One of the food safety facets in any food processing establishment is Surface Cleaning and Sanitising. Contaminated equipment, such as cutting boards and food preparation surfaces, is one of the five major risk factors that contributes to foodborne illness.1 However, with so many products available on the market today, how do you ensure you have the right products for your facility?

The following focuses on Efficacy, Safety and Sustainability as important factors to consider when selecting a surface sanitiser.

EFFICACY

• Does the product kill pathogens prevalent in foodborne illness outbreaks, such as norovirus, Listeria, Salmonella and E. coli?

• How quickly does this product kill these pathogens?

• Will the surface remain wet long enough to meet the required kill times? Or, will you need to re-wet the surface in order to achieve the required kill times?

• Is the product effective on both hard and soft surfaces?

• Is the product easy to use? Does it need to be diluted? Will my staff be able to quickly use the product and understand how to use it?

PRODUCT SAFETY

• Are there any precautionary statements on the product label – like “must wash hands after use,” or “hazardous to humans and domestic animals?”

• Is the product approved for use on food contact surfaces, with a no rinsing required? Or, does the product label require food contact surfaces to be rinsed with potable water after using the product?

• Does the product contain harsh chemical fumes that might irritate employees and guests?

• Is the product compatible with the surfaces and equipment you plan to use it on?

SUSTAINABILITY

It is often thought that a product that is good for the environment may be either ineffective or not strong enough to kill all of the germs in a food processing environment. That is simply no longer the case. Today, new formulation technologies have been developed with both the environment and superior efficacy in mind. When you look at a sanitising product, look to see if it has EPA Design for the Environment (DfE) certification. This certification demonstrates the ingredients in this product are at the green end of the spectrum for its class, as determined by the EPA.

PURELL® Foodservice Surface Sanitiser

PURELL Foodservice Surface Sanitiser is a patented, one-step sanitiser and cleaner, powerful enough to kill germs in 30 seconds, but gentle enough to use on food contact surfaces without requiring to be rinsed. 

  • Formulated for food contact surfaces – no rinse required
  • Kills 36 germs in 30 seconds or less, including Listeria, Salmonella, and E. Coli
  • Ready to use. No dilution/mixing required
  • Fragrance free formulation without harsh chemical fumes. No hand washing required after use. No personal protective equipment needed
  • Multi-surface performance – proven across most hard and soft surfaces
  • EPA Design for the Environment (DfE) certified
  • HACCP International, Kosher, Halal and NSF D2 certified