Hygiene is a basic requirement in all modern food related establishments and manufacturing plants, with regard to legislation and customers. Productivity must be maximised and employees require a hygienic working environment. Requirements can be difficult to achieve but the best results are gained through good training and the right use of equipment and cleaning systems.

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Good hygiene influences both the working environment and public health. Poor hygiene can cost the company a lot of money in the form of a tarnished image/reputation and inedible or sub-standard products. Good hygiene can be ensured through the establishment of good routines, namely:

• Basic knowledge of micro-organisms and how useful micro-organisms can be exploited and dangerous ones minimised.
• Correct cleaning methods, specially designed for the food industry.
• Using high-quality, ergonomically designed cleaning implements, appropriate to the cleaning tasks.
• Ensuring that the users are fully trained in the correct use of cleaning equipment and the risks associated with hygiene.

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Following the outbreak of worldwide food related illnesses in the early 1990s, attention has focused on food hygiene safety. This has lead to the introduction of legislation such as the UK Food Safety Act, the EC Food Hygiene Directive (1993), the EU Regulation (EC) Number 852/2004 on the Hygiene of Foodstuffs, and the US Food Code, with subsequent revisions and updates. Broadly speaking, this legislation aims at “all measures necessary to ensure the safety and wholesomeness of foodstuffs" and that those involved in “the preparation and processing, manufacturing, packaging, storing, transportation, distribution, handling and offering for sale or supply of foodstuffs" (EC Food Hygiene Directive 93/43/EEC, articles 2 and 3.2) should pursue that end with due diligence. The paramount need to minimise the risk of contamination is clear.

EC Regulation 852/2004 states that all equipment with which food comes into contact is to be so constructed, be of such materials, and kept in such good order, repair and condition, as to minimise any risk of contamination. It also requires companies to implement a “Food Management System".

In his UK Recognised Standard for Cleaning Equipment “The Food Hygiene Handbook" (Highfield Publications, first published in 1982), Richard Sprenger states that “all equipment and other utensils which are used in food premises should be designed and constructed to minimise harbourage of soils, bacteria or pests, and to enable them to be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected".

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• Much faster in achieving goals required.
• The ergonomics of the product have an effect on the person using it, leading to prolonged energy and usage.
• Extremely easy to clean.
• Available in eight colours to help avoid cross-contamination (HACCP).
• Supreme quality and durability.
• Innovative tools for problem areas.
• Withstands high temperatures.
• A safer environment overall, giving cleaning managers peace of mind

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Colour Coding greatly assists managers requiring interdepartmental or food type segregation who are implementing HACCP systems, and significantly reduces the chance of cross contamination. In “The Food Hygiene Handbook" (Highfield Publications, first published 1982), Richard Sprenger recommends “the use of different colours or shapes as a code to ensure equipment used for raw food is not used for high risk food". Salmon Products® are stocked in eight colours including blue, green, red, white, yellow, orange, purple and black with most products available with matching coloured backs. Black monofilaments of all diameters are stocked, and most of the brooms and brushes in this brochure can be filled with black material to special order, if they are not available as a standard product.

Salmon Products® does not designate particular colours for specific areas or food types, because this is the responsibility of the cleaning managers. Some establishments require inter-departmental equipment segregation, but others require inter-food equipment segregation.

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HACCP is a prevention-based system developed by the US Department of Agriculture to help food processors and food service companies eliminate food safety hazards by identifying Critical Control Points. The Points are defined as steps or procedures in the food-handling process, where controls can be applied to prevent or reduce hazards. HACCP is designed to minimise food safety risks by predicting where they are likely to occur by preventing them before they happen. EC Regulation 852/2004 states that “food business operators shall put in place, implement and maintain a permanent procedure or procedures based on the HACCP principles".

The following image is available as a PDF download - PLEASE CLICK HERE

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We offer a comprehensive range of cleaning equipment manufactured specifically to clean the hygienically sensitive areas covered by UK and European food hygiene laws. New food hygiene laws have applied in the UK since January 2006 and affect all food businesses, including caterers, primary producers (such as farmers), manufacturers, distributors and retailers. The new laws emanate from new EU legislation, and now more clearly define the duties of food businesses to produce food safely and to achieve consistency. Food businesses must have a food safety management system based on the principal of HACCP-Hazard Critical Control Points.

The products in the Salmon Hygiene Technology range have been constructed to comply with all these existing regulations and to give peace of mind to managers when cleaning hygienically sensitive areas, because they are reliable, easy to clean and strong enough to repeatedly endure testing industrial conditions.

HBC is registered to the European Brushware Federation’s Charter of Professional Hygiene Brushware. This charter was established so as to enable purchasers of the hygiene brushware to be confident that they will be supplied with high quality professional brushware, which complies with all the existing hygiene regulations. See our HYGIENE PRODUCT RATINGS

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Salmon Hygiene Technology brushes are manufactured to the highest standards and are made to last. In certain special circumstances, often found in food manufacturing areas, where the security of monofilaments is of particular importance, a different approach is required. Salmon Products has developed a very effective optional improvement in brush filament retention, where each tuft is stapled into the brush back with food grade stainless steel staples in the normal way, and then Epoxy resin is floated into a recess on the face of the brush. The resin permeates the bottom of the tuft hole, covering the filaments and staples as it goes. The resin seals the face of the brush and makes the chance of a filament pulling out extremely remote, and inhibits the accumulation of dirt or moisture in the tuft holes.

Salmon Hygiene Technology Products twin approach to securing and sealing the monofilaments makes the brushes superior to other methods. Read more about RESIN-SET TECHNOLOGY

The image shows two transparent brushes demonstrating the manufacturing process.

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This range of products contains an Irgaguard silver based anti-microbial additive which inhibits the growth of a broad range of moulds, mildews and bacteria on the surface of the products themselves. An anti-microbial efficacy is maintained during the typical lifetime of the products, due to a silver iron reservoir inside the polymer product.

Salmon Hygiene Technology continues to provide innovative solutions for cleaning managers and the ever-present threats of disease and contamination. Today anti-microbials are widely used to reduce hospital acquired infections and are perhaps better known as penicillin and tetracycline which have paved the way for better health for millions around the world.

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This range comprises of plastic hand tools such as scrapers, scoops and shovels. Food production lines contain metal detection machines, and by using Salmon Metal Detectable tools, if any part of the tool should enter the food itself, they would be detected and the contaminated product quarantined.

The special ingredient used during the moulding process to produce the metal detectability also gives the products anti-static properties. The products have been independently tested, and the results showed that they are slow dissipative, and the ESD (electrostatic discharge) was zero. Therefore the products are safe for use in flammable atmospheres with ignition energies down to 0.25 millijoules.

Salmon Hygiene Technology products are mostly available in eight colours, to assist interdepartmental or food type segregation required in the implementation of the HACCP systems, where colour coding significantly reduces the chance of cross contamination. Hygiene managers still have the responsibility of organising their own hygiene systems, but will be assured that if they purchase professional hygiene equipment with the Salmon logo from HBC, it will be fit for purpose.

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Most of the products from Salmon Hygiene Technology are packed in individual poly bags, and in most cases these bags are made from biodegradable polypropylene. The bags degrade through photothermal-oxidation (the effects of UV, heat and O2) and through thermooxidation (heat and O2, without any UV).

When disposed of in landfills the bags will degrade within 12 to 24 months and will ultimately biodegrade in the presence of microorganisms, moisture, heat and oxygen into simpler materials found in nature (water, carbon dioxide and biomass). This is described in ASTM D 6954-04, which is the standard guide developed for Exposing Biodegradation.

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