5 Questions with Mike Dougherty, Marketing and Quality Manager, Perfex

1. What are the post-pandemic cleaning trends for food processing facilities?

Professional cleaning techniques have advanced in many ways and continue to progress under the careful examination of regulators. Food processors have always followed extensive sanitation requirements and current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs); however, many companies have upped the ante by increasing cleaning frequency to be even more diligent in maintaining a clean and sanitized workplace overall.

2. What methods have evolved to ensure employee and consumer safety?

While color-coding isn’t new, the pandemic has sparked a resurgence of this professional cleaning technique because it easily isolates work areas to prevent cross-contamination, a chief concern in food safety. COVID-19 has also prompted food processors and other critical industries to expand their cleaning diligence beyond production to communal areas, such as break rooms, washrooms, workstations and doorknobs.

3. How do we ensure a facility cleaning program is compliant with current safety standards?

An effective cleaning program requires companywide participation. All employees should be properly educated and trained to understand area-specific requirements. Routine deep cleaning, either at the end of the day or after exposure, provides a systematic approach to a facility cleaning program to increase accuracy and ensure safety upstream and downstream. Evaluate your cleaning techniques against newly developed methods to see if improvements could be made.

4. What cleaning tool features are essential to prevent cross-contamination?

Utilize high-grade professional cleaning tools manufactured from specific materials to ease the burden on quality management officers. Make sure cleaning tools can withstand rack washing at up to 150°F to kill bacteria. Perfex 100% polypropylene brooms and brushes are hygienically designed to eliminate areas for bacteria to collect. The heat-fused brush fiber design alleviates potential fiber fallout and, most importantly, is easy to clean and maintain.

5. In what ways can Perfex assist food manufacturers in their safety and sanitation efforts?

We supply a wide range of sanitation tools such as brooms, brushes, squeegees, scoops and scrapers for cleaning food-contact and non-food-contact surfaces. Perfex can help you establish a color-coded cleaning system with proper tool selection, storage, care and maintenance. Get a specialized cleaning kit for your facility today! Shop online or contact our highly qualified team to discover the cleaning tools that will safeguard your facility and exceed your sanitation goals.