Stainless Steel Belting IMPROVES Hygiene Standards USE OF STAINLESS STEEL FLAT-FLEX AND COMPACT GRID BELTING INSTEAD OF MODULAR PLASTIC TYPES CAN INCREASE FOOD CONVEYOR HYGIENE STANDARDS BY AT LEAST 10 TIMES, AND IN SOME CASES BY MORE THAN 100 TIMES. Research in the UK and USA shows that, under production conditions, Wire Belt’s Flat-Flex® belting is more hygienic than plastic types for conveying vegetables, meat and fish. This shows that stainless steel is preferable to plastic where hygiene and ease of sanitation are important, especially in areas where accessibility and extended production runs present cleaning problems. Openness of the Flat-Flex® results in less build-up of contaminants than plastic modular belts, as well as making cleaning easier and allowing visual inspection of drive shafts without the need for dismantling. The advantages CompactGrid™ Is your conveyor really clean? Use hygienic solutions from Wire Belt Flex-Turn® Conveyor Flat-Flex® Conveyor Belt Flex-Turn® Conveyor CompactGrid™ Conveyor Belt The proven conveyor belt technology l USDA approved l Hygienic design, clean in place capability l Large open area up to 86% The hygienic way to convey around corners l Easy to clean and maintain l Open, stainless steel frame l Gentle handling minimises product damage Improve efficiencies and your bottom line l Open area provides optimum cleanability l No place for product particles to be trapped l Lower belt mass offers increased efficiency Wire Belt represented in New Zealand by; Advanced Packaging Systems Ltd Auckland, New Zealand | Tel: +64 9 966 3360 | Fax: +64 9 966 3361 www.foodtechnology.co.nz 39 The Trusted Metal Conveyor Belt Manufacturer™ Email sales@advancedpackaging.co.nz www.advancedpackaging.co.nz Simply email your Metal Mesh Conveyor requirements to: sales@advancedpackaging.co.nz Draw Closes 31st March 2016 HM150 of stainless steel over plastic for belting include easier and more effective cleaning as well as greater resistance to damage resulting in scratches and crevices that can lead to increased opportunities for attachment and growth of bacteria. Research in the UK shows that with fish and meat Flat-Flex® picks up fewer bacteria, maintains a lower level of contamination over time and is easier to sanitise, possibly because the gaps in plastic modular belting cannot be as readily cleaned. Experiments with meat and fish also showed that plastic modular belting tended to contain trapped debris, even after thorough sanitising and rinsing. The increasingly rapid growth in bacteria on plastic modular belting compared with Flat-Flex® stainless steel belting, especially after two hours, is shown by results of the study with chicken meat after sanitisation with Multikleen. In the USA, where Flat-Flex® is approved by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), research shows that, with proper cleaning and sanitising schedules, stainless steel belting reduces the problems of biofilms forming on product contact and non-contact surfaces. Biofilms can harbour potentially dangerous pathogens and create reservoirs of contaminants that are very difficult to eradicate completely. Once a biofilm is established, bacteria living within it can withstand stronger doses of sanitising agent – up to 3000 times stronger than unattached cells – and are more resistant to heat. Bacteria can also be loosened and contaminate product flowing Flat-Flex® over the biofilms.
FT FEB2016-HR
To see the actual publication please follow the link above