In food and beverage manufacturing, ensuring product safety isn’t just a priority—it’s a necessity.
From maintaining cleanliness to controlling temperature-sensitive environments, a proactive approach to sanitation and cold chain management plays a critical role in safeguarding quality and preventing costly mistakes. In a recent “Running on Ice” podcast (hosted by FreightWaves magazine), Dave Hicks, Vice President at TBM Consulting, shared practical insights into how food and beverage manufacturers can achieve operational excellence by focusing on sanitation, cold chain management, and problem-solving.
1. The Power of 5S in Sanitation: Preventing Cross-Contamination
Sanitation is foundational in food and beverage manufacturing, where even the smallest contaminant can compromise product safety. To prevent cross-contamination, Hicks highlights the 5S approach—a systematic framework that helps keep facilities clean and organized.
Here’s how the 5S steps contribute to a safer, more controlled environment:
- Sort: Begin by removing unnecessary items that could introduce contaminants, ensuring the workspace remains focused on essential tools and materials.
- Set in Order: Organize tools and materials for easy access, often with shadow boards or color-coded areas, making it quick to spot anything out of place.
- Shine: Clean regularly to prevent buildup of residue, dust, or any contaminants. This step goes beyond surface cleaning to include deep, intentional cleaning tailored to food and beverage needs.
- Standardize: Set clear, consistent protocols so that sanitation steps are followed uniformly across shifts and teams.
- Sustain: Embed these practices into the culture to ensure they’re followed daily. Visual cues like signage and color codes can reinforce these standards across the workspace.
By implementing 5S, companies can enhance both efficiency and safety, creating a workspace that not only meets but also exceeds sanitation requirements.
2. Cold Chain Management: Why It’s Essential for Safety and Quality
Temperature-sensitive products rely heavily on a well-maintained cold chain, and sanitation is an integral part of this process. Any lapse in sanitation can have serious implications for products stored or transported at specific temperatures, leading to spoilage or contamination.
Hicks notes that, in cold chain environments, strict adherence to cleanliness standards ensures that each temperature-controlled phase of the supply chain maintains its integrity. When sanitation protocols break down, so does product quality, risking spoilage and significant financial losses. By enforcing high standards of cleanliness and monitoring every stage, companies can reduce these risks and ensure that products remain safe for consumers.
To uphold these standards, Hicks recommends layered audits—systematic checks conducted at different levels within the organization. This multi-tiered approach helps verify that sanitation standards are being followed across the board, from the warehouse to delivery.
3. Fostering a Problem-Solving Culture: Using Layered Audits and MBWA
Operational excellence isn’t just about systems; it’s also about people. Cultivating a problem-solving culture where employees are empowered to spot and address issues can make a significant difference. Hicks emphasizes two methods that can help:
- Layered Audits involve multiple checks across the organization, from frontline workers to managers. A supervisor, for example, might conduct a daily check of standard operating procedures, while a manager performs weekly reviews. When issues arise, supervisors coach employees directly, while managers coach supervisors. This tiered approach fosters accountability and continuous improvement at every level, embedding high standards into the company culture.
- Management by Walking Around (MBWA) encourages managers to spend time on the floor, observing workflows and engaging with employees. By walking through different parts of the operation, leaders can identify potential issues, receive feedback from team members, and create a more collaborative environment. MBWA turns leaders into active participants in quality control and helps establish open channels for reporting and addressing sanitation issues.
A Practical Path to Excellence
For food and beverage manufacturers, maintaining high standards in sanitation and cold chain management requires consistent attention and a proactive mindset. By following the 5S approach, reinforcing cold chain integrity, and fostering a problem-solving culture, companies can protect product quality, meet safety standards, and build trust with consumers.
Operational excellence isn’t a one-time achievement but an ongoing commitment. As Hicks points out, a practical, people-centered approach to these fundamentals keeps quality and safety at the heart of food and beverage manufacturing, supporting the long-term success of both the company and the industry.
