By Raquel Carbonari, North America Regional Brand Activation Director at Tork, an Essity Brand
When it comes to hygiene in the food processing industry, there is little room for error. Any lapse in protocol can delay production or create serious health risks.
According to recent survey data from Tork®, the leading global professional hygiene brand by Essity, sustaining hygiene standards poses a significant challenge for food processing production managers. The survey results show that 54% of production managers say it is hard to motivate people working on the production line to comply with food safety and hygiene protocols. Additionally, 82% of food processors report experiencing production delays due to lack of hygiene compliance within the last year.
To promote high hygiene compliance without sacrificing efficiency there are three key performance indicators food processing managers should look for when selecting hygiene performance products.
Purpose-built
Tork survey results show a clear need for purpose-built solutions that encourage hygiene compliance while increasing efficiency. In-class systems and services must be designed with food safety in mind, and with efficient loading and cleaning capabilities so staff always have access to easy-to-use hygiene solutions. For instance, in a food processing environment, hygiene solutions like paper towel dispensers should be water-resistant to protect refills and built to withstand high temperature spray downs without needing to be covered or removed from the wall during cleaning.
Visible and accessible
A vast majority (97%) of facility managers say having robust, easy-to-maintain and well-stocked hygiene and cleaning dispensers in highly visible locations is critical for increasing hygiene compliance. What’s more, 94% of production managers agree that good accessibility to hygiene and cleaning materials can have a direct impact on compliance by employees. Towel dispensing systems that are placed near workstations and in highly visible locations increase hygiene compliance and contribute to greater rates of productivity.
High Capacity
Hand and surface hygiene solutions should hold the right amount of product for the given application. 95% of production managers agree that efficiency can be reduced when there is a lack of hygiene and cleaning supplies available. When product isn’t available, employees spend more time fetching stock to replenish. In industrial environments, hygiene solutions need to be high capacity to reduce the need for constant refilling or the likelihood of running out of product.
Amid heightened hygiene needs in an industry setting with already rigorous standards, food processing facility managers need the best possible tools to help workers sustain hygiene compliance – and ensure operational productivity. It’s important to constantly evaluate and improve processes within the food processing industry and nearly all facility managers agree that continuous improvement and optimizing workflow is important to improving productivity.
Raquel Carbonari is the North America Regional Brand Activation Director at Tork, an Essity Brand. She is responsible for activating marketing and communications programs in the United States and Canada. Raquel has been with Essity for more than a decade and has served in a number of roles, including Global Brand Innovation Director, Dispenser Solutions Director, Product Technology Manager, and Product Developer. She received her B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Lehigh University and her M.S. in Engineering Management from Drexel University.
