Is a clean surface a hygienic surface? While on the surface, it appears “clean”, a closer inspection might lead you to change your mind.
In a restaurant or food cart, patrons might check the cutlery or even take a look at the kitchen to determine if they are being served food prepared in a hygienic environment. The same cannot be said for an FMCG factory.
However, it is the responsibility of the owners to ensure that everything, from the storage of raw materials and processing to packaging and transportation, is done in a sterile and hygienic manner. A factory will often produce different products containing allergens like milk, soya, wheat and nuts, among others. Contamination from these can have severe health consequences for consumers, leading to batch cancellations, financial damage, legal liabilities and loss of reputation.
Working with a commercial cleaner specialising in the food industry allows hygiene officers to ensure all surfaces are clean and free of germs, dirt, dust and other contaminants. A commercial cleaning crew has access to advanced equipment and high-quality cleaning solutions, which ensures everything in your food factory is hygienic. This also reduces your carbon footprint by minimising water waste and lowering the usage of harmful chemicals, an important consideration in the FMCG sector.
Why Does Food Production Hygiene Matter?
Food factory hygiene is not just about aesthetics and maintaining a clean environment; it’s also a prerequisite for regulatory compliance. Here are a few reasons why it is essential to adhere to the highest standards of hygiene in the FMCG sector:
- Food factories demand rigorous hygiene and sanitation processes to ensure food safety. Failing to follow exceptional hygiene standards can lead to contamination, resulting in illness and, in rare cases, death.
- Regular deep cleaning allows for maintaining sanitisation standards.
- It also creates a safe and hygienic work environment for your staff.
- Keeping your factory clean allows you to maintain a professional appearance for suppliers, vendors and customers who may visit your premises.
- Maintaining the highest standards of cleanliness ensures the production of safe, high-quality products.
- It also helps reduce wastage and operational costs, as maintaining good hygiene practices will minimise food spoilage and contamination.
- Your company will remain compliant with national food safety regulations and norms, like the Food and Safety Act, 1990 and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) principles. This allows you to avoid penalties, fines and business shutdowns.
- In hygiene-critical industries, even a single food contamination incident can damage your reputation, resulting in loss of consumer trust and increased scrutiny.
Top 5 Trusted Commercial Cleaners for the UK Food Industry
1. AMB Hygiene
AMB Hygiene, founded in 1985, has over three decades of experience in meeting hygiene standards for a variety of industries and sectors. They have extensive experience working in the food production industry, and their dedicated team can help your factory comply with BRCGS hygiene audit compliance.
AMB’s implementation team will ensure a smooth transition between your existing cleaning system and the new one that they introduce. They will also provide hygiene manuals for easy compliance by your staff.
AMB Hygiene also provides bespoke cleaning services and industrial cleaning products, adhering to the highest hygiene standards. They carry out free site inspection audits and analyse your current cleaning methods, including the products you’ve used. You will get a tailored solution within a day. Their team works 24 hours a day, offering you the flexibility to avail their services after business hours.
Benefits of Working with AMB Hygiene:
- Periodic cleaning of overhead structure, ventilation ducts and pipes.
- They assist with cleaning and maintenance of evaporative chiller units.
- Cleaning of external building features, including cladding, roof, drains and gutters, and windows.
- Experienced professionals will help with recommending the right dispensing and dosing system to meet your factory’s needs. They assist you with foam systems, CIP systems, and open plant cleaning, among others.
- AMB Hygiene has a team of professionals who are trained specialists in cleaning tasks such as removing carbonised and polymerised oil deposits from fryer boil outs, processing equipment deep cleaning and kitchen deep cleaning.
- AMB Hygiene can also help train your in-house cleaning staff to ensure the factory site is safe, hygienic and compliant.
- The technical team at AMB Hygiene will help answer any questions regarding regulatory issues, COSHH, product quality and testing.
- At AMB Hygiene, you can also avail routine cleaning services such as daily office cleaning, washroom services and janitorial supplies and services
2. Reckitt
Whether it is cleaning the kitchen at home, in a restaurant or even an FMCG factory, the right cleaning product can make the difference. Reckitt is the parent company behind some of the popular sanitation products you use regularly, including Dettol, Lysol, Vanish, and Finish, among others.
A growing concern for manufacturers and production companies is how to maintain a high level of sanitation and hygiene while reducing chemical exposure and water wastage, a common by-product of commercial cleaning methods. Reckitt cleaning products allow you to do just that and more.
Benefits of Using Reckitt Cleaning Solutions:
- They regularly work on their R&D to develop more sustainable products that help reduce your carbon footprint, while ensuring compliance with industry hygiene standards.
- As a sustainability-focused company, they have seen a 69% reduction in GHG emissions, use 96% renewable energy sources and generate zero waste to landfills from their factories.
- Innovation is a key strength of Reckitt, allowing it to provide consumers with the most advanced cleaning solutions that meet their changing needs. Some of their latest innovations include a natural, plant-based fabric spray insect repellent, Aerograd Fabric, and a non-aerosol spray, Air Wick.
3. Jenny Chem
Food factories, manufacturing units and production facilities need tons of cleaning supplies every month. However, premium quality products often come with a higher price tag. Jenny Chem offers high-quality cleaning supplies at affordable prices.
Jenny Chem founded the eponymous brand in 1985 from her bedroom, and she performed every aspect of the business herself, sales, admin and delivery. Forty years down the road, today, the brand offers an extensive range of products and provides solutions for white labelling and custom formulations.
Benefits of Working with Jenny Chem:
- Buy cleaning chemicals in bulk
- Find a wide range of surface cleaners, including BAC 50-Surface Biocide, and drain unblockers.
- Their range of washing liquids makes it easy to remove stubborn grease and stains.
- Their products are available in different sizes: 5 litres, 20 litres and 210 litres.
- You can also purchase cleaning equipment from their website, such as Vikan brushes, IK sprayers, industrial vacuum cleaners, and micro-fibre clothes.
4. Mould Growth Consultants
Mould is a common problem that factory managers deal with. Mould exposure can lead to long-term health risks for employees, damage equipment and building structure, as well as increase contamination risks.
The Mould Growth Consultants offers an extensive range of maintenance and preventive solutions for domestic, commercial, and public sector infrastructures. With over 56 years of expertise in the field, they offer a range of products that not only address mould but also help with energy efficiency, thermal insulation, waterproofing, and others.
Benefits of Working with Mould Growth Consultants:
- The MGC experts provide advice on difficult-to-identify mould, external algae and condensation problems. The correct assessment leads to finding the correct and long-lasting solution to the problem.
- All MGC products are compliant with the regulatory standards, including the fungal products, which are approved and registered by the HSE under the Control of Pesticides regulations.
- They have an extensive range of internal mould treatment products, such as water-based fungicidal coating, mould eradication kit, damp seal, and halophane bonding solution, among others.
- MGC also offers thermal insulation products, exterior algae treatment products and roof solutions. You can also buy dehumidifiers (essential for food production units), a hygro thermo pen, and a complete survey kit.
5. Zenith Hygiene
Zenith Hygiene is one of the largest integrated manufacturers and suppliers of cleaning products. They have built their brand on the philosophy that cleanliness and hygiene are life essentials. Zenith Hygiene has expertise in working with multiple industries, including hospitality, food service, retail, and healthcare.
Benefits of Working with Zenith Hygiene
- Zenith’s SURE range of products is completely sustainable, being made from plant-based and biodegradable ingredients. This product is a testament to the brand’s commitment to creating eco-friendly products that are efficient and aren’t harmful to human health.
- You can access a wide range of solutions, including cleaning chemicals for bar cleaning, concentrated solutions, floor care, specialist food cleaning products, and kitchen hygiene, among others.
- They also offer clothing and protective products, water softening salts, and janitorial and cleaning equipment.
How To Choose The Right Cleaners for Your Factory?
To choose the right commercial cleaning service for your food production unit, here are a few things to consider:
- Make sure the cleaning contractors have expertise in the food manufacturing industry. Highly regulated sectors, such as the F&B sector, have different compliance and sanitation requirements. Failing to abide by them leads to fines and shutdowns.
- The contractor must follow health and safety protocols and regulations.
- The workers must wear PPE and other protective gear to prevent contamination.
- An experienced commercial cleaning service will provide a customised plan and will have access to industrial-grade equipment and cleaning solutions.
- Always work with companies that have independent positive reviews or references.
Conclusion
The right commercial cleaning solution is essential for ensuring compliance with government regulations while upholding client trust. The end user is trusting to buy from your brand, expecting that you are upholding the highest hygiene and sanitation standards.
Failure to do so leads to breach of trust, fines, and even financial damage and loss of brand reputation.
We’ve compiled a list of the top professional cleaning service providers, like AMB Hygiene, to provide you with high-quality cleaning services you can trust. So make sure you choose one that best suits your business requirements.