Cleanliness – the essential ingredient

The UK is often described as being a nation of animal lovers, so recent headlines concerning the ingredients in certain value ‘beef’ burgers caused shock and outrage. We take it for granted – and rightly so – that the services and goods we are buying as consumers are the real deal. We trust our favourite brands to deliver what they say they will, and when we feel we have been let down, the damage is sometimes irreparable.

Although this scandal had more to do with food processing and handling than food hygiene, stories about failures in this latter department are even more regular in the media. Although unpalatable – in every sense – these articles and news items underline the importance of cleaning wherever food is made, packaged or served.

We are constantly reminded that, in an age of austerity, belts need to be tightened, and this is often used as a convenient excuse to cut cleaning budgets. However, taking such a short term view nearly always results in a long-term headache – as standards slip, hygiene ratings fall, the risk of costly product recalls increases, and customers go elsewhere.

Cleaning may not be the most glamorous garnish, but it is the fundamental basic ingredient that all companies working in the food sector need to include if their recipe for business is to be a success. The UK cleaning industry has grown and developed to offer services tailored specifically for clients working in the HORECA and food processing sectors. Kitchens and food preparation areas must abide by strict hygiene and safety rules, with unwavering attention paid to HACCP and COSHH. Without the right cleaning equipment and regimes to make sure that regulations are not breached, an unappetising result can ensue – at ‘best’ a drop down the hygiene ratings table, and at worst an outbreak of food poisoning.

Any company working in the food or catering sector simply cannot afford to skimp on hygiene. Luckily, they have a professional and dedicated cleaning sector to support them – so by working in partnership, the headlines I’ve described can hopefully become a rare occurrence.

Published in  Tomorrow’s Cleaning – February 2013   Cleanliness – the essential ingredient