Evaluation and Implementation of Footwear Sanitizing Systems

Food processing employees wash and sanitize their hands dozens of times a day, but what process is applied to their footwear? Contaminants can enter via footwear, potentially spreading pathogens into critical areas. Footwear sanitation awareness has significantly increased over the years, but for some food processing facilities, it is still on the to-do list.

Where to Begin: Research Behind Footwear Sanitation Methods

As facilities become more aware of the risks of cross-contamination from footwear, they begin investigating different solutions. A question often arises from quality and food safety managers: What type of system should we implement, and how can we test different methods in our own facility?

In 2013, a peer-reviewed article was published in Food Protection Trends, Vol. 33, No. 2, pp. 74-81. The article, “Chemical Decontamination of Footwear Soles to Limit Microbial Transfer in Dry Environment,” set out to validate the effectiveness of four decontamination treatments.

Testing Methods to Evaluate Footwear Sanitation in Your Facility

For facilities that want to set up a test with their own employees, the article outlines a procedure which can be conducted. In the article, “Boot soles were inoculated with a mixture of equal parts of Citrobacter freundii, Pseudomonas fluorescens and Serratia marcescens.”

The first method was “treatment with aqueous quaternary ammonium sanitizer (Aqueous QAC, 1000 ppm) in a footbath mat.” The second method was “dry quaternary ammonium sanitizer (Dry QAC, 1.2% (wt/wt)) in a footbath mat.” The third method was “a spray of sanitizer containing 58.6% isopropyl alcohol and 150 ppm quaternary ammonium compounds (IPA QAC).” The final test was conducted with “an IPA QAC spray followed by Dry QAC in a footbath mat (IPA QAC / Dry QAC).”

As quoted in the article, “Before and after treatment, footwear soles and floor surfaces were sampled. No significant reductions in microbial populations on soles were observed upon treatment with Aqueous QAC, Dry QAC, compared with no treatment (control). Decontamination with IPA QAC and IPA QAC / Dry QAC resulted in 2.3 and 3.5 log reductions, respectively. Populations recovered from floor surfaces indicated IPA QAC and IPA QAC / Dry QAC treatments significantly reduced transfer of bacteria. Results of this study demonstrate that use of IPA QAC for decontamination of footwear may provide a significant barrier against the spread of microorganisms by foot traffic.”

Choosing a Surface Sanitizer for Footwear

When choosing a surface sanitizer for footwear sanitation, there are a variety of options, from aqueous quats and dry powders to alcohol-based solutions, as outlined in the article. Each facility needs to determine which options work best for their needs.

When selecting a sanitizer, be sure to read the label and look for footwear claims. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) evaluates label claims on surface sanitizers. For example, Alpet® D2 Surface Sanitizer (58.6% IPA/QAC based product) is EPA approved with a label claim that states it kills 99.9% of tested pathogens in 10 seconds on non-food contact surfaces, including rubber footwear.

Selecting a Delivery System

To apply sanitizer to employee footwear efficiently and without the need for utilities, an equipment option is the Airless SmartStep™ Footwear Sanitizing System. The Airless SmartStep is foot-operated and compact, and it delivers a fine mist directly to footwear soles. The unit does not require electricity or compressed air.

Examples of Implementation

Facilities implementing this unique combination of chemistry and a delivery system include manufacturers producing snacks, pet food, candy, chocolate, dry ingredients, spices, concentrated dairy flavors, capsules, powdered supplements, vitamins, cheese, beef jerky, pork, poultry, frozen foods, grain milling, jams and peanut butter and vertical greenhouses.

For more information, a demonstration or to set up an evaluation for your facility, please visit www.bestsanitizers.com or email sales@bestsanitizers.com