Clean room food processing methods

• US 8,216,510 B2
• Filed: 04/30/2010
• Issued: 07/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Iowa Turkey Growers Cooperative LLC
• Original Assignee: West Liberty Foods LLC (Iowa Turkey Growers Cooperative)
• Inventors: Garrett, Edward S., Woodford, Richard D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Joyner, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US12/771,584
• Publication Number:
  US 20100209567A1
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 422/32, 422/292, 426/418, 426/320, 426/335
• US Class Current: 422/32
• CPC Class Codes: A22C 18/00 Plants, factories, or the like for processing meat for processing poultry only A22C21/00; for processing fish only A22C25/00
• CPC Class Codes: A23B 4/005 Preserving by heating
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 3/165 in solid state
• CPC Class Codes: B26D 1/01 involving a cutting member which does not travel with the work
• CPC Class Codes: B65B 5/00 Packaging individual articles in containers or receptacles, e.g. bags, sacks, boxes, cartons, cans, jars
• CPC Class Codes: E04H 3/00 Buildings or groups of buildings for public or similar purposes; Institutions, e.g. infirmaries or prisons
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 83/202 With product handling means

Abstract

Some food pathogens are not well controlled by lethality treatments followed by refrigeration. A food processing facility according to this invention reduces the likelihood that food pathogens will be able to enter the food processing facility, or spread should they be able to enter. The food processing facility is divided into a plurality of areas, with different areas having different allowed actions that can be taken on the food product, different rules and/or procedures for persons who are allowed entry, and/or different levels of cleanliness. The food processing facility includes a plurality of separate rooms individually, atmospherically and structurally isolated from each other for processing the food product, each including separate single food processing machines lines of series connected food processing, air handling systems, drain systems and/or often-used supplies and tools. If any one of the isolated food processing rooms should become contaminated, that room can be shut down and sterilized without affecting the operation of the other food processing rooms. Different air pressures within different areas limit the possible movement of airborne food pathogens. Sanitizing stations are placed between various ones of the different areas.

Claims

1. A method for reducing contamination by an undesirable micro-organism within a food processing facility that processes a food product, comprising:

receiving a pre-cooked food product into the facility and holding the product in a designated semi-secure storage area of the food processing facility;

transporting selected portions of food product from the designated semi-secure storage area to an at least semi-secure treatment area and applying a post-reception lethality treatment directly to the food product;

transporting the treated portions of food product from the treatment area to a secure food product delivery area;

transporting the treated portions of the food product from the delivery area into selected ones of a plurality of secure area food processing rooms through positive pressure gradient openings therein, each food processing room comprising a single food processing line of series-associated food processing elements comprising at least one food processing device and at least one food packaging device, each food processing room maintained at a first substantially sterile level of cleanliness which substantially prevents the presence and growth of pathogenic microorganisms including Listeria, said food processing rooms each being individually atmospherically and structurally isolated from each other to effectively prevent any contamination in any one such food processing room or series-associated food processing elements therein from contaminating food products processed in any other of such plurality of food processing rooms and series-associated food processing elements therein, whereby each such single-line food processing room effectively comprises a separate food processing facility;

processing the food product portions in those selected isolated food processing rooms;

packaging the processed food product into closed packages in those selected isolated food processing rooms such that any micro-organisms outside of the packages will be unable to migrate into the interior of the packages as long as the packages remain closed; and

transporting the closed packages out of those selected food processing rooms to a semi-secure packaged food receiving area through negative pressure gradient openings.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the received pre-cooked processed food product portions are plastic-encased meat products, and wherein the encased meat products are passed through a sanitizing washer before reaching the at least semi-secure treatment area to remove any pathogens which may be present on the exterior of the casings, and wherein the washed casings are removed in the semi-secure treatment room prior to application of the post-reception lethality treatments directly to the exposed surfaces of the meat products in preparation for further food processing of the meat products in the secure food processing rooms.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

applying the lethality treatment directly to the processed meat product comprises at least one of;

passing the processed meat product through a steam treatment;

passing the processed meat product through a hot liquid bath;

passing the processed meat product through a radiant heat treatment, and

passing the processed meat product through a chemical sanitizer.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein transporting the treated food product into those selected secure food processing rooms comprises:

transporting the treated food product into a secure first area, at least those selected food processing rooms each having a passage to the first area; and

transporting the treated food product from the first area into each of those selected secure food processing rooms through the passage of each selected room.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein transporting the treated food product into those food processing rooms further comprises passing the treated food product through a chilling device that chills at least a surface region of the treated food product to a temperature that is at most about a freezing point of the treated food product.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising maintaining at least those secure selected food processing rooms and the secure first area at a first level of cleanliness when transporting the treated food product into the first area and when transporting the treated food product from the first area into those food processing rooms.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein maintaining at least those selected food processing rooms and the first area at the first level of cleanliness when transporting the treated food product into the first area and when transporting the treated food product from the first area into those food processing rooms comprises at least one of:

limiting access to at least those secure food processing rooms and the secure first area to persons having at least a first predetermined level of food safety training;

requiring persons entering at least one of each of those food processing rooms or the first area to wear a clean first-type set of clothing; and

requiring persons entering at least one of each of those food processing rooms or the first area to undergo a first cleaning procedure prior to entering the first area.

8. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

having the secure first area at a first air pressure;

maintaining each of those selected secure food processing rooms at air pressures greater than the first air pressure;

wherein transporting the treated food product from the first area into those food processing rooms comprises passing the treated food product through positive pressure gradient passages from the first area into those food processing rooms while passing the ambient atmosphere through the passages from those food processing rooms into the first area.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein maintaining each of those selected food processing rooms at air pressures greater than the first air pressure comprises separately supplying air into each selected food processing room by a separate dedicated ventilation and cooling subsystem for each selected food processing room at a rate that increases the air pressure in that food processing room to a point that is above the first air pressure.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein:

applying the lethality treatment to the food product before transporting the food product into those secure food processing rooms comprises applying the lethality treatment in an at least semi-secure treatment room; and

transporting the treated food product into the secure first area comprises transporting the treated food product from the treatment room to the first area.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising maintaining the at least semi-secure treatment room at a second air pressure that is lower than the first air pressure, wherein transporting the treated food product from the treatment room to the secure first area comprises passing the treated food product through a passage from the treatment room into the first area while passing the ambient atmosphere through the passage from the first area into the treatment room.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein maintaining the treatment room at the second air pressure comprises exhausting the atmosphere in the treatment room to outside of the food processing facility at a rate that lowers the air pressure in the treatment room to a point below the first air pressure.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein transporting the food product into those secure selected food processing rooms comprises:

holding the food product in an at least semi-secure first area until the food product is to be processed in those selected food processing rooms;

transporting the food product from the first area into a secure second area, at least those selected food processing rooms each having a passage to the second area; and

transporting the food product from the second area into those selected food processing rooms through their respective connecting passages.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

maintaining the first area at a first at least semi-secure level of cleanliness when holding the food product in the first area and when transporting the food product from the first area into the second area;

maintaining at least those selected food processing rooms and the second area at least at a second secure level of cleanliness which is greater than the first level of cleanliness when transporting the food product from the first area into the second area and when transporting the food product from the second area into those selected secure food processing rooms.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein maintaining those selected secure food processing rooms and the secure second area at least at the second level of cleanliness when transporting the food product from the first area into the second area and when transporting the food product from the second area into those selected food processing rooms comprises maintaining those selected food processing rooms at a fourth level of cleanliness that is greater than the second level of cleanliness.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein maintaining at least the at least semi-secure first area at the first level of cleanliness when holding the food product in the first area and when transporting the food product from the first area into the secure second area comprises at least one of:

requiring persons having entered at least the first area from a semi-secure third area, where the third area is at a third level of cleanliness that may be less than the first level of cleanliness, to wear at least a first-type set of clothing when in the first area; and

requiring persons entering at least the first area from the third area to undergo a first cleaning procedure when passing from the third area into the first area.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein maintaining those selected secure food processing rooms and the second secure area at least at the second level of cleanliness when transporting the food product into the second area and when transporting the food product from the second area into those selected food processing rooms further comprises at least one of:

limiting access to at least those selected food processing rooms and the second area to persons having at least a first predetermined level of food safety training;

requiring persons entering any of those selected food processing rooms or the second area to enter from the first area;

requiring persons entering any of those selected food processing rooms or the second area to wear a clean second-type set of clothing; and

requiring persons entering any of those selected food processing rooms or the second area to undergo a second cleaning procedure when passing from the first area into any of those selected food processing rooms or the second area.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein:

at least those selected secure food processing rooms each have at least a first passage to an at least semi-secure first area; and

transporting closed packages out of those selected food processing rooms comprises transporting the closed packages from those selected food processing rooms into the first area through their respective first passages.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising further packaging the closed packages of the processed food product within the first area for shipping to a downstream user of the food product.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

having the at least semi-secure first area at a first air pressure; and

maintaining those selected secure food processing rooms at an air pressure that is greater than the first air pressure;

wherein transporting the closed packages from those selected food processing rooms into the first area comprises passing the closed packages through the first passages from those selected food processing rooms into the first area while passing the ambient atmosphere through the first passages from those selected food processing rooms into the first area.

21. The method of claim 18, further comprising maintaining the first area at a first at least semi-secure level of cleanliness when transporting the closed packages from the selected food processing rooms into the first area.

22. A method for reducing contamination by an undesirable micro-organism within a food processing facility that processes a food product, wherein the food processing facility comprises:

a plurality of food processing rooms, each food processing room comprising a secure area having a single food processing line of series-associated food processing elements comprising at least one food processing device and at least one food packaging device, each food processing room at a first substantially sterile level of cleanliness which substantially prevents the presence and growth of pathogenic microorganisms including Listeria, said food processing rooms each being individually atmospherically and structurally isolated from each other to effectively prevent any contamination in any one such food processing room or series-associated food processing elements therein from contaminating food products processed in any other of such plurality of food processing rooms and series-associated food processing elements therein;

at least one food product delivery area, each delivery area adjacent to at least some of the food processing rooms, each delivery area to be at a second level of cleanliness that can be below the first level of cleanliness;

at least one packaged food receiving area, each receiving area adjacent to at least some of the food processing rooms, each receiving area to be at a third level of cleanliness that can be below the first and second levels of cleanliness;

at least one buffer area adjacent to at least one of the at least one receiving area or at least one delivery area, the buffer area to be at least at the third level of cleanliness that can be below the first and second level of cleanliness;

at least one common area adjacent to the at least one buffer area, each common area to be at a fourth level of cleanliness that can be below the third level of cleanliness;

a plurality of sanitizing stations, at least one sanitizing station located between a common area and a buffer area and at least one sanitizing station located between a buffer area and an adjacent receiving or delivery area;

the method comprising;

requiring persons entering the at least one buffer area to have undergone a first sanitizing procedure prior to or upon entering that buffer area;

requiring persons remaining in the at least one buffer area or exiting a buffer area into the receiving area to wear a first-type set of clothing; and

requiring persons exiting the buffer area into the at least one delivery area or a food processing room to wear a second-type set of clothing;

limiting access to the delivery area, the receiving area and the food processing rooms to persons having at least a first predetermined level of food safety training;

limiting access to a food processing room to personnel operating food processing devices located in that food processing room, to supervisory personnel and to personnel maintaining that food processing room and equipment contained within that food processing room; and

requiring persons entering the at least one delivery area, the at least one receiving area or a food processing room to have undergone a second cleaning procedure prior to or upon exiting the buffer area.

23. A method for reducing contamination by an undesirable micro-organism within a food processing facility that processes a food product, wherein the food processing facility comprises:

a plurality of food processing rooms, each food processing room comprising a secure area having a single food processing line of series-associated food processing elements comprising at least one food processing device and at least one food packaging device, each food processing room at a first substantially sterile level of cleanliness which substantially prevents the presence and growth of pathogenic microorganisms including Listeria, said food processing rooms each being individually atmospherically and structurally isolated from each other to effectively prevent any contamination in any one such food processing room or series-associated food processing elements therein from contaminating food products processed in any other of such plurality of food processing rooms and series-associated food processing elements therein, whereby each such single line food processing room effectively comprises a separate food processing facility;

at least one at least semi-secure food product delivery area from which treated products are delivered to at least some of the food processing rooms, each delivery area to be at a level of cleanliness that can be below the first level of cleanliness but will substantially prevent contamination of previously processed food products after at least one selected post lethality treatment of the food products;

at least one semi-secure packaged food receiving area which receives packaged processed food products from at least some of the food processing rooms, each receiving area to be at a level of cleanliness that can be below the first level of cleanliness but will substantially prevent contamination of hermetically sealed food packages within the semi-secure receiving area;

at least one at least semi-secure buffer area accessible to at least one of the at least one receiving area or at least one delivery area, the buffer area to be at least at a level of cleanliness that can be below the first level of cleanliness but will substantially prevent contamination of personnel, clean uniforms, cleaning supplies, and equipment located within such semi-secure buffer area;

at least one unsecure common area accessible to the at least one buffer area, each common area to be at a fourth level of cleanliness that can be below the level of cleanliness of the delivery area;

a plurality of sanitizing stations, at least one sanitizing station located between a common area and a buffer area and at least one sanitizing station located between a buffer area and receiving or delivery area;

the method comprising;

requiring persons entering the at least one buffer area to have undergone a first sanitizing procedure prior to or upon entering that buffer area;

requiring persons remaining in the at least one buffer area or exiting a buffer area into the receiving area to wear a first-type set of clothing; and

requiring persons exiting the buffer area into the at least one delivery area or a food processing room to wear a second-type set of clothing;

limiting access to the delivery area, the receiving area and the food processing rooms to persons having at least a first predetermined level of food safety training;

limiting access to a food processing room to personnel operating food processing devices located in that food processing room, to supervisory personnel and to personnel maintaining that food processing room and equipment contained within that food processing room; and

requiring persons entering the at least one delivery area, the at least one receiving area or a food processing room to have undergone a second cleaning procedure prior to or upon exiting the buffer area.