Stopping cross-contamination in its tracks

Saint Augustine is attributed as stating: “We make a ladder for ourselves of our vices, if we trample those same vices underfoot.”  Inspiring words...and tangentially, quite useful for the food processing industry...really. Consider the threats that lurk beneath our boots, that live underfoot for us, each time we walk onto the production floor. Those small steps, unchecked and unanticipated, can result in a litany of problems for food processors. With some common-sense prevention and planning though, we can climb to new levels of food safety understanding and practice.

One of the ways we can take sure steps in approaching cross-contamination concerns, for instance, is to look at the relentless footwear contact that your production floor handles. Employees can track in a myriad of potential contaminants and unknowingly put an operation at risk each time they breeze through a doorway to a production area. The effective use of a Disinfectant Mat™ provides a significant defense against cross-contamination. As employees step onto the mats, footwear is cleaned and sanitized. This barrier can literally help stop cross-contamination in its tracks.      

Thanks to working with our great customers and suppliers across the food and beverage industries, we have collected several best practices and key insights when it comes to the utilization of disinfectant floor mats for food processing facilities. The following tips will assist your operation, and ensure full efficacy (and not to mention some convenience) when it comes to using a Disinfectant Mat as a tool to combat cross-contamination:

• Place a mat at every entrance to processing areas.
• If employees are bypassing Disinfectant Mats, put several together or side-by-side to cover the whole entrance so they can't avoid them.
• Check sanitizer concentration with test strips, which are convenient and simple. Keep a daily log or hourly log of results.
• It is highly suggested that mats are cleaned daily (top and bottom), this could be part of the washdown process. Use pumps and buckets specifically designed for our High-Wall Disinfectant Mat.

These insights, along with several others are available in our Disinfectant Mat flyer that can be viewed here. Along with tips and insights to make using your mat as effective as possible, you will find a spectrum of products to build your sanitation program around, now at even lower prices.

Contact our product specialists today to discuss how we can help you stop contamination in its tracks at your plant. Call 1-800-826-8302 or email sales@nelsonjameson.com.