How to prevent pathogenic bacteria through hygiene?
Preventing pathogenic bacteria in the food industry is synonymous with greater food safety and, therefore, greater consumer welfare.
The cleaning and disinfection plan in the food industry, in addition to having hygiene as its main objective, aims to guarantee food safety.
In Papelmatic we can help you improve your cleaning and disinfection prerequisite plan.
Here are some guidelines related to hygiene that have as main objective to prevent the appearance of pathogenic bacteria and even eliminate them.
Hygienic design of the facilities
Remove dirt before cleaning and disinfecting
Apply detergents and disinfectants with non-woven fabric
Dry surfaces before cleaning and disinfecting
Registered and authorized detergents and disinfectants
Vikan brushes and water collectors
Solutions against biofilms
The future of pathogenic bacteria
Hygienic design of the facilities
Hygiene is also found in the configuration of spaces and, in the case of the food industry in particular, there is a term to designate this concept: the hygienic design.
Following the principles of hygienic design in the food industry it is important to include slopes in the soil, especially in those areas that can accumulate water.
If possible, these slopes should be close to the sinks in order to facilitate water evacuation. In addition, the sinks must be removable to be able to clean them more comfortably.
Another important aspect in hygienic design is avoiding cracks or cracks at all costs, since these are usually the favorite hiding place for biofilms. To do this, we will keep the joints perfectly sealed and use continuous welding.
Remove dirt before cleaning and disinfecting
Before proceeding with cleaning, it is recommended to remove thicker or bulky residues from surfaces with the help of natural absorbent cellulose.
In this way, we facilitate subsequent cleaning and ensure that it is as thorough as possible.
As regards cellulose, we will choose one with a fairly high weight and, if possible, with more than one layer. It is also important that it is blue, since being this uncommon color in food, allows to detect remains with the naked eye.
In this article we explain the reasons for choosing blue cellulose in the food industry.
Apply detergents and disinfectants with non-woven fabric
Nonwoven fabric is a much more technical product than cellulose. The main differences are that it drags dirt more easily, it is remarkably superior in terms of resistance and leaves no trace.
It is recommended to apply the detergent by mechanical action of rubbing with a nonwoven cloth and, after rinsing (which is essential), we will apply the disinfectant with a different sheet of nonwoven fabric.
Nonwoven fabrics exist of many types: various colors, different compositions that offer different attributes and multiple formats.
In Papelmatic we have Tissfil, a range of products for nonwoven.
Dry surfaces before cleaning and disinfecting
We have already talked in previous articles about the importance of drying surfaces after cleaning and disinfection.
This action almost immediately deactivates the growth of microorganisms and prevents the generation of the perfect climate for the reproduction of pathogenic bacteria. Recall that most germs need moisture to develop.
For drying we will use disposable cellulose again and pay special attention to areas with low evaporation.
In addition to cellulose, we can also use non-woven cloths other than those we have used to apply detergent and disinfectant.
Registered and authorized detergents and disinfectants
When choosing detergent, not only in the food industry, but in any sector, it is essential that it has the ROESP registry.
In the case of disinfectants, when we apply them in environments that work with food, it is essential that they are authorized for food use (HA Registry). This certifies that the product has been successfully tested under conditions very similar to those of its actual application.
Finally, we must always have the technical data sheet and the safety data sheet to know the warnings during use and the cleaning or disinfection capacity of the product in question.