Establishments must routinely evaluate their SSOPs; this process is called:

• A. Maintenance
• B. Evaluation
• C. Review
• D. Update

Answer: (A)

Maintaining SSOPs means keeping them current through ongoing checks, adjustments, and improvements so they continue to reflect how operations actually run and meet regulatory expectations. When establishments routinely evaluate their sanitation procedures, they’re not just judging their effectiveness; they’re demonstrating a commitment to keeping the procedures usable and accurate over time. That ongoing upkeep—reassessing, confirming what works, and making necessary changes—fits the idea of maintenance rather than a one-time assessment, a simple update, or a stand-alone review.

In other words, maintenance captures the continuous process of evaluation plus the actions needed to preserve or improve the SSOPs so they remain effective in daily practice.