Signs stating that workers must wash hands with soap and water after using the bathrooms should be posted in appropriate languages. Worker hygiene training programs should reinforce the importance of hand washing by explaining the reasons for hygiene and the consequences of poor hygiene. Processing Facility Sanitation Wash Water Sanitation. Product wash water, if not properly sanitized, can become a source of microbiological contamination for every piece of product that passes through. Chlorinated wash water does little more to clean produce than clean, non-chlorinated water.
Chlorine does sanitize the wash water and maintains a low microbiological count in the water.
In this way the water does not become a reservoir for bacteria to infest the produce. This, in turn, depends on the pH of the water, the amount of organic material in the water and, to some degree, the temperature of the water. Therefore, the pH of the water should be kept between 6.0 and 7.5 to ensure chlorine activity. Organic material in the water will reduce the activity of chlorine so periodically replacing or filtering the water is important to maintain cleanliness. Alternatives to hypochlorite are available for produce water disinfestation.