Topic 3 Cleaning, disinfection and pest control

A surface can look clean and still be full of microbes. This topic explains how to make it truly safe, how to use products without poisoning anyone and how to keep insects and rodents out.

Cleaning is not the same as disinfecting

• Cleaning means removing the dirt you can see: food scraps, grease, dust. You do it with water and detergent.
• Disinfecting means reducing the microbes, which you cannot see, to a level that is not dangerous. You do it with a disinfectant or with heat.

You must do both, and in that order: disinfectant does not work well on a dirty surface, because grease and food scraps protect the microbes.

The steps of good cleaning and disinfection

1. Remove food scraps and loose objects.
2. Pre-rinse with water to wash away the worst of the dirt.
3. Clean with detergent, scrubbing.
4. Rinse with drinking water to remove the detergent.
5. Disinfect with the product at the dose shown on the label, leaving it to work for the contact time stated.
6. Rinse again if the label says so.
7. Dry in the air or with single-use paper.

Surfaces that touch food (chopping boards, knives, worktops, slicers, blenders) are cleaned and disinfected after each use and whenever you move from a raw food to a ready-to-eat food. The regulation requires everything that comes into contact with food to be thoroughly cleaned and, where necessary, disinfected as often as needed to avoid contamination (Regulation (EC) No 852/2004, Annex II, Chapter V).

Using products safely

• Use only products authorised for the food industry and the one your business’s cleaning plan tells you to use. Disinfectants are biocides, and their sale and use are regulated (Regulation (EU) No 528/2012).
• Read the label and follow the dose: more product does not clean better, and it leaves residues.
• Never mix products. Bleach mixed with ammonia or with acid products (descalers, limescale removers) gives off toxic gases.
• Keep products in their original, labelled containers, in a place separate from food. The regulation requires hazardous substances to be labelled and stored in separate, securely closed containers (Annex II, Chapter IX, point 8).
• Never pour a cleaning product into a water or soft-drink bottle.
• Do not clean with sprays near uncovered food.

Cloths, scourers and cleaning tools

• Damp cloths are an ideal place for microbes. Use single-use paper or cloths that are changed often and washed at a high temperature.
• Many businesses use colours to keep things separate: a cloth used in the toilets never goes into the kitchen.
• Store cleaning tools clean and dry, away from the food area.

The cleaning and disinfection plan

Every business must have a written plan that says what is cleaned, how, with which product and at what dose, how often and who does it. It is part of what are called prerequisite programmes or general hygiene plans, which you will see in topic 6. Your role is to follow it and, if it asks you to, write down that you have done it.

Waste

The regulation requires food waste to be removed from areas where there is food as quickly as possible and put into containers that close, can be cleaned and are in good condition (Annex II, Chapter VI). In practice:

• Bins with lids, ideally pedal bins, so you do not touch them with your hands.
• Empty them often and, in any case, at the end of every working day.
• Wash your hands after touching rubbish.

Pest control

Insects (cockroaches, flies, ants), rodents (rats and mice) and birds contaminate food with their droppings, their hair and the microbes they carry. The regulation requires adequate procedures to control pests and to prevent domestic animals from entering places where food is prepared or stored (Annex II, Chapter IX, point 4).

How to prevent them

• Screens on windows that open, and doors that close properly.
• Do not leave food scraps or standing water.
• Store food covered and off the floor, on shelves.
• Check goods when they arrive: gnawed boxes or boxes with insects are rejected.
• Keep corners, the areas under equipment and behind fridges clean.

Animals

No animal may enter the areas where food is prepared, handled or stored. They may not enter food shops either, except assistance dogs and security forces' dogs. In bars and restaurants, the person in charge may let pets in only to the areas where food is just served (dining room, terrace, the customer side of the bar counter), on a lead or in a carrier and without touching the tableware, the equipment or the staff (Spanish Royal Decree 1021/2022, Article 14).

Warning signs

Droppings, gnawed packaging, grease marks on walls, live or dead insects, strange smells. If you see anything, tell your supervisor. Do not use insecticides or rat poison on your own: the business decides who carries out treatments, and they are always done with the food protected so that it is not contaminated.