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Condensation: The Liquid Enemy

By David Walpuck on June 9, 2014
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Whether it is dripping from a refrigeration fan unit, beading on the interior packaging of an improperly cooled ready-to-eat food, causing rust on metal food contact surfaces of equipment or directly on frozen raw shrimp, condensation is a food safety concern and must be dealt with accordingly by anyone producing food. Excessive moisture from condensation helps bacteria to thrive, mold spores to grow, and even provides an open invitation for potential insect harborage. (I’ve actually seen wayward birds quenching their thirst from condensate that has formed on display ice cream freezers in a grocery sales area.) Warm and humid summer days definitely accelerate the formation of condensation; however, more often than not, a little cost-effective common sense will rectify the issue. Here are a few tips for operators:

  1. Keep refrigeration doors closed when not in use, wipe down ceiling tops of freezers if they are beading moisture after a delivery, keep fan unit lines clean and free of blockage, install or fix air curtains and replace door gaskets when needed.
  2. Monitor defrost cycles on refrigeration units and keep products stored properly within display case load lines and off vents. Air needs to circulate properly around refrigerated products to keep them at a proper cold holding temperature, so packing them close together with no space is a detriment.
  3. Do not let frozen products thaw and then re-freeze.
  4. Properly cool products before they are packaged.
  5. Cover or properly store exposed equipment so aerosolized moisture will not collect on surfaces during cleaning.

Proper food safety training on what may seem basic to some, but is not to others, should always be taken into consideration and explained thoroughly.

Photo of David Walpuck David Walpuck

David Walpuck is a native of Tarrytown, NY. He is a certified professional in food safety (CP-FS) from The National Environmental Health Association, an administrator for The National Registry of Food Safety Professionals and has twenty years’ experience in operations, auditing, consulting and…

David Walpuck is a native of Tarrytown, NY. He is a certified professional in food safety (CP-FS) from The National Environmental Health Association, an administrator for The National Registry of Food Safety Professionals and has twenty years’ experience in operations, auditing, consulting and teaching. He is also the author of the book “Contaminated: Negligence in Food Safety” and has a new book, “What Consumers Should Know About Food Safety” scheduled to publish May 2, 2016.

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  • Posted in:
    Food, Drug & Agriculture, Personal Injury
  • Blog:
    Food Safety News
  • Organization:
    Marler Clark LLP, PS
  • Article: View Original Source

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