Minimising Foreign Bodies on cleaning equipment/utensils.

 A foreign body is any object, present on any cleaning equipment/utensils, that could compromise food safety/quality, such as: grit, glass, plastics, or even tiny insects, even bits of other food products.

To control and eliminate foreign bodies from your cleaning equipment/utensils you will need to inspect your items visually and regularly, making sure they reach all food hygiene standards.  A metal detection system can be used to spot metal fragments but in the case of plastic fragments thorough inspection is required.

Things to check for on your cleaning equipment:

• Cracking, chipping, corrosion, flaking, and abrasion
• Fastenings which may loosen and fall into product
• Mechanically safe and working as they should

Reducing the risk of foreign bodies from cleaning equipment and utensils:

Do's:

• Good quality, durable equipment that is resistant to your environment challenges, e.g. chemicals and temperature
• Use contrasting colour so that this would enable any foreign bodies to be seen more easily
• Use cleaning equipment that meets the standards

Don’t Use:

• Equipment made of wood or foamed plastic because of risk of chipping and splitting
• Painted or coated equipment because of risk of flaking
• Damaged or badly worn equipment, get replacements and minimise risk of contamination

Always:

• Inspect equipment prior to use, clean if necessary
• Check for worn equipment and replace as required
• Store equipment in a safe environment, within safety guidelines

Brush Bristles

Brush bristles are one of the most common fragments found from cleaning, that shouldn't be there. When brushes are used in cleaning the bristles can get trapped or break on certain surfaces, therefore you should always be aware of this and look for these fragments. Most brush bristles are drilled and stapled in some fashion and this is always going to break or snap at some point.  SOS Hygiene would recommend fully-moulded Vikan brushware as the construction of these brushes eliminates both metal and plastic (resin) elements from dislodging or breaking.

 All cleaning equipment/utensils should be regularly inspected and replaced where necessary and inspected prior to every use. This should be part of your maintenance program to prevent contamination.  

For more information on Vikan cleaning tools with hygienic design contact info@soshygiene.com or call 0161 221 2231