A step in the right direction

THE IMPORTANCE of having and complying with hygiene and sanitation practices in food and beverage facilities cannot be emphasized enough in eliminating the risk of contamination and product recalls. It goes without saying that thorough hand-washing, clean gear and equipment and sanitary work spaces are essential. Switching to antimicrobial floorings can also make a significant improvement in sanitation. In this area, Flowcrete Middle East can help food and beverage companies meet global food safety regulations.

The specialist resin flooring manufacturer has secured Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) International Certification for its ultra-hygienic Flowfresh range of antimicrobial enhanced polyurethane floors.

The HACCP management system has been designed to provide food and beverage facility designers, owners and managers with a list of criteria that their building materials and operational activity need to meet in order to safeguard against the risk of food contamination events. Its guidelines cover the entire process, from harvesting to consumption, and are targeted around preventing problems from occurring in the first place.

Getting the floor area right is a critical part of this process, as otherwise it can present a variety of challenging health and safety concerns. Flowcrete’s new certification means that producers operating a HACCP based food safety program can specify the innovative Flowfresh range, safe in the knowledge that it will meet the world’s leading quality and food safety standards.

The ability of Flowfresh to maintain a seamless, impervious finish in the face of the difficult working conditions within a food industry facility was central to achieving HACCP International Certification.

The heavy equipment, intense cleaning, constant use and exposure to food by-products such as fats, acids, blood and oils can all quickly take a toll on an insufficiently robust floor finish, turning a previously compliant coating into an unsightly, unsanitary and unsafe surface.

Draining and ease of cleaning are also important HACCP International flooring criteria. Flowfresh can integrate stainless steel drainage and can be laid to a fall to facilitate the rapid removal of unwanted substances. The texture of the floor can be chosen to best suit the onsite cleaning regime and coving made from the same robust polyurethane material is ideal for creating a smooth transition between the floor and the wall.

The silver-ion based Polygiene® agent is homogenously distributed throughout every Flowfresh finish. Its bactericidal property allows Flowfresh floor to eliminate up to 99.9% of all bacteria in contact with it. The innovative way that the polyurethane system has been combined with the anti-bacterial additive means that should the coating ever chip, then any contaminants that fall into that space will still be exposed to the bacteria killing flooring ingredient. 

Flowfresh has even been proven to meet the ISO 22196 standard, which measures a surface’s antibacterial effectiveness on plastics and other non-porous surfaces. The polyurethane system underwent rigorous testing to show that it complied with this internationally recognized benchmark of quality.