In our educational article series, we’re looking at cross-contamination from footwear, the potential risks it poses, and how to do the best job controlling it in a food manufacturing facility. To download the entire article, please click the link below.

Fighting Cross-Contamination from Footwear in Your Facility

Introduction
The food processing floor is a demanding habitat whirring with moving equipment, parts and people. In the bustle of this fluid and structured environment, plant management and employees face a herculean battle to protect the integrity of finished products from microbial cross-contamination. As we know, pathogenic microorganisms – such as Salmonella enteritidis and Listeria monocytogenes – can enter the food processing environment through several routes, including raw materials, equipment and humans. Once inside, these hazardous microbes are commonly transferred to ready-to-eat food, clean utensils and sanitary contact surfaces by mobile vectors (e.g., forklifts, carts and personnel) that travel through different processing areas (1).