Of all the sanitation issues that can occur in processing facilities, condensation is one of the most common. Simply put, condensation is the formation of liquid on a surface caused by the temperature difference between the cool surface and warmer, moist air. Condensation is not limited to summer; it can occur throughout the year due to plant-wide variations in temperature.
Before addressing condensation, it is important to emphasize that not all moisture on surfaces is caused by condensation. For example, moisture during pre-operational activities might be the result of overspray during cleaning, not condensation. Water dripping from a pipe might be caused by a leak. An establishment needs to address such occurrences, but should not document the occurrence as condensation. Such mischaracterizations can come back to haunt an establishment if regulatory action is taken because of repeated condensation findings.