controls.
4. Hygienic design of a very high standard is essential in the modern plant to minimise down-time for cleaning and sterilization. With more concern for pollution it must be recognised that the minimum effective cleaning for any process cycle means minimum trade effluent, fewer the cleaning periods and less product loss by dilution with rinse water.

In designing a lay-out for a new factory, it must be remembered that no lay-out is permanent, since unforeseen changes in patterns of production later do often occur. Ensuring that the following items are covered during the planning stage could minimize product contamination:

1. Lack of space for the storage of raw materials and packaging can result in these items being kept in production areas. Adequate space for de-boxing and re-palletizing of raw materials for raw material screening / inspection should be provided. Ingredients containing allergens should be stored separately from non-allergen containing ingredients.
2. Congestion, especially in areas of open food production, makes cleaning and maintenance difficult to achieve without putting food products at risk. The hazards are greater if these activities take place during production time.
3. Inadequate space for the separate storage of finished products may again necessitate the use of production area for this purpose.
4. Insufficient space for maintenance operations.
5. Equipment cleaning centres located too far from production areas could result in the failure to implement the required cleaning practices or the uncontrolled storage of cleanng chemicals near production lines.
6. The location of amenities is important. It must not be too far from the production area or the canteen or rest room.
7. Short and direct routes for waste removal are essential.
8. The siting of the returned goods area can be crucial. Such goods are often infested, and or in a state of decomposition.They must therefore, be isolated from all raw material and production areas.
9. Factory grounds should include adequate surface drainage to avoid ponding, the provision of a surface that can be easily cleaned, the correct siting of waste collection and effluent treatment facilities etc.

The incorporation of the above points during the layout planning stage can effectively minimize product contamination. The golden rule is to draw and re-draw the plans for the facility and verify sizes with allowance for expansion of the different building section requirements. This will ensure you dont make changes when you start moving into your new building or after you have commisioned the project.

Incorporating hygienic design standards into factory structure and process flow will be discussed in the following issue. Until then good luck with your plans!

Wouter Jacobs

Associate Consultant and Course Facilitator for ENTECOM