Guidance on use of alternative sanitation systems for the disinfection of cutting tools

Summary

This guidance is principally intended for food business operators (FBOs) in Slaughterhouses, Approved Game Handling Establishments (AGHE) and Cutting Plants.

This guidance sets out the process for implementing the use of alternative methods for the disinfection of tools in a Slaughterhouse, AGHE or Cutting Plant in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. It provides an overview of the assessment processes for Officials and FBOs, including details of their roles and responsibilities. The guidance is not intended to detail all possible alternative disinfection methods or highlight how certain methods could be used on the wide variety of tools available.

It is ultimately the responsibility of the FBO to provide information on the method, the tools that will be disinfected, the validation data, the verification controls post- implementation and the standard operating procedure (SOP) for the use of the alternative method equivalent to the use of water above 82˚C.

FSA and FSS operations (and DAERA on behalf of FSA in Northern Ireland), in consultation with their Science colleagues, will assess the suitability of the alternative system and the validity of the SOP, when required.