Simplifying Hygiene and Sanitation Practices

Washing one’s hands for the minimum of 20 seconds using approved soaps and scrubs and creating enough friction for bacteria removal is the ideal way to get employees compliant, Abraham emphasizes. “Putting a timer right in their face is a no-brainer approach to this concept.”

Brush Brigade

Every element of Hillbrush’s Total MDX Hygienic Tools product line is metal and X-ray detectable.

Image credit: Hillbrush Co. Ltd.

Addressing cleaning and foreign object contamination concerns is Total MDX Hygienic Tools, a line of fully metal detectable brushes introduced in the U.S. in 2015 by Hillbrush Company Ltd., Mere, Wiltshire, England, a manufacturer of cleaning tools for hygiene sensitive environments.

“These brushes complement our other metal detectable cleaning tools, including scoops and scrapers, which were first available in the U.S. in 2010,” says Mike Rutt, Hillbrush’s quality manager.

“Every element of the Total MDX Hygienic Tools product line is metal and X-ray detectable, including the brush back, antimicrobial resin, and filaments,” Rutt relates. “If a piece of this tool is broken during cleaning, provided you’re using correctly calibrated detection equipment, it can be detected and then removed from the product.”

Metal detectable cleaning tools enhance Hillbrush’s portfolio that includes Resin Set DRS (Dual Retention System) and Anti-Microbial Hygienic Tools, all commercially available in the U.S. also since 2010.

“Resin Set DRS brushware directly answers the number one brush related concern for food processors, ‘How do I prevent filament loss?’” Rutt says. “Resin Set DRS brushware is manufactured using FDA approved materials and contains food grade, stainless steel staples to hold filaments securely into place. Antimicrobial epoxy resin is then floated into every part of the brush back, locking the filaments into position.”

According to Rutt, Anti-Microbial Hygienic Tools get to grips with the second biggest brush concern of food processors, how to prevent bacterial contamination. “If bacteria are unable to grow on the brush, scraper, or squeegee, they cannot reproduce and will therefore die,” Rutt points out. “This product line meets ISO standards and contains silver-ion technology, which actively inhibits the growth of bacteria for the lifetime of the product.”

Hillbrush’s Total MDX Hygienic Tools are manufactured with Resin Set DRS technology, including antimicrobial resin, so they are at once metal detectable, filament locking, and antimicrobial.

With the exception of Total MDX and Anti-Microbial Hygienic Tools, which are manufactured in navy blue and purple, respectively, Hillbrush’s hygiene range is available in up to 10 colors.

“Hillbrush’s technologically advanced color-coded cleaning products not only support HACCP initiatives for workplace segregation, but actively support good hygiene practices,” Rutt emphasizes.

Ford Gum & Machine Co., Akron, N.Y., a manufacturer and distributor of gumballs and gumball machine banks, as well as a private label confections manufacturer, has been using the Hillbrush Total MDX products since early 2017.

“Not only are these Hillbrush products more durable than other brands of hygiene tools we previously used, we consider their metal detectable capabilities a real food safety advantage,” says Kevin Dunnigan, Ford Gum’s quality assurance manager.

Knowledge-Based Services

In early 2017, Sealed Air launched several new hygiene solutions in its suite of Diversey Knowledge-Based Services, including CIPTEC, which offers precise clean-in-place (CIP) monitoring so CIP cycles can be shortened; and Dynamic Flow Monitoring, an advanced water management improvement program.

Diversey CIPTEC can provide users with precise CIP monitoring to allow for shortened CIP cycles.

Image credit: Sealed Air

These offerings augment the company’s provision of services, such as CIPCheck and AquaCheck, that have been in place for many years, says Roger Wagler, director of technical services for Diversey Hygiene North America, Charlotte, N.C.