Hygiene

The Importance of Food Safety Certification

It is up to food and beverage manufacturers and food service operators to determine the safety of a cleaning product for use in processing, handling, or cooking environments. This burdens the cleaning product manufacturer to provide strong assurances of their products’ safety for their intended purposes, especially for food safety certification. This can become challenging and levy some additional responsibilities.

To address this challenge, the most efficient and effective way to demonstrate the suitability of cleaning products is to register them with an independent third-party assurance provider such as NSF. This provides the necessary assurance to food and beverage manufacturers and food service operators that the products they are purchasing meet the required safety standards, which is why registering our products is not just a way to show our dedication to food safety but also crucial in gaining wider acceptance from food and beverage processors and foodservice establishments.

The Criteria for Food Safety Certification

The registration process to gain a food safety certification ensures that our products have met the following criteria:

To ensure compliance with food safety standards, cleaning products are not permitted to contain intentionally added heavy metals, carcinogens, or mutagens.
If a cleaning product or sewage/drain cleaner contains bacterial or enzyme cultures, testing and analysis are required to ensure that it does not introduce new live bacteria, such as Salmonella.
Cleaning products should not have a noticeable odour or leave a visible residue on surfaces.

4. If a cleaning product contains fragrance, it must undergo testing to ensure that the scent does not mask an odour associated with a food safety issue, such as food spoilage.

5. When used as directed, antimicrobial products must not contaminate food products and should be verified accordingly.

Ensuring Product Safety and Compliance

Various food safety certification programs and organisations, such as Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI), have established guidelines and standards for the acceptable usage of cleaning products in the food industry.

Registering your cleaning products assures both you as the manufacturer and food operations that your products meet these guidelines and standards.

Moreover, food safety certification product registration requirements ensure that:

Your cleaning product labels include clear instructions for use that are consistent.
The registration body has also reviewed the intended use of the cleaning product, adding another layer of assurance that the product is safe for use in food-related environments.

ORAPI Tips: Best Cleaning Chemicals to Use

While several chemicals are effective in combating the most prevalent foodborne pathogens, there are a few that are most effective for this purpose.

HYPOCHLORITES

When combined with an inorganic compound like calcium or sodium, chlorine creates hypochlorites, commonly used in food processing environments to sanitize surfaces. However, the effectiveness of hypochlorites depends on various factors, including the level of cleanliness of the surfaces prior to application, the pH of the solution, its concentration, the temperature of the facility, and the duration of contact time.

However, hypochlorites prove to be excellent disinfectants due to their many benefits.

It is a powerful oxidizing agent that quickly destroys bacteria, viruses, and other harmful microorganisms.
Hypochlorite is fast-acting, which helps to ensure that the surface is free of germs.
It is also affordable and easy to use, as it can be easily used without requiring any specialized equipment or training.
Hypochlorite has a long shelf life and remains stable when stored properly.

ORAPI RECOMMENDS:

POOLSHOCK

Swimming Pool Chlorine Granules

POOLSHOCK is a powerful calcium Hypochlorite agent designed for effective disinfection.

POOLSHOCK has excellent bleaching action and removes blood stains, protein soils, starch, fat and other contaminants.

QUATERNARY AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS

Quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) are organic compounds widely used as disinfectants in the food industry due to their antimicrobial properties. QACs bind to negatively charged surfaces such as cell membranes, disrupting cells by forming hydrophilic voids. They are effective against lipophilic microorganisms, particularly gram-positive bacteria and enveloped viruses, but are generally not sporicidal and are ineffective against hydrophilic viruses

QACs are commonly used for the environmental sanitation of noncritical surfaces due to their many advantages, such as high stability, low colour, odourless, and relatively low toxicity. However, their efficacy is influenced by compound and surface combinations, product formulation, and water hardness.

One of the most widely used QACs is benzalkonium chloride (BAC), often used in surface disinfection. BAC’s concentration is usually between 0.01 and 1% but can rise to 15%. It is important to note that spraying or fumigating QACs is not recommended due to the risk of occupational asthma. QAC-based disinfectants are typically applied with a cloth or wipe soaked in disinfectant. When rotating quats with other chemicals, thorough rinsing is required because they are incompatible with chlorine compounds and some detergents.

DISAKLEEN

Food Grade Cleaner & Sanitiser

DISAKLEEN is a neutral concentrated detergent & disinfectant, developed for surface cleaning applications in the food, beverage and dairy industries. It also is formulated with a blend of foaming detergents, sequestrants and quaternary ammonium compounds specially selected to be highly effective against most vegetative forms of micro-organisms including Gram-positive & Gram-negative bacteria & yeasts, and enveloped viruses**.

PEROXYACETIC ACID (PAA)

Peroxyacetic acid is a disinfectant that breaks down the chemical bonds within the cell membranes of bacteria and other microorganisms. It is often used in combination with hydrogen peroxide and is effective in cold conditions, making it suitable for refrigeration units in food processing environments. PAA is also effective for biofilm removal, which is a common problem in food processing plants. Unlike hypochlorites, PAA is more effective, less corrosive, and environmentally friendly since it breaks down into acetic acid, oxygen, and water.

NSF-CERTIFIED ORAPI PRODUCTS

Choosing the right cleaning chemicals for your food industry facility can be a difficult task for any manager responsible for Food Safety and Quality Assurance (FSQA). However, using ORAPI products can demonstrate your commitment to safety standards and guarantee the health of your customers. ORAPI is listed in the NSF White Book, ensuring our products are effective and safe for all food processing facilities.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the food and beverage industry must ensure that cleaning products used for processing, handling, or cooking are safe and meet food safety standards. Registering cleaning products with independent third-party assurance providers, such as NSF, effectively demonstrates product suitability, compliance with regulations, and safety for food industry applications. Using recommended cleaning chemicals, such as hypochlorites, quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs), and peroxyacetic acid (PAA), is also an essential part of the cleaning process for any food industry facility. Choosing suitable cleaning chemicals is critical for food industry managers responsible for food safety and quality.

NEED MORE CLEANING SUPPLIES?

Full list of cleaning products for cafe/ restaurant under one booklet.

The Importance of Food Safety Certification

The Criteria for Food Safety Certification

Ensuring Product Safety and Compliance