SAFETY & HYGIENE
Plant hygiene – a vital part of the production process AECI Specialty Chemicals can assist customers with expert recommendations when it comes to maintaining hygiene standards in a production facility. Microbiologist Davina Pillay highlights why hygiene audits are necessary in cosmetics manufacturing.
H
ygiene within a production
Sources of contamination
facility is a critical factor
Raw materials can be tested before use to determine the initial level of
in controlling and
microbial contamination.
limiting microbial
A decision can then
contamination
be made to use the
of the finished product. Microbial
raw materials as is,
contamination can
or whether further
cause a finished
treatment is needed
product to be
to remove microbial
swabs of the surfaces of various
compromised in
contamination. This
equipment, of raw materials and
terms of texture,
is also dependent on
intermediaries used in production,
appearance
the production
and smell.
process as some
Certain microbes
processes may inadvertently
are hazardous
kill off any microbes present.
to human health.
The equipment used in
For example, E. coli can cause nausea
manufacturing is also considered
and vomiting, Staphylococcus aureus and some yeasts can cause skin infections and certain moulds and the
a source of microbial
DID YOU KNOW?
contamination. Cleaning protocols
before and after cleaning protocols and of the production personnel. The swabs are usually tested for the total bacterial count, which gives an indication of the levels of microbial contamination. The swabs can also be tested for specific microbes. Contact agar plates and dip slides with selective agar media can also be
for manufacturing Consistent cleaning and disinfection with spores they produce can equipment and the biocides are among the cause skin allergies. fundamental preconditions actual equipment for modern and GMPIdeally, products used to clean should compliant hygiene should be manufactured be monitored to standards in cosmetics manufacturing. in a production facility that ensure that microbial
used to take samples. The selective
adheres to and complies
of the hygiene conditions within a
with strict hygiene practices. While this may not always be
contamination does not spread to different sections of the production process.
possible, there are methods that can be used to monitor hygiene levels within a production facility. These include: • monitoring of the
agar media will grow specific types of micro-organisms.
Value-added service A hygiene audit provides a snapshot plant at the time of the audit. It also assists with monitoring and controlling microbial contamination across the
Reduce risk through audits Hygiene audits are a way of monitoring
production plant and with ensuring good product quality. Hygiene auditing is a value-added service offered by AECI Specialty
hygiene practices
Chemicals to customers when they
raw materials used
on site. The aim of
purchase biocides. As part of the
to formulate and
a hygiene audit
service, advice is given by an expert
produce products
is to identify any
microbiologist in terms of sanitisation
potential problem
measures and how to control
• monitoring the manufacturing and cleaning equipment • monitoring packaging equipment and the actual packaging containing the finished products.
areas as well as the processes that
contamination in the customer’s manufacturing plant. •
are effective. A hygiene audit is performed by taking swabs of various points throughout a production facility. These include
AECI Specialty Chemicals – jacques.strydom@aeciworld.com
P C Review | APRIL 2020 |
35
