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Food safety: the problems caused by condensation

Some advice to prevent or remove condensation, often involved in food contamination.
The website Refrigerated & Frozen Foods gives an overview of the problems caused by condensation in food production facilities in an article published in March 2017:
  • - Condensed water can harbor and transport microbes onto food, creating risks of contamination.
  • - Condensate can carry Listeria monocytogenes and other pathogens.
  • - Condensation problems can vary seasonally, which makes it difficult to deal with.

This problems may occur more particularly in chilled and frozen foods plans, when temperature often fluctuates in different areas of the facility.

Steve Weiland, author of the article, recommends to identify the causes and sources of the condensation, and the trouble spots where water condenses in a plant, for example:

  • - Freezer entrances and exits.
  • - Overhead pipes, installed near food contact areas.
  • - Mezzanine areas and enclosed locations that can create "air dead spots".
  • - Airflow in and out of rooms or doorways.

When a plant experiences condensation issues, a sanitation expert can be consulted to inspect the facility and identify the problem areas. A sanitation crew can also work on condensation removal, even if the operation is a bit challenging, because the production often has to continue during the intervention.

Condensation can also be prevented by assessing and monitoring the airflow in and out the food production facility.

For further information please read the full article following the link below.