Fish Microbiology and Quality Assurance

Unit 9 - Assurance and management quality of fish

9.2.2. Sanitation control procedures (SCP)
The quality of food can be achieved only when it is processed and handled under good sanitary conditions. The foods processed following sanitary measures involving well established sanitary control procedures in producing good quality product which does not pose any threat to human health as they are free from disease causing agents and extraneous material.

Factors to be considered in saniation programme
The sanitation in food processing facility should take care of factors which influence contamination of food from the environment, and handling of raw material. These include factors such as,

• Structure, cleanliness and management of processing premises and equipment.
• Cleaning and disinfection operations.
• Personal habits / actions of food handlers which may introduce microorganisms to food.

Sanitary practice
Sanitary practices helps to prevent contaminants in to the product. This can be done by systematic control of environmental conditions during transportation, storage, and processing of foods to prevent contamination by microorganisms, insects, rodents and other animal pests and chemical substances.

Personal hygiene
Personal hygiene refers to habits and actions of food handlers which may contaminate food, and also steps taken to prevent.

Food hygiene practices
Food hygiene practices include conditions and measures taken for the production, processing, storage and distribution of safe, sound and wholesome food for human consumption.

Production of good quality food can be ensured by the the food processing industry by the application of sanitaion standard operating procedures (SSOP) and hazard analysis critical control points ( HACCP).