Food Hygiene Starts On the Plant Floor

Floors and drains are an integral part of a food processing facility. Keeping them clean and therefore hygienic is paramount to reducing the risk of food borne pathogens.

Recognising that the drain, gully and floor may need an upgrade is the first step to reducing the risks of a non-hygienic environment.

In food processing plants, floors can be exposed to water, grease and chemicals; heavy foot traffic; and hard-wheeled trolleys, pallet jacks and forklifts. The temperature range a floor can experience ranges from sub-zero freezers through to hot water washdown. As a consequence, drains, floors and the joints between the two elements can deteriorate and become impossible to clean. Cracks may develop in the sub-surface under the grate, the epoxy flooring may come away from the edge of the gully or stagnant water can pool in joins and crevices, all of which are potential sites for bacteria growth. Read More…