Food Safety Magazine, February/March 2012

FOOD SAFETY INSIDERMonitor Sanitation and HACCPPrograms with theLIGHTNING MVP ®www.biocontrolsys.comWhile food safety is the obvious goal of every food safety program,protecting your company’s assets is another essential requirement.The strength of your brand relies on your company’sability to produce a quality product—and you are on the front line.Food safety professionals have aunique approach to their HazardAnalysis and Critical Control Points(HACCP) program; however, one thingis constant: If you don’t start with aclean plant, eventually, your foodsafety program will fail. To establish agood basis for quality food processing,a complete sanitation program—consistingof both cleaning and monitoring—mustbe established andregularly reviewed to ensure itsongoing effectiveness.How to CleanA primary tool in the effectivecleaning of a food plant is the correctconcentration of cleaners and sanitizers.While titration kits and chemicalstrips provide indications of chemicalconcentration, neither is ideal. Titration kits are very dependent upon theuser’s training and can be time-consuming to use. Conversely, chemicalstrips are easy to use and provide quick results, but are also relatively inaccurateand have intrinsic variability of 25 to 33 percent. Additionally,neither provides a strong audit trail requiring users to manually recordtime and concentration data.The LIGHTNING MVP from BioControl Systems, Inc. offers a more advancedmethod for determining chemical concentrations, combining theaccuracy of titration kits with the ease of use of chemical strips. Bestknown for its accuracy in ATP detection, it also offers a reusable probethat accurately measures and automatically records the concentration ofcleaners and sanitizers. This unique method, based on the principle ofconductivity, is a fast and reliable way to measure chemical concentrationsto ensure your cleaners and sanitizers are always mixed correctly.Users can enter the target concentrations of their chemical solutions intothe MVP software, which will provide a clear pass or fail determinationwhen these solutions are tested throughout the manufacturing process.Finally, the concentration values are saved with a time-and-date stamp inthe system’s software and can easily be downloaded into reports, ensuringa strong audit trail.Did It Work?Once cleaning has been completed,monitoring to ensure it was accomplishedproperly is the next step sinceeveryone knows that, “What gets monitoredgets done.” Changes in cleaningstaff, raw materials, chemicals, seasonalityand many more variables impose challengeson any sanitation program andtimely and reliable feedback on its effectivenessis vital.ATP monitoring using the LIGHTNINGMVP provides that immediate feedback,allowing timely intervention if the dailycleaning was ineffective. The systemmeasures the amount of ATP in organicresidue on equipment and other surfacesafter cleaning. The higher the readings, thegreater the amount of organic residue onthe surfaces that can lead to growth of microorganisms.By monitoring in this fashion,requirements of vendors, governmentauditors and your HACCP plan are met,protecting your company’s brand.Reporting and periodic review of asanitation program is one of the mostoverlooked yet vital aspects of any monitoringsystem. While monitoring allowson the spot decisions without looking attrends, a large part of the value of anymonitoring system is lost. Trend reportingprovides insight into effectiveness ofchemicals, impact of wear and tear onequipment and trouble spots that requirea closer look.If monitoring multiple plants, BioControl’ssystem provides a unique service.Results from multiple plants can be submittedto the company where databaseexperts compile a confidential report,compare plants and provide benchmarksagainst others in the food processing industry.Without requiring busy quality assurancedepartments to do complexcomputer work, multi-plant sanitationprograms can be both compared andcontrasted, allowing for optimization ofthe program and a safe, high-qualityproduct.When it comes to protecting yourcompany’s assets, the effective implementationand monitoring of a HACCPplan is critical. Behind every successfulHACCP program are effective tracking andmonitoring systems that ensure qualitycontrol criteria are consistently beingmet. Tools, like the LIGHTNING MVP provideaccurate and convenient monitoringand assurance that your company’s brandis protected.34 F O O D S A F E T Y M A G A Z I N E