Case study: poultry plant hygiene programme

15 Oct 2026 · 5 min read

Programme example: this case study describes how Evochem typically sets up a hygiene programme for this type of site. Customer names and site results are not published here.

This application case study describes a typical poultry processing plant: live receiving, slaughter and evisceration, chilling, cut-up and packing, with a sanitation crew working between shifts. It explains how Evochem usually builds a hygiene programme for a site of this kind and what the site should track to judge whether the programme is working.

The aim is a repeatable routine that separates cleaning, which removes fat, protein and blood soil, from sanitising, which reduces microorganisms on surfaces that have already been cleaned.

The site and its hygiene challenges

Poultry soils are heavy in fat, protein and blood, and they bake on quickly where equipment runs warm. Conveyors, shackle lines, cutting tables, evisceration equipment and drains all hold soil in places that are hard to reach. Floors stay wet for most of the shift, and wash-down water carries fat into drains.

• Fat and protein films on stainless steel, belts and plastic cutting boards.

• Short sanitation windows between production shifts.

• Hard-water scale building up on equipment and floors over time.

• Many staff at the handwash stations, often in a hurry.

• Chemical concentrations varying from one cleaner to the next when mixing by eye.

Assessment

1. Walk the site with the plant and quality managers, area by area, noting soil types, surfaces and equipment materials.

2. Review the current cleaning sequence, products, dilution method and who does what on each shift.

3. Check water supply, hose and foam equipment, and whether dosing or dilution equipment is in place.

4. Identify hard-to-clean points: drains, conveyor undersides, hooks, chiller areas and packing tables.

5. Agree priorities and the records the quality team needs for internal and customer audits.

The cleaning programme

The daily routine follows a fixed order so that each step does its job on a surface prepared by the step before.

1. Dry clean-up: remove offal, feathers and loose debris by hand or squeegee before any water is used.

2. Pre-rinse with low-pressure water to remove loose soil, working from top to bottom.

3. Apply Alkalox Foam or Clastox Foam at 2% to 5% depending on soil, so the foam clings to vertical surfaces and equipment.

4. Scrub belts, cutting boards and contact points by hand where soil remains, then rinse thoroughly.

5. Inspect visually and re-clean any area that still shows fat or protein film.

6. Sanitise pre-cleaned food-contact surfaces with Sanix Peraxy at 0.1% to 3% v/v or Sanix Quat at 0.1% to 0.5%, as agreed for each area.

7. Use Sanixol, ready to use, for quick sanitising of small tools and surfaces during production breaks.

8. Periodically, use Acidox Foam at 2% to 5% to remove scale and inorganic deposits that alkaline cleaning leaves behind.

9. Clean floors and drains last with Novel HD at 2% to 5%, so that dirty water does not run back onto cleaned equipment.

Products used

The product set is kept small so that crews can learn it well. Dilutions quoted are from the product data and are set within these ranges for each area during the assessment.

• Alkalox FoamHigh Foaming Alkaline DetergentHigh-foaming alkaline detergent engineered with advanced surfactant blends to create a high foam that clings to surfaces. Ideal for use in the food industry, including dairies, meat processing plants, and preserved food facilities. Tackles tough, industry-specific soils.
• Clastox FoamHigh Foaming Alkaline DetergentHigh-foaming alkaline detergent with advanced surfactants for high foam production. Excels at removing food industry soils like dairy, meat, and preserved foods due to its excellent wetting, chelating, and degreasing properties.
• Acidox FoamHigh Foaming Acidic DetergentPowerful, high-foaming acidic detergent specifically formulated to meet the stringent cleaning requirements of the food and beverage industry. Effectively removes scales, particulate matter, and inorganic soils.
• Sanix PeraxyPeracetic Acid Based SanitizerClear liquid oxidizing sanitizer for the food industry, formulated with peracetic acid, hydrogen peroxide, and acetic acid. Eliminates a broad spectrum of microorganisms, including bacteria, spores, and viruses, ensuring high-level sanitation for pre-cleaned surfaces.
• Sanix QuatBroad Spectrum SanitizerClear, liquid quaternary ammonium salt-based sanitizer for the food industry. It effectively sanitizes pre-cleaned surfaces and contaminated clothes, rapidly eliminating harmful microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, and viruses. This solution is essential for maintaining a safe and hygienic food production environment
• SanixolAlcohol-Based SanitizerAlcohol-based sanitizer formulated in combination with Quaternary Ammonium Compound (QAC) for fast-acting, residue-free sanitization of food processing surfaces. Its unique formulation provides rapid sanitization, essential for food safety and hygiene, with broad-spectrum activity against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, eliminating microorganisms without the need for rinsing.
• Novel HDHeavy Duty Floor CleanerPotent heavy-duty cleaner designed to tackle the most stubborn soils, greasy oil, and mineral deposits. Its advanced formulation is effective on heavily soiled floors, breaking down and removing tough stains such as tar, grease, and carbon. The cleaner is formulated for maximum effectiveness at lower concentrations, minimizing product waste and maximizing cleaning efficiency. Whether you're dealing with industrial spills, stubborn grease stains, or heavy traffic, Novel HD delivers powerful cleaning results.
• Lush Care PlusAntibacterial Hand WashAntibacterial hand wash, tailored specifically for personnel working in food processing plants, pharmaceutical facilities, and food service industries. It contains no added colors or perfumes, ensuring effective hygiene without any additional additives.

Training and documentation

• Hands-on sessions with each sanitation shift on the cleaning sequence, foam application and correct dilution.

• Wall charts at the chemical store and each area showing product, dilution and purpose.

• MSDS for every product kept at the store, with guidance on handling and protective equipment.

• Handwash routine at plant entry and after breaks, using Lush Care Plus.

• A simple daily cleaning log, signed by the shift supervisor, for the quality team’s records.

What the site monitors

Rather than relying on impressions, the site agrees in advance which checks it will use to judge the programme. These are things to monitor, reviewed together with our technical team.

• Pre-operation visual inspection of equipment and contact surfaces before each shift starts.

• ATP swab readings on agreed points, if the site already uses ATP testing.

• Results from the site’s own or its customers’ microbiological surface testing programme.

• Findings and corrective actions from internal and customer audits.

• Chemical consumption per shift, compared with the agreed dilution plan.

Review

The programme is reviewed with the plant after it has run for a while and whenever products, equipment or production volumes change. Dilutions, sequence and product choice are adjusted within the ranges above based on what the monitoring shows.

Talk to our technical team

Tell us about your site, soils, equipment and volumes. We will recommend products and dilutions, and send pricing for bulk supply.