Safety with the hygiene indicator test

Hygiene check after cleaning

The result of the cleaning must be checked after each transport container cleaning using suitable measuring methods. For understandable reasons, the industry places high demands on the quality and reliability of cleaning.

This also means that not only the transport container (tank and tank cap) is cleaned and checked, but also all attachments, pipes, valves, hoses, pressure relief valves, etc. In this way, the industry protects itself from the negative effects of contamination with, for example Salmonella, mold, mycotoxins, chemicals or foreign bodies.

The prerequisites for professional cleaning are the three-stage ENFIT HQF certification (questionnaire, technical inspection, staff training) and the use of the ENFIT cleaning programs. By using the ENFIT cleaning programs, the industry receives a complete overview of the specific process flow, the duration of the cleaning, the cleaning agents used, temperatures and the certainty that all attachments and accessories have also been cleaned.

Check cleanliness objectively

When placing the order with the logistician/carrier, the industry should define exactly which standard should be used for cleaning. This is the only way to ensure that transport hygiene can be safely maintained.

As a rule, extensive contracts are concluded between the industry and the logistics or transport company, in which agreements are also made on the cleanliness of the transport container and the verification. In reality, many producers still rely on different cleaning documents without checking what the individual information in the documents means in detail and how exactly "the container is clean" is defined.

Many of these documents make a qualified impression at first glance, which unfortunately does not stand up to closer examination. For example, the ECD, which has been established for years. Cleaning codes used here may be sufficient for cleaning chemical transport containers. These codes are hardly suitable for the hygiene requirements that are needed when transporting food or feed. Because the definition of an ECD states the cleanliness of the transport cask: "The cask is clean if, when inspecting through the manhole, no optical soiling can be seen in the interior of the cask and no smell of cleaning agents or the last product can be perceived".

This "so-called definition of clean" is far from the usual requirements for cleanliness and hygiene in production plants. We therefore strongly recommend all producers to insist that defined ENFIT cleaning programs are applied. In order to protect themselves from contamination, loaders and unloaders should check critical areas themselves for cleanliness and hygiene before loading or unloading, for example with the CleanCard PRO.

ENFIT recommends its members the validated hygiene indicator test Clean Card PRO for a simple but also quick and effective check of the cleaning result. See the details in the ENFIT Guideline.

Producers, cleaning stations and logisticians can obtain the Clean Card PRO from our ENFIT member: amfora health care GmbH, Am Freibad 2, 92342 Freystadt - www.amfora-health-care.de

Enter the discount code "ENFIT SUPPORTER 2022" when ordering and you will receive a special ENFIT discount of 10%.