Ensuring top-notch plant and production hygiene: A customer-centric approach

We understand that maintaining impeccable hygiene standards in plant and production environments is crucial for delivering high-quality products to our valued customers. Our comprehensive hygiene strategy is designed to control bioburden, biofilm, and loss debris, ensuring that every product meets the highest standards of safety and quality.

Understanding Bioburden and Biofilm

Bioburden refers to the total number of viable microorganisms present in a manufacturing environment. Controlling bioburden is essential to maintain product integrity and quality. Biofilm, on the other hand, is a resilient community of microorganisms that adhere to surfaces, making it highly resistant to physical and chemical stresses.

Sources of Production Bioburden

Key sources of bioburden in production include air, water, raw materials, and plant design. Airborne particulates can carry fungal spores, while water, especially in large production plants, can harbour microorganisms like Pseudomonas spp. Raw materials and intermediates can also introduce bioburden if not properly managed.

Three-Tier Strategy for Plant Hygiene

Our hygiene strategy is built on three tiers:

Deep Cleaning and Sanitisation: This bi-annual or annual activity involves thorough cleaning and sanitisation using oxidising biocidal active substances to reset the bioburden in the process infrastructure78.

Regular nth Batch Cleaning and Sanitisation: Scheduled every 10-15 production batches, this process includes pressure washing and sanitisation to maintain hygiene standards9.

In-Process Cleaning and Sanitisation: Continuous operational measures ensure limited bioburden build-up during production10.

Water Treatment and Plant Design

Effective water treatment is critical. We distinguish between process and mains water, always using treated process water for cleaning procedures. Plant design also plays a significant role in preventing bioburden build-up by ensuring proper drainage and minimising stagnant areas.

Enhancing Hygiene Standards with THOR's Plant Audits

To further support our commitment to exceptional hygiene standards, THOR offers comprehensive plant hygiene audits to our customers. These audits are conducted by our team of experienced professionals who meticulously assess the hygiene practices and conditions within your plant. By identifying potential sources of contamination and areas for improvement, our audits provide actionable insights and recommendations to enhance your hygiene protocols. This proactive approach ensures that your production environment remains compliant with industry regulations and consistently delivers products of the highest quality.

Our commitment to plant and production hygiene reflects our dedication to delivering safe, high-quality products to our customers. By implementing rigorous hygiene measures and continuously improving our processes, we ensure that our customers receive the best products possible.