Surface-to-hand bug missile
August 1st 2007 Hygiene is more vital in food factories than in other industrial environments.So what type of disposable wipers should be used for cleaning and why? SCA Tissue Europe's Mark Riley explains how to maximise hygiene in food processing environments Estimates show that as many as one in 10 people in the UK suffer from foodborne illnesses each year. In a bid to reduce this figure, food manufacturers must keep their premises as hygienic as possible. The food sector faces different challenges to those in other industrial environments,where textiles may still be used for surface and hand wiping. Traditional wiping products for food environments include dishcloths and sponges, but these have a tendency to harbour germs. Research carried out by the University of Arizona has revealed that an average-sized kitchen sponge contains more than seven billion bacteria. Multiply this by the number of sponges and cloths required in a food manufacturing environment and you will have a potentially lethal problem on your hands. Pathogens on a typical dishcloth could include Salmonella, Campylobacter and E.coli O157, while remnants of foodstuffs such as eggs, milk and meat will help these germs survive. Research indicates that boiling dishcloths for several minutes is an effective way of killing the bugs, but this uses time and energy and needs to be repeated at frequent intervals to avoid a new build-up of pathogens. A suitable food industry wiper, therefore, is one that is thrown away after use. SCA Tissue Europe manufacture a range of wipers for food industry cleaning.These are all blue in colour to conform to industry standards. UK food manufacturers favour blue wipers because few foods are blue in colour.This reduces the chances of losing a wiper among the food ingredients. When working with disinfectants and detergents or cleaning up fatty spills, a heavy-duty food wiper is required. Non-woven Tork Premium 530 Blue is suitable for this purpose since it is tough enough to be used as a dishcloth and highly absorbent when used with liquids such as water, detergents, solvents and disinfectants. Where lighter wiping applications are carried out at frequent intervals, a general-purpose blue wiper is a suitable choice. For highcapacity use in the food industry SCA has produced two-ply Tork Advanced 420 and one-ply Tork Advanced 415.These centrefeed wipers are housed in a hygienic dispenser that is tightly sealed to prevent product contamination and has no sharp corners where dirt can collect. Food workers often use the same wiper for cleaning their hands and surfaces, but it is not cost-effective to use a specialist food wiper for hand cleaning. Surface wiping products may also be harsh on the skin and result in problems such as occupational dermatitis. At the same time, purpose-designed hand towels are not usually robust enough for surface cleaning. To solve this problem SCA has designed a blue roll to be used both as a hand towel and for surface wiping.Tork Advanced 420 consists of one ply of conventional tissue and one ply of softer TAD material, giving food processors the softness they need for frequent hand drying along with the necessary strength for surface wiping. Clean disposable wipers for the food industry are important, but to be completely effective they must be used by clean hands.Nearly a third of UK food poisoning cases occur as a direct result of poor personal hygiene during food preparation – and washing and drying the hands properly is the easiest and most effective way to reduce contamination. In order to promote good hand hygiene among food workers, user-friendly handwashing facilities should be supplied. Good hand drying facilities are particularly important because damp hands can transmit 500 times as much bacteria as dry hands.Also, the action of rubbing the hands on a towel produces friction that removes the upper layer of dead skin particles - and the bacteria living on it. Soft towels and mild soaps are highly recommended because these promote better hand hygiene practices than harsher alternatives.Abrasive towels can cause chapping and soreness which discourages people from washing their hands. SCA's Tork Premium interfold towels are available in soft and extra soft versions for hygiene-critical areas, while Tork Premium liquid soap comes in mild, antibacterial and non-perfumed formats, suitable for food industry use. Food contamination in the factory can have devastating consequences. Besides the potential for causing food poisoning and possibly even death, it can cause enormous damage to the company's credibility.The combined factors of damage to the company's brand and the legal costs involved in a court case can also lead to bankruptcy.The latest EU Food Hygiene Regulations that came into effect in 2006 oblige food producers to improve their hygiene standards.HACCP training is now a legal requirement which means that food producers need documentation to show how hygiene hazards are being controlled. It is therefore more important than ever that food manufacturers adopt hygienic cleaning and hand hygiene systems in their workplaces. Clean disposable wipers – used by clean hands – are a major step towards achieving this. Enquire for details or call the number on the right. More articles from SCA Hygiene Products UK Ltd: | 
