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Food processing uniforms are a vital necessity in your food processing facility. In many industries, work uniforms serve a more aesthetic and marketing function. That’s not the case with food processing. In food processing, uniforms provide safety and protection. And by protection, we mean protection for both the employees and the food products.
Contamination is a leading concern in the food processing industry. As a result, limiting the possibility of contamination is foremost in the design of our food processing uniforms. For example, pockets.
It is uncommon to see pockets in almost every type of food processing uniform. And when you do see them, they are always set below the torso and never above the wrist. Pockets pose contamination hazards in supposedly sterile conditions.
For instance, pockets allow room for employees to bring outside materials – phones, wallets, keys, paper, etc. – items that can be sources of contaminants to the food preparation stations. Pockets also have the potential to be unwitting vessels for contaminants from the outside coming into the food processing facility, or the other way around. The latter is especially true and crucial for facilities working with raw meat.
The lack of buttons in food processing uniforms is also a matter of contamination prevention. Like pockets, these buttons can harbor pathogens. More importantly, buttons can come loose and fall into food making them liabilities and potential contaminants.
In food processing facilities, there is never a shortage of knives, people, and equipment in various stages of frying, baking, slicing, pulverizing, and flash freezing. All this, coinciding with fast-moving bodies, is a recipe for accidents and injuries. One careless move could send someone to the hospital, or worse.
That is why food processing uniforms are carefully calculated and designed with safety in mind. For instance, buttons, ties, chains, and any object that can become loose or separated from the main uniform are strictly forbidden. The reason is not merely to prevent buttons or shredded neckties swimming in a can of tuna. Loose or moving articles can easily get caught in stuff – catch fire, get caught in chains, trap people into pressers and hydraulic equipment, etc.
This is also the reason why uniforms for food processing employees must conform to their body size. They should neither be too tight to restrict their movement nor too loose as to become accident risks for employees.
Uniforms used for food processing should meet certain standards in durability. With all the demands and hazards of the job, ease of movement, ample protection of the skin and limbs, and the assurance of said protection are essential. That is why only high-quality garments make the cut. Anything that rips easily, soaks liquids quickly, or inhibits movement does not pass the test.
And because of the sterile conditions, the handling and laundering of these food processing uniforms are as crucial as that of uniforms used in hospitals and medical care settings. The stakes are simply too high!
With garment quality and hygiene being of utmost concern, the supply and care of your uniforms are best left in the hands of experts. You’ll want experts who can deliver the level of meticulous cleanliness and dependable quality in garments that meet HACCP requirements.
You’ll want experts like Clean Uniforms and More! Call us today at (800) 32-CLEAN to learn more about our food processing uniform service. You may also send your inquiries and price quote requests here.