Because frozen dough products are shipped in a raw state, there are no “kill steps” to eliminate pathogens and bacteria until they’re baked off in the in-store bakery or by a food service operator. That’s why sanitary design has become more prevalent in the baking industry. Specifically, many baking companies have adopted the“10 Principles of Equipment Design for Low-moisture Foods,” which was modeled after the American Meat Institute’s sanitary guidelines and created by the Grocery Manufacturers Association (GMA) Sanitary Design Working Group.

In response to this movement, Rondo, Inc. recently completed a redesign of its sheeting lines so they can be cleaned more easily with high-pressure water and approved food-safe chemicals, said Jerry Murphy, president of Rondo, Inc. North America, Moonachie, NJ. The newly designed production lines were featured at September’s International Baking Industry Exposition (IBIE).


“From our standpoint, we went all the way back to the drawing board,”Mr. Murphy said.

The company eliminated flat surfaces as well as nooks, crannies and other surfaces where pathogens, ingredients and other materials can gather. In the past, engineers simply used covers to protect switches, wires, gears, ball bearings and other essential parts. Today, that doesn’t suffice, Mr. Murphy said, because the new standards require bakers to completely disassemble production lines during the deep-cleaning process. Easy access is the rule of the day to streamline sanitation and preventive maintenance.