CHOPPING / DICING
Size Reduction
Chopping / Dicing
PrerequisiteAlso: dicing · cubing · knife chop
Reducing food to roughly uniform cubes or pieces using blades. Increases surface area, exposes interior to contamination, and accelerates microbial growth on cut surfaces.
Typical Hazards
- BBiologicalPathogen spread from surface to interior; biofilm on blades
- CChemicalAllergen carryover from a prior product on the same chopper
- PPhysicalBlade fragments, hinge pin migration
Typical Controls
- Pre-op inspection of blades for integrity
- Allergen-aware changeover cleaning
- Hold time / temperature limit on diced product
- Metal detection downstream
Regulatory Citations
4 cross-references across 2 documents