THE IMPORTANCE OF CLEANROOM GARMENTS IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY

Around the world, an estimated 600 million people experience a food-borne illness each year. Although there are many various causes, the most notable and preventable cause is cross contamination. Cross contamination occurs when bacteria or other microorganisms are transferred unintentionally from one surface to another. Therefore, maintaining the highest level of cleanliness is imperative in a food processing facility. Industries which handle food must take additional steps to ensure that the food being processed, packaged and transported is uncontaminated through each step of the process.

Dirty clothing is one of the most common causes of cross contamination, which can cause some major repercussions for some individuals. For many, cross contamination is presented through food poisoning which reveals itself through symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, stomach pains, diarrhoea, sweating and headaches.

In order to avoid cross contamination, businesses in the food industry must follow strict rules and regulations to ensure the highest levels of hygiene is maintained at all times. One of the ways that several food processing facilities have chosen to maintain a high level of cleanliness is through the use of cleanrooms. Cleanrooms are environments where all conditions such as air quality, humidity and temperature are regulated at all times, which can minimise the number of particles, germs and bacteria that enter the environment, making the final products safer and cleaner. With preventative measures in place, higher efficiency and margins can be achieved through simplified processes and higher confidence with the final product.

One of the ways the cleanroom environment is maintained is through cleanroom garments. These are garments that have been created in a cleanroom, sterilised and specially designed to be used in other cleanroom environments, such as food processing facilities.

People are a major source of contamination in a food processing facility. We lose about 40,000 dead skin cells on the surface of our skin every minute, with skin cells containing a large range of organisms including bacteria and yeast. Due to this, cross contamination can occur very easily if clothing is not worn to contain it and protect the food product.

Just like the saying goes, ‘it is always better to be safe than sorry’, taking preventative measures such as ensuring cleanroom garments are worn, may save your business from a cross-contamination problem if this was to occur. Choosing the right cleanroom garments which meet quality standards and requirements is also critical.

At Clean Room Garments, our food processing garments are HACCP Certified and processed in our State-Of-The-Art Processing Facility. Manufactured with a lightweight breathable fabric, we have a large range of garments and consumables available.

Contact us today to discuss how we can help your business be food safe!