In the wake of a tumultuous year in food—with countless product recalls due to serious contamination concerns—the desire for better food safety is at an all-time high. According to some reports, one in six Americans is affected by some sort of foodborne illnesses each year. It is an alarmingly high number, but not necessarily a surprising one.
It is incredibly easy for these dangerous food pathogens such as norovirus, e. Coli and salmonella are all easily transmitted through everyday procedures. Something as simple as mishandling food products can spread contamination quickly.
Importance of Food Safety
When it comes to food and beverage facilities, food safety must always remain the top priority. As mentioned before, improper management of these facilities can allow dangerous viruses to spread quickly and contaminate products.
If these contaminated products reach the public and make them sick, it creates a bad reputation for the company as a whole. It also leads to distrust among consumers regarding products and their safety.
There are many different things that food and beverage facilities can do to prevent the passing of these pathogens. The most essential prevention method is to keep the facility clean and sanitary at all times. This includes washing hands, cleaning the various stations, wearing clean gloves, and, of course, providing adequate floor drainage.
Federal Regulations
While there are many points, there is special emphasis on ensuring that food and beverage facilities have an adequate floor drainage system to carry clean water, sewage, and other forms of waste to the appropriate areas of the facility.
Choosing the Right Floor Drain System
Traditionally, facilities have turned to trench drains for their floor drainage needs. While effective, grated trench drains are difficult to maintain and can lead to the growth of mold and other harmful pathogens if not cleaned properly.
Now, there is the Slot Drain System, a new kind of system which has helped to revolutionize food and beverage facility drainage. The Slot Drain System is unique in its design, mainly because it does not require a grate covering due to the narrow, inset channel it provides.
The system has various design options that make it ideal for these facilities. One of the most important design options includes a pre-sloped drain channel made of food-grade stainless steel, which is nonporous and highly durable. It also has the added benefit of being resistant to extreme temperatures and corrosion usually caused by strong cleaning chemicals.
Maintenance
Maintenance is also a large part of ensuring that food and beverage facilities have adequate floor drainage. Trench drains created many issues, primarily due to the way they were built and the presence of grates.
The Slot Drain System has a Flush Flo system that works with their drainage systems, which allows for self-cleaning. Moreso, being a grate less system already eliminates much of the struggle that comes with cleaning a drainage system. The smooth stainless steel also makes it incredibly easy to clean, without the worry of bacteria sticking to the walls of the channel, leading to potential mold and bacteria growth.
About Slot Drain
Slot Drain was invented in 1986 as a better option to the standard industrial drainage system available in the market at that time. Instead of the usual 4 slope plan that drainage systems required, the Slot Drain was not only designed to be pre-sloped but also pre pre-assembled and pre-slotted.
It because the world’s very first graceless trench drain system and revolutionized floor drainage. It has become the primary choice of builders in a wide range of fields, particularly food and beverage facilities because its design meets the strict guidelines set forth by the FDA. Additionally, the Slot Drain System is capable of handling heavy loads up to Class F, making the strongest option on the market.
Beyond that, the Slot Drain System is easy to clean and maintain and does not trap bacteria like other systems do, leaving it cleaner and odor-free.
Food safety always has been and always will be a critical topic. It is vital that food and beverage facilities do all that they can to ensure the safety of not only their product but their workers and customers as well.
There are various steps a facility can take to ensure this safety, but the most important is ensuring adequate floor drainage is present. This will help to hand the flow of water and sewage, allowing work floors to remain clean and free of harmful bacterias and standing water. The Slot Drain System is a great floor drainage option, that is highly effective, affordable, and easy to install in any facility.
