When preparing mass quantities of frozen pizza, it is crucial for both companies and customers that frozen pizza manufacturers take care to decrease the risk of cross-contamination. Brand loyalty depends on customers being able to trust that the product they purchase is exactly as described and doesn’t contain allergens or unwanted ingredients. Consistency is the cornerstone for food safety manufacturers. Quantum Technical Services’ expertly designed equipment can help those in pizza manufacturing reliably create large quantities of products.
In this article, we will cover the potential dangers of cross-contamination in large-scale frozen pizza production. But also how Quantum’s manufacturing equipment can help you produce clean, consistent products.
What is Cross-Contamination?
Businesses that prepare large quantities of frozen or pre-packaged food are at risk of contaminating their own products. It is very easy to spread foodborne bacteria. Unsafe bacteria can spread in several different ways, including through equipment, employees, and food.
Equipment
If raw food such as meat or unwashed produce comes into contact with a piece of your equipment, harmful bacteria can travel down the entire production line. Contaminating every subsequent frozen pizza. Quantum Technical Services’ stainless steel equipment has been designed to be easy to clean, wipe down, and spray off to help keep your production line as sanitary as possible.
Employees
Humans can unknowingly spread harmful bacteria without even coming into direct contact with raw meat or other contaminated food. For example, if the juices from raw meat have spread onto other ingredients the employee is handling, they can spread those germs elsewhere in the food preparation area. It’s crucial that employees wash their hands or change their gloves frequently to avoid this. It is also a good idea to automate as much of your pizza production line as possible, as the fewer hands that are involved with the food preparation, the less likely it is that cross-contamination will occur.
Raw Food
When raw food comes into contact with ready-to-eat food, the risk for cross-contamination increases. Utilizing Quantum’s various machines can help keep ingredients safe and separate. Quantum makes specialty meat slicers, sauce dispensers, cheese applicators, and dry ingredient applicators that all contain and disperse pizza toppings separately. The machines are simple to program to suit your brand’s specific recipes and will help decrease the risk of cross-contamination of bacteria or unwanted ingredients.
How to Increase Food Safety in Pizza Manufacturing
According to the USDA, there are an estimated 48 million cases of foodborne-related illnesses each year. In order to decrease that number, brands should do their best to streamline their pizza production lines and follow proper food safety guidelines to help prevent cross-contamination in pizza manufacturing. Below, we cover some effective ways to do this.
Investing in High Quality, Easy to Clean Equipment
Quantum has designed our pizza manufacturing equipment to be easy to move, take apart, and operate, which also makes our machines very easy to clean. We make our machines from high-quality stainless steel, which is a breeze to sterilize. All of our equipment is portable and easy to maneuver, so it can be moved to clean around and underneath. Our machines also boast features such as tool-free disassembly and sloped surfaces that encourage proper drainage to make cleaning faster and easier for employees. When combined with a regular quality control program that tests your kitchen and equipment for harmful bacteria, your company should have no problem avoiding cross-contamination in your frozen pizza production.
Employee Training in Food Safety
Emphasizing best food safety practices to your employees is a surefire way to help prevent cross-contamination in pizza manufacturing. Food safety training for your employees can include best hygiene practices, such as proper handwashing techniques and the correct use of personal protective equipment when necessary. Employees should also be trained in how to use and clean all of your Quantum machines in your pizza production lines. Having your staff establish a strict sanitation schedule for all surfaces, machines, utensils, and tools between production runs helps create a healthy environment for frozen pizza production. Thorough equipment training significantly reduces incident rates and makes your company more likely to meet food safety standards.
Manage Allergens Carefully
Allergens are one of the most common sources of cross-contamination in food production. For frozen pizza manufacturers, ingredients like wheat, dairy, soy, and meat toppings present a significant challenge.
To manage allergen risks:
- Schedule production runs from least to most allergenic ingredients.
- Clearly label and store allergenic ingredients separately.
- Clean all shred equipment thoroughly before switching product types.
Taking these steps helps prevent cross-contamination in pizza manufacturing. It protects customers with food sensitivities, which is an essential concern for food safety in the pizza manufacturing industry.
Automate Your Production Line
Automating as much of your pizza production line as possible reduces the chances of human error and cross-contamination. From dough sheeting and sauce dispensing to cheese and topping application, automated machines like Quantum’s can perform tasks more consistently and hygienically than regular employees. Quantum’s topping applicator machines are designed to handle several different kinds of ingredients, which limits the opportunities an employee would have to accidentally spread harmful bacteria from one ingredient to the next.
Ensure the Safety of Your Pizza Production Line with Quantum Technical Services
Preventing cross-contamination in pizza manufacturing is the cornerstone of reliable and safe food production. With the right production line, a regular and extensive cleaning schedule, thoroughly trained employees, and Quantum’s easy-to-clean, automated equipment, your brand can reduce risks and maintain valuable customer loyalty.
At Quantum Technical Services, we are proud to provide pizza manufacturers with expertly designed, hygienic equipment that produces high volumes of delicious, quality pizza. If you are looking to streamline your food safety protocols by automating your pizza production line, contact Quantum’s knowledgeable team today to explore your options and take your pizza production to the next level.