This website requires certain cookies to work and uses other cookies to help you have the best experience. By visiting this website, certain cookies have already been set, which you may delete and block. By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to the use of cookies. Visit our updated privacy and cookie policy to learn more.
This Website Uses Cookies
By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to our cookie policy. Learn More
This website requires certain cookies to work and uses other cookies to help you have the best experience. By visiting this website, certain cookies have already been set, which you may delete and block. By closing this message or continuing to use our site, you agree to the use of cookies. Visit our updated privacy and cookie policy to learn more.
Food Safety
search
cart
facebook twitter linkedin
Food Safety
  • The eMAGAZINE
    • Current Issue
    • Archives
    • eMagazine
    • SUBSCRIBE
      • eNewsletter
      • eMagazine
      • Customer Service
  • NEWS
    • Latest News
    • White Papers
  • PRODUCTS
  • TOPICS
    • Contamination Control
      • Allergens
      • Chemical
      • Cross-Contamination
      • Microbiological
      • Physical
    • Food Types
      • Beverages
      • Dairy/Eggs
      • Ingredients
      • Meat/Poultry
      • National Organic
      • Produce
      • Ready-to-Eat
      • Refrigerated/Frozen
      • Seafood
    • Management
      • Best Practices
      • Case Studies
      • COVID-19
      • Culture
      • Food Defense
      • International
      • Recall/Crisis Management
      • Risk Assessment
      • Training
    • Process Control
      • Intervention Controls
      • Packaging
      • Process Validation
      • Processing Technologies
    • Regulatory
      • Audits/Certification/GFSI
      • FDA
      • FSMA
      • Guidelines
      • HACCP
      • Inspection
      • International Standards/Harmonization
      • USDA
    • Sanitation
      • Biofilm Control
      • CIP/COP
      • Cleaners/Sanitizers
      • Environmental Monitoring
      • Facilities
      • Food Prep/Handling
      • Personal Hygiene/Handwashing
      • Pest Control
      • SSOPs
    • Supply Chain
      • Foodservice/Retail
      • Growers/GAPs
      • Imports/Exports
      • Temperature Control/Cold Chain
      • Traceability/Recall
      • Transportation
    • Testing and Analysis
      • Allergens
      • Chemical
      • Environmental Testing
      • Laboratory Management
      • Methods
      • Microbiological
      • Sampling/Sample Prep
  • EVENTS
    • Food Safety Summit
    • Webinars
    • Submit an Event
  • EXCLUSIVES
    • eBooks
    • FSM Distinguished Service Award
    • Buyer's Guide
    • Interactive Product Spotlights
  • PODCAST
  • MORE
    • Store
    • Editorial Advisory Board
    • Custom Content & Marketing Solutions
    • Market Research
    • Polls
    • Sponsor Insights
  • CONTACT
    • Advertise
    • Contact
  • Sign In
  • Create Account
  • Sign Out
  • My Account
Home » Protecting Your Customers While Safeguarding Your Business
SanitationCleaners/Sanitizers

Protecting Your Customers While Safeguarding Your Business

2307InsiderJohnson.jpg
February 1, 2007
Order Reprints

Improper or incomplete cleaning procedures can create food safety issues in a kitchen, whether it’s in a grocery store, restaurant or home. Though most people are aware of the dozens of cases of food contamination resulting in E. coli infections annually, few understand the threat presented by Listeria. Identifying the food safety issue first, which can be eliminated and controlled, is crucial to avoiding future problems.

Listeria is a food pathogen that is very common in the environment and is one of the greatest concerns for food safety because of the serious disease that it causes and its ability to grow at refrigeration temperatures. Listeria causes a disease called listeriosis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an estimated 76 million cases of foodborne disease occur each year in the United States. Of those cases, 2,500 are caused by Listeria monocytogenes. And, of those 2,500 cases, 20 percent of the victims die. The key to decreasing the number of cases each year is to educate food workers on food safety, and identify, eliminate and control the problem.

“Foodborne illness is absolutely devastating from any perspective,” says Dale Grinstead, Ph.D., food safety technology fellow for JohnsonDiversey Research & Development. “Beyond the cost of human lives, the societal costs are huge as well. One case of listeriosis costs an average of $1.1 million, and the costs to a business that has a listeriosis outbreak associated with it can measure in the millions.”

JohnsonDiversey, headquartered in Racine, WI, provides cleaning and hygiene products and systems to various industries including food service, lodging, healthcare, retail, food and beverage and building service contractors.

Real-World Ways to Control Listeria
But, there are preventative measures for Listeria, as well as methods of eliminating and controlling it. Dr. Grinstead, a food safety microbiologist with more than 12 years of industrial R&D experience whose responsibilities at JohnsonDiversey include providing technical input and guidance on the company’s global food safety programs, says the most important step is good training and education.

“Foodborne illness isn’t caused by bacteria—it’s caused by people making a mistake,” he adds. “Cleaning a cutting board and washing a drain may be mundane tasks, but they are important. Properly training employees and operators is important also in areas such as environment cleanliness, temperature controls and good personal hygiene practices.”

Low-cost education and training of food employees can be done in a variety of ways including food safety conferences, food safety posters and signage throughout the work place. Hiring a third party to conduct food safety audits—and sharing the results—is another way to educate employees.

The next step in good food safety practice is to identify existing problems: Listeria could be lurking in drains and on other non-food surfaces. Identifying the presence of Listeria is as simple as sampling for the food pathogen. In fact, facilities that fall under the USDA Control of Listeria monocytogenes in Ready-to-Eat Meat and Poultry Products; Final Rule (9 CFR Part 430) already are required to sample for Listeria.

Once Listeria has been identified, the next step is to eliminate it. Dr. Grinstead recommends a two-step process using JohnsonDiversey products ElimineX® (a foaming drain cleaner) and Final Step 512™ (a sanitizer). Traditional cleaning procedures require disassembling the drain, hand scrubbing and numerous other steps. Using the ElimineX® Program, the user can leave the drain cover in place and spray with the ElimineX® Foaming Drain Cleaner. After allowing it to set for 30 to 60 seconds, the user can rinse off the ElimineX® Foaming Drain Cleaner and apply the Final Step 512™ Sanitizer. The ElimineX® Program reduces the time required for the Listeria elimination process from hours to minutes.

Dr. Grinstead explains that the ElimineX® Foaming Drain Cleaner has interesting technology: When you dilute the product, it actually thickens up, allowing it to cling and hold to a vertical surface. And, when the product is diluted a second time (rinsed), it thins and easily washes down the drain. And ElimineX® Foaming Drain Cleaner is soft-metal safe: It can be used on any type of plumbing, including aluminum, cast iron, PVC and brass drains.

According to Dr. Grinstead, the final step in eliminating Listeria is to control it by following proper sanitization guidelines. “Listeria is ubiquitous,” he explains. “It’s commonly found in soil, so that means there’s no way to keep it from coming back. But by applying proper practices of cleaning and monitoring for Listeria, employees can better control the situation. With the appropriate tools and education, staff should understand how to identify Listeria problem areas, reduce the risk of listeriosis with proper cleaners and cleaning practices and keep their work environment controlled against future outbreaks.”


www.diversey.com


Author(s): JohnsonDiversey

Subscribe Button

 

Email Icon

I want to hear from you. Tell me how we can improve.

BNP Media Owner & Co-CEO, Tagg Henderson

Related Articles

How to Boost Your Sanitation Program's Performance

Reaching Effectiveness and Efficiency in Your Sanitation Cycle

Get the Most from Your Sanitation Chemicals

Subscribe For Free!
  • eMagazine Subscription
  • Subscribe to eNewsletter
  • Website Registration
  • Subscription Customer Service

Podcast Custom Content

Sponsored Content

Sponsored Contentclose
  • hand washing
    Sponsored byPurell

    Three COVID-19 Sanitation Practices that Can Impact Foodborne Disease Outbreaks

Popular Stories

ice cream

Another Food Safety Story: The Destruction of Contaminated Product

Rat

Rodent Control in the Food Plant

microscopic view of germ

An Opportunity to Reimagine: How the Pandemic Can Improve Our Global Food System

Powdered Milk

Cronobacter: Pathogen Considerations beyond Salmonella in Dairy Powders

eDigest

Global food safety culture webinar

Events

April 27, 2021

Global Food Safety Culture Series: Asia

LIVE: April 27, 2021 at 10:00 am CST (China Standard Time): The Global Food Safety Culture Series is designed to help you learn about the regional cultures in which your company operates. Continuing with Asia, attend this webinar to learn methods on identifying the challenges you may face in maximizing your food safety culture.

May 6, 2021

Pest Alert: How to Keep Pests Out of Your Facility

LIVE: May 6, 2021 at 11:00 am EDT: Attend this informative webinar to discover how to become aware of outside pest concerns and the exclusion options to keep the pest invaders out.

May 11, 2021

Food Safety Summit

Food Safety Summit LogoEvery day food safety professionals are faced with news about outbreaks, new legislation and new products and services to help them do their jobs better. For the past 20 years, the Food Safety Summit has been the one event developed by the industry for the industry where professionals learn from their peers about cutting edge solutions to address emerging issues, become certified in the newest courses available and see the latest technological advances offered by leading vendors.
View All Submit An Event

Poll

Food Safety Budget

This year, will your budget for food safety ...
View Results Poll Archive

Products

Trends in Food Safety and Protection

Trends in Food Safety and Protection

Trends in Food Safety and Protection explores the recent developments and ongoing research in the field of food safety and protection. The book covers improvements in the existing techniques and implementation of novel analytical methods for detecting and characterizing foodborne pathogens.
See More Products
webinars

Get our new eMagazine delivered to your inbox every month.

Stay in the know on the latest science-based solutions for food safety.

SUBSCRIBE TODAY!
  • Content
    • eMagazine
    • Current Issue
    • News
    • Newsletters
    • Signature Series
    • Products
    • Podcast
    • eBooks
    • Food Safety Strategies Archives
  • Topics
    • Contamination Control
    • Food Types
    • Management
    • Process Control
    • Regulatory
    • Sanitation
    • Supply Chain
    • Testing and Analysis
  • Resources
    • Events
    • Food Safety Book Store
    • Food & Beverage Brands
    • Market Research
    • Custom Content & Marketing Services
    • Survey And Sample
  • Contact
    • Editorial Advisory Board
    • Contact Us
    • Subscriptions
    • Website Registration
    • Custom Content and Marketing Solutions
  • PRIVACY
    • PRIVACY POLICY
    • TERMS & CONDITIONS
    • DO NOT SELL MY PERSONAL INFORMATION
    • PRIVACY REQUEST
    • ACCESSIBILITY

Copyright ©2021. All Rights Reserved BNP Media.

Design, CMS, Hosting & Web Development :: ePublishing