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

1. Why is color-coding significant to safety in food manufacturing?

When utilized properly, a color-coding system is the first line of defense against bacteria, pathogens, allergens, and other foreign-material contamination. Sorting food-contact and non-food-contact tools apart will significantly reduce cross-contamination, but in order to ensure consistency, the tools must be easy to identify. Color-coding creates a “visual factory” to encourage standards of cleanliness that consistently promote food safety.

2. What are the challenges of establishing a color-coded cleaning system?

An effective color-coding system requires company-wide participation. If everyone isn’t all in, the results will reflect that. All employees need proper education and training to understand the coding of specific tools and procedures. Evaluate your cleaning program regularly and compare against newly developed methods to ensure compliance with food safety requirements.

3. How can I prevent cross-contamination by using proper maintenance and storage?

Cleaning tools should be cleaned before and after each use, with frequency increasing between high-risk operations. Cleaned tools should be stored on racks or wall-mounted tool holders to provide sufficient space and time for drying. Proper brush storage will preserve quality, increase performance, and extend service life. Replace damaged or worn out tools immediately to reduce the risk of cross-contamination.

4. What specific characteristics help to prevent cross-contamination?

High-quality cleaning equipment is manufactured from chemical resistant, non-conductive materials that will not absorb bacteria, liquids, or odors. Food contact tools must be able to withstand a rack wash up to 150°F in order to kill bacteria. Our hygienically designed heat-fused brush fiber eliminates area for bacteria to collect, alleviates potential fiber fallout and, most importantly, it’s easy to clean and maintain!

5. How do I decide which colors to use in my facility?

Color-coding can be designed as per the need of your facility. While no rules exist about what colors should be used, certain colors have become standard in the industry: red for raw meat, blue for seafood, green for produce, white for finished food and yellow for hazardous areas. 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!