Stainless vs. Aluminum: Is Your Food Packaging Equipment 100% Wash-Down Certified?

摘要

Maintaining a pristine production and packaging environment is mission-critical for food manufacturers. First of all, they are highly regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), and other governing bodies in specific food sectors. Also, unsanitary food manufacturing can be disastrous to public health. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) report approximately 76 million cases of food borne illness a year, with an estimated 200 deaths resulting from food-induced anaphylaxis. Not to mention the impact of a contaminated food product recall on a company's reputation and sales - the average cost of a food product recall is upwards of USD540,000. Globalization, international trade, new regulations, and increased consumer demand for safer food have pushed the food industry worldwide to create and standardize improved safety practices. Just this year, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) published a new auditable standard (ISO 22000) that defines HACCP's role in food safety and states the requirements for companies that desire to exceed the regulations for food safety. In addition, a report by Industrial & Institutional Cleaning Chemicals shows that disinfectants and sanitizers are expected to record the fastest growth among industrial and institutional cleaning chemical types through 2008. I&ICC predicts that gains will be drive by heightened safety and health concerns over the spread of infections diseases and risks associated with foodborne pathogens.