“We want residents and visitors to the borough to be able to enjoy their food safe in the knowledge that it has been produced, stored and prepared in a hygienic manner.”

This was spoken to the Government’s News Distribution Service after Mr Chitta R. Das, owner of frozen food company Euroversal International released a statement last week which assured the public that his produce was safe to consume. This came after his factory was exposed for being unhygienic earlier this month. The Food Standards Agency discovered a mouse infestation in the factory and traces of mouse droppings were found inside food packaging, on shelves and in the food itself. The company was charged with six food hygiene offences, fined £5,730 and had their ‘Mithaighar’ yoghurt product recalled.

In areas where food is prepared, packaged and distributed to the public, the hygiene and cleanliness of the building and the staff who work in it must be impeccable.  Any dangerous bacteria must be removed from all surfaces, even if they are not in direct contact with food; harmful bacteria can cause food-related illnesses such as salmonella, listeria and E. coli.

It is the responsibility of business directors who run food factories to adhere to constantly updated rules, regulations and legislations which are monitored by a number of official bodies.  Firstly, the Food Standards Agency, an independent Government department, was set up to monitor food production in the interest of the consumer’s health.  They set guidelines for food preparation, which they monitor and enforce frequently. The BRC, British Retail Consortium also sets a standardised level of hygiene that retailers expect from their suppliers.  They modify the rules frequently and a sixth edition of their regulations is due in 2012.

With all of these pressures on owners of food production factories, it can quickly become impossible for them to keep up. With so many other aspects of running a business to think about, the easiest way to make sure it is done properly, and with minimum fuss, is to get a cleaning contractor to do it for you.

Cleaning contractors are often highly experienced when it comes to working in industry. They are subject to stringent hygiene, safety and cleanliness regulations as part of their job; making it important for them to be knowledgeable in the latest food hygiene and cleanliness laws.

They will have specially-trained teams to set to work, who will be very experienced at working in industrial units.  The contractor will be responsible for staffing issues, including ensuring that staff are up to date will all legislations. The procurement of any specialist equipment and supplies will also become the responsibility of the contractor.

Another issue for owners of food production factories is the time constraints against them; to maximise the company’s productivity they need to be open for business for long periods of time. Some specialist cleaning processes require time and potentially an emptied factory, which could clash with production times. A cleaning contractor will fit in with the company’s schedule and requirements to make it as convenient as possible.

Alongside daily cleaning, there are some special services that a contract cleaning company can offer.  Firstly, there is high level cleaning, which requires experienced staff cleaning hard-to-reach areas, making every surface spotlessly clean. They will also be trained in machinery and process parts cleaning, an essential process that removes the residue of bacteria and it keeps the machines working efficiently; dirty machines break down which makes the factory lose money. Many insurers now also want ventilation and duct cleaning and testing to be undertaken by professional contractors, which they will also be able to help with.

Hiring a cleaning contractor to do your food factory cleaning can therefore ensure that the factory maintains the highest standards, will remove the stresses from a business owner and will undertake regular daily cleaning as well as specialist tasks.

If you would like to know how hiring a contract cleaner can help your business, Newlife Cleaning Systems welcome your enquires on 0800 018 9099, or visit www.newlifecleaning.com.

First published 5 years ago Crisis in Cleaning by Scott Young is an invaluable tool for any cleaning contractor or manager with responsibility for premises cleaning especially where hard floors are involved.

In it he willingly shares 56 years experience in the industry with a career spanning window cleaning to building cleaning contractor then on into manufacturing of cleaning equipment based and designed on his many years of practice in the field.

What this book is about is one mans quest to explain the importance of professional cleaning.

It is mandatory reading for all Newlife Cleaning Systems Area Managers which is the highest endorsement we can give.

It doesn’t matter whether you have just started your first commercial contract or you’re a facility manager with a ‘slip and trip’ problem in your client’s kitchens. The answer is in this personal journey to excellence.

A limited number of copies are available, P+P free, to the first 50 readers who register their interest.

please email sales.national@newlifecleaning.com with your postage and contact details

Columbus Dixon Aug 2010

Ultrasonic sound is sound with a pitch so high that it exceeds the normal threshold of human hearing. Sound waves in excess of 18 kHz are referred to as ultrasonic. The ones used in industrial parts cleaning tend to range from around 20 kHz to 50 kHz. As environmentally friendly cleaning practices become more popular, the attractiveness of using ultrasonic technology for industrial parts cleaning begins to grow.

When this eco-friendliness is combined with highly effective cleaning of industrial parts it is not hard to see why this technology is gaining popularity. Alongside this, ultrasonic cleaning is perfectly suited for batch style cleaning arrangements which increases the cost efficiency of the parts cleaning process. This not only minimises cleaning time but also maximises the effectiveness of aqueous solutions used during the industrial parts cleaning process.

By manipulating sound waves ultrasonic cleaners are able to blast particles from contaminated industrial parts through the processes of compression and rarefaction. These processes offer an unparalleled level of cleanliness which makes them ideal for industrial parts cleaning where even light contamination of components can result in dire consequences.

It is quite early days in terms of the technology behind this aspect of industrial parts cleaning. Regardless of this, when utilized in the correct way, ultrasonic cleaning offers the chance to dramatically increase both the speed and the efficiency of a cleaning process whilst minimising its environmental impact. As the technology develops and people become aware of the numerous benefits of ultrasonic cleaning then it is inevitable that its popularity as an industrial parts cleaning process will grow.