Search

Abstract: Sun-dried prickly pear puree, ‘mostarda’, is a traditional food mostly produced in Eastern Sicily (Italy) by cooking and concentrating fruit juice. The artisan production process takes place in buildings not designed for maintaining hygiene. It is well-known that the right organisation and building quality in food production influences food safety, allowing greater control over any infestation and simplifying cleaning. So, by means of building meta-design which analyses the production requirements of the main producers of prickly pear puree, production areas which provide appropriate levels of hygiene have been meta-designed without essentially modifying the traditional process. The meta-design approach was able to identify the necessary production areas and their respective functional and environmental requisites as well as their reciprocal links. The main results are a series of design reference layouts aimed at simplifying production activities by implementing the necessary functional organisation both as regards single sections as well as the entire production process such that HACCP can be optimised. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Introduction: The Shared Resource Laboratory (SRL) model recently described for research activities would also appear to be highly suitable for diagnostic services. Using modern SRL design criteria and benchmarks, the aim of our study was to verify whether the consolidation of a diagnostic cytofluorimetric activity could improve the overall service. Methods: Outcome indicators such as impact on analytical quality, clinical satisfaction, team work involvement, and economic performance were evaluated in the planning and setting up of a new central laboratory. Comparison with preconsolidation status allowed us to investigate possible indicators of improvement. Results: A total of 30 140 cytofluorimetric analyses performed before and after consolidation at the Central Laboratory in Pievesestina in north-central Italy were evaluated. The overall score of the clinical satisfaction questionnaire (range, between 1 and 5) increased from 4.3 to 4.9. Full-time equivalent (FTE) operators were reduced from 9 to 4.5 and cytofluorimeters from 6 to 2; economic indicator analyses showed a 17.75% reduction in unitary test costs. Conclusions: The adoption of new benchmarks and design criteria increased the quality of cytofluorimetric analysis, thus improving specialized diagnostic services and promoting the shared resource clinical laboratory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]