Operational Management & Sanitation Control Plan

Pre-Service Food Safety Check

Complete before any cleaning begins. This step documents operator readiness and product integrity.

• Operator washes hands thoroughly and dons clean, sanitary gloves — gloves are worn throughout the entire cleaning process
• Verify employee is free of illness, open wounds, or conditions that could contaminate food contact surfaces
• Confirm all cleaning supplies are on hand and in serviceable condition (see supply list below)
• Check ingredient labels and expiration dates on all soft serve mix, toppings, and syrups — remove and discard any expired or improperly labeled product
• Manually record the screen-displayed hopper temperature and compare to thermometer reading — if readings differ by more than 2°F, do not return to service until calibration is verified
• Only use approved products for sanitization; follow the sanitizer manufacturer's instructions for preparing solution
• Use only clean, potable water for all cleaning and sanitizing steps

Cleaning Supplies Required

Drain Product & Initial Rinse

• Set machine state to STOP.
• Remove the rosette cap from the auger door and place it in the hopper.
• If product is frozen, enable the Clean toggle and run 5 to 10 minutes to thaw, then return to STOP.
• Purge the product: enable the Clean toggle, place an empty bucket under the dispensing spigot, raise the spigot to completely empty remaining soft serve mix, close the spigot, and remove the waste bucket. All drained mix must be discarded. No product salvage is allowed.
• Rinse the system: fill the hopper with approximately 2 gallons of clean potable water. Enable the Clean toggle. Place a bucket under the spigot and raise it to flush residual mix. Clean the hopper sidewalls with brushes from the brush kit. Close spigot once fully drained and remove the waste bucket.
• Repeat the rinse step using pre-mixed sanitized water.

Disassembly & O-Ring Removal

All O-rings and gaskets must be removed every cleaning cycle, no exceptions. These components cannot be adequately cleaned or inspected while installed.

Set machine to OFF. Place all disassembled components into a clean bus bucket for transport to the three-compartment sink. Remove the following components in order:

• Unscrew the four corner screws and remove the Auger Door.
• Remove the Large O-Ring and Dispensing Spigot from the Auger Door.
• Remove all 3 O-Rings from the Dispensing Spigot. Use the plastic O-ring removal tool if needed. Do not use sharp implements that could nick the O-ring seating surface.
• Pull the auger from inside the machine and remove the white gasket at the end of the auger.
• Remove the Hopper Lid and Agitator Blade from the hopper.
• Inspect every O-ring and gasket for cracks, nicks, flattening, or visible wear. Replace any damaged O-ring immediately. Do not reassemble with a compromised O-ring.

Hand Wash at Three-Compartment Sink

Transport all disassembled components to the three-compartment sink using a clean service cart. Prepare the sink before beginning:

• Wash each component in Compartment 1 using brushes from the brush kit to clean inside all tubes, bevels, O-ring channels, and other hard-to-reach areas.
• Rinse each component in Compartment 2 with potable water. All detergent residue must be fully removed before proceeding.
• Inspect each component. No visible residue, film, or product should remain. Re-wash if needed.
• Before placing components into Compartment 3, use quaternary ammonium test strips to verify the sanitizer solution reads 200 to 400 ppm. Document this concentration reading on the cleaning log.
• Sanitize each component in Compartment 3 with minimum 2-minute contact time.
• Place sanitized components on a clean and sanitary surface or drying rack to air dry. Do not wipe dry.

Food-Grade Lubrication & Reassembly

Lubrication is required at every cleaning cycle. Apply food-grade lubricant (NSF H1 rated) before reassembly. Dry or inadequately lubricated O-rings cause premature wear and can crack, creating pathways for contamination.

• After components have been washed, rinsed, and sanitized, and before reassembly, apply a pea-sized amount of food-grade lubricant to each orange O-ring using a clean gloved finger.
• Apply lubricant to all other moving parts as specified in the manufacturer instructions.
• Do not use petroleum-based greases. Only use NSF H1 rated food-grade lubricant approved in The Ordering Guide.
• Set machine to OFF, then reassemble the soft serve machine by reversing the disassembly steps in Step C above.
• Ensure all O-rings are fully seated in their grooves with no pinching or rolling.

In-Machine Sanitization Cycle

This step sanitizes the internal machine pathways (hopper and freezing cylinder) that cannot be submerged in the sink. It is performed after full reassembly.

• Set machine to ON.
• Attach the Agitator Blade to the Agitator Column.
• Fill the hopper with 2 gallons of Stera-Sheen sanitizer solution.
• Place an empty bucket under the dispensing spigot.
• Enable the Clean toggle and clean the hopper sidewalls and underside of the hopper lid using brushes from the brush kit.
• Allow the machine to run a minimum of 5 minutes with the Clean toggle enabled before purging.
• Purge the sanitizer: raise dispensing spigot for 30 seconds, close for 1 minute, repeat until all sanitizer is fully purged, then remove the waste bucket.
• Drain completely. Do not rinse the machine interior with water after this sanitization step.

Return to Service & Documentation

• Enable the Refrigerate toggle. Product will be ready to serve in 8 to 10 minutes.
• Manually dispense a few initial servings to verify product quality, consistency, and portion size before the kiosk goes live.
• Verify machine temperature is within acceptable range: hopper 37 degrees F plus or minus 2 degrees, freezing cylinder 19 degrees F plus or minus 1 degree. Cross-check screen reading against thermometer and document any discrepancy.
• Dispose of all waste product and used sanitizer solution in accordance with local health department regulations.

Consumable Loading Step-by-Step Guide

1. Prepare the Machine

• Open the kiosk service door.
• Wash hands and wear food-safe gloves.
• Confirm the machine is clean and sanitized.
• Make sure the machine is not actively serving an order.

2. Load Ice Cream / Frozen Yogurt Mix

• Open the upper mix hopper lid.
• Pour prepared liquid soft-serve mix into the hopper.
• Do not overfill.
• Make sure the mix level stays above the low-level sensor.
• Close the hopper lid.
• On the touchscreen, turn Refrigeration ON.
• Enter Manual Operation mode.
• Run a short dispense/prime cycle until mix flows smoothly.
• Stop dispensing.
• Allow the machine to cool until the product reaches serving consistency.

3. Load Cups

• Open the cup dispenser area.
• Load cups into the cup tube.
• Make sure cups are facing the correct direction.
• Do not force cups into the tube.
• Confirm cups are not warped, crushed, or stuck together.
• Run a Cup Drop Test.
• Confirm one cup drops cleanly.

4. Load Dry Toppings

• Open the topping compartment.
• Remove or open the dry topping bins.
• Fill each bin with approved dry toppings.
• Use toppings such as sprinkles, crushed cookies, crushed nuts, coconut, or cereal-style toppings.
• Do not use sticky, wet, oversized, or clumped toppings.
• Close each topping bin securely.
• Run a topping dispense test.
• Confirm each topping flows properly.

5. Load Syrups / Sauces

• Open the liquid topping area.
• Fill each sauce container with approved syrup or sauce.
• Make sure the sauce is thin enough to pump properly.
• Secure the container lids.
• Prime the sauce lines if needed.
• Run a liquid topping test.
• Confirm each sauce dispenses smoothly.

6. Final Check Before Sales

• Confirm mix is loaded and refrigeration is ON.
• Confirm cups drop correctly.
• Confirm toppings dispense correctly.
• Confirm sauces dispense correctly.
• Check that the robotic arm moves freely.
• Run one full test order if possible.
• Clean any spills.
• Close and lock the service door.
• Return the kiosk to customer sales mode.

Cleaning Frequency

In the event of any temperature fault, mechanical failure, or extended offline period, a full clean and sanitization cycle must be completed and the product restocked before returning to service.

Food Safety Cleaning Checklist

The following checklist must be completed and signed at the conclusion of each cleaning event. The logbook is kept inside the kiosk at all times and must be presented to health inspectors upon request. Records must be retained for at least one full calendar year.