It’s common to think of sanitation as third-shift work that ends the production day. But given that workers ensure the plant is clean and ready to operate, it’s preferable to consider sanitation as the beginning of production, or “shift zero.”

Deciding whether to use contract sanitation firms or stay with in-house personnel is a key issue for meat and poultry processors. While there are potential benefits for each, the optimal method depends on the needs of plants.

Proper facility and equipment design is a preventive measure that can help reduce the risk of food safety issues.

Apparel can be a powerful enemy in the battle to contain pathogens in meat and poultry facilities.

Michigan Turkey Producers’ (MTP) Grand Rapids, Mich.-based state-of-the-art, ready-to-eat (RTE), products plant recently underwent a 33,000-square-foot addition to help it keep pace with increasing product demand.

The need to properly sanitize meat and poultry facilities is perhaps the most onerous undertaking for producers.

When making ready-to-eat (RTE) meat products, the processing step that poses the greatest biological hazard is the post-lethality handling step.