How Uniforms Can Help Prevent Food Recalls

Sanitizing your company’s uniforms is always important. However, when you work in the food production or preparation industries, your uniforms need to be cleaned and maintained much more often than the uniforms that protect and serve workers in other industries. Here is how uniforms can help prevent food recalls.

Sanitize

The first step is to clean your uniforms more often. All laundering techniques need to be done in accordance with the proper standards and protocols. This is where you may have heard of the phrase Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points, or HACCP. Washing the uniforms depends on how filthy are. Soil level, color, material type, special industry formulas, finishing processes, and poly bag options are all factors you must take into account. Coats, coveralls, clogs, jackets, boots, PPE, caps, hair nets, aprons, and gloves all need to sanitized as well.

Encourage Better Hygiene

Encouraging better hygiene goes beyond requiring your employees to wash their hands before and after using the restroom. Food poisoning is the most common problem that can affect consumers and handlers at the same time. Include in your uniform policy the procedures to prevent contamination and how to report contamination if it happens by accident. You’ll also need to define how hot the water should be for washing hands, gloves, and utensils; the soap that is used; where hand and eye washing stations can be found; and when the employees should wash their hands - especially after having a break for lunch or to go outside for a few minutes. If more training is needed, then it could mean that it’s time to update your current policies, especially if you want to avoid compliance issues as overseen and enforced by the FDA and USDA.

Create a New Policy

If your company is not meeting the standards that are expected, then it’s time to create a new policy. Getting your employees and workers on board with this new plan will likely be more difficult than any other procedure changes you’ve ever attempted before, including the day when a uniform policy went into effect in the first place. Outsourcing your uniform maintenance needs and working with a uniform rental partner may be the solution you need - just make sure you can keep in touch and avoid any communication problems that could lead to disaster!

Head To Chesapeake Uniform Today

For all your protective footwear needs, turn to the professionals at Chesapeake Uniform. Chesapeake Uniform has been providing uniform rental services for over 30 years to Maryland, Delaware, D.C., southern Pennsylvania and northern Virginia. We pride ourselves on being able to offer our customers the most competitive prices thanks to our national affiliation with Apparel Masters. Want to get started with our services? Do you have questions about our services? Contact us today by calling 410-558-3360.