Improve Temperature Control in Food Processing with Strip Curtains

Food produce that is poorly kept and poorly maintained poses a severe risk of serious illness to the consumer. Therefore, all food processing facilities must ensure that they maintain high levels of health and safety. These H&S standards include keeping out insects and ensuring that dust and debris do not contaminate produce or settle on machinery. They also look at ensuring that the appropriate temperature controls are in place within the food processing industry.

Companies such as Strip Curtains Direct are passionate about how products like PVC strip curtains can be used to help achieve all of these fundamental aspects of any good H&S routine.

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Why is proper temperature regulation so important?

All food products must be stored at the appropriate temperature, particularly in the case of poultry and other meat products, as this can be more of a worry. Whilst it is true that the cooking process can destroy any bacteria that might be present in produce due to the high temperatures, if this food is not stored correctly, then bacteria can multiply to such an extent that even cooking will not be able to eradicate all of it. When this happens, it can lead to cases of food poisoning, which is reportable to the Local Environmental Health Department. They will usually investigate such reports, and when they are traced back to the source can result in recommendations being made to improve H&S and, in some cases, fines being issued.

There is, of course, the other side of this for any food producer, and that is that cases of food poisoning traced back to their produce, mainly due to poor storage, can also result in bad publicity, and consumers no longer trusting their products.

What is the right temperature?

Food produce that is stored between 5°C and 63°C will see rapid multiplication of any bacteria. This risk is greater when the temperature food is stored at is between 20°C and 50°C. In other words, when food is kept at what is termed “room temperature”, there is an excellent chance that those harmful bacteria that can cause food poisoning will multiply. Therefore, the correct storage temperature for food storage is below these temperatures. It is also essential that the proper measures for cooling food before refrigeration. This can lower the temperature in a refrigerator and has the potential for bacteria to multiply.

How can strip curtains help?

You may want to consider a range of different strip curtain products for your business. Antimicrobial PVC strip curtains are very beneficial for maintaining the correct H&S procedures to ensure the safety of your products. However, products like a super polar grade PVC strip curtain have been specifically designed for use in colder spaces. They have the capability of effectively helping to manage temperatures in more complex food storage areas.

It is essential to ensure that you select the best PVC curtain for each area of your business and that it is fitted correctly to ensure maximum efficiency. This means that there should be no gaps between the PVC strips. In a controlled temperature environment, this will allow the colder air to stay on one side of the strip and keep the warmer air on the other side, ensuring that the temperature of your cold storage is not reduced to a point where it will allow harmful bacteria to grow.

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