{"id":663,"date":"2013-04-04T13:01:06","date_gmt":"2013-04-04T12:01:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chicopee.com\/en-us\/?p=663"},"modified":"2021-03-31T16:59:46","modified_gmt":"2021-03-31T15:59:46","slug":"the-standards-of-clean","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chicopee.com\/en-us\/2013-04-04-the-standards-of-clean","title":{"rendered":"The Standards of Clean"},"content":{"rendered":"
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HACCP International is an organization that operates an assessment and certification scheme for equipment and materials used by the industry. Certification is a means of assuring that the equipment and materials can be used by the food industry without risk to the food safety controls that they have implemented as part of their HACCP-based food safety management system.<\/p>\n

But how do restaurants and hotels know if they\u2019re providing the cleanest clean possible? What common pitfalls and dangers in the food industry are the biggest challenges? We sat down with Richard Mallett, Managing Director of the European division of HACCP International, to discuss trends and warning signs of which everyone in the industry should be aware.<\/p>\n

The trend is building<\/h3>\n

In the food industry, safety and sustainability are top of mind. Not only for consumers, but along the entire supply chain. Creating the cleanest, most healthy environment for food preparation is a must. But how can restaurants and hotels ensure that when they clean, they\u2019re not only removing the dirt they see, but the bacteria they don\u2019t see?<\/p>\n

The enemies within<\/h3>\n

Since 2005, very little has changed in Europe with regard to food-borne illnesses. More often than not, just two microbes cause the majority of sicknesses: a bacterium called Campylobacter and a virus called Norovirus. In fewer cases \u2013 far less frequent but much more dangerous \u2013 food-borne illness can be caused by some strains of E. coli and Listeria monocytogenes.<\/p>\n

All of these microbes have one thing in common: they can cause illness even when as few as 10 -100 virus particles or bacterial cells are present. That means that food preparation surfaces can\u2019t just be \u201cclean to the eye\u201d \u2013 they must be clean of dangerous levels of micro-organisms. Otherwise, restaurants and hotels run the risk of endangering the health of their customers and employees.<\/p>\n

Recognizing the risk<\/h3>\n

Not surprisingly, the solution lies in education. Because we know what microbes we\u2019re fighting, we also know how to defeat them. So, why do new cases of food-borne illness pop up, year after year?<\/p>\n