5 Key Things You Must Know About Food Safe Sanitizers
When you cook multiple courses at home the kitchen can end up with worktops covered in all sorts of sticky stuff, countless pots and pans strewn all over the place, not to mention spills. Think about this on a larger scale. It takes a lot of organization and planning for bistros, cafes, and the catering industry as a whole to run like clockwork.
Delivering food to numerous customers requires quick turnaround times and with the plethora of ingredients used in the kitchen, you need to be able to clean prep surfaces, cooking areas, and customer tables quickly and safely. Food-safe sanitisers are designed to kill bacteria and viruses in food servings without any risk to food consumption.
What chemicals are in food-safe sanitisers?
The most common key chemicals found in food-safe sanitisers can be one of three:
- Chlorine
- Ammonium hydroxide
- Iodine
These chemicals are effective at killing bacteria and viruses but come with significant disadvantages:
- Chlorine bleach also releases fumes into the air after application
- Chlorine requires a significantly longer contact time to kill bacteria and viruses than other food-safe sanitisers.
- Ammonia vapours in high concentrations can be irritating to the eyes, mucous membranes, and lungs.
- Ammonia has a strong smell and taste
- Iodophor may bleach the skin and cause irritation
Why do you need to dilute food-safe sanitisers?
Many food-safe sanitisers are sold in concentrates and need to be diluted before use. As the liquid is concentrated, each chemical component is stronger than the mixed mixture. This brings with it several problems:
- Skin irritation
- Serious eye damage
- Highly toxic to aquatic life
- Health effects on humans
Safety data sheets are issued with these concentrated cleaners with advice on precautionary procedures that should be taken when preparing the solution. Studies have shown that using cleaning sprays, even once a week increases the risk of developing asthma and can worsen existing asthma conditions.
What do all food-safe sanitisers smell like?
Products containing chemicals such as chlorine, ammonia, and iodine have strong, pungent odours. Restaurants and cafes are busy places; Cleaned before, during, and after customers leave. But you don’t want to smell like chemicals when you go to a restaurant, right? There are safer alternatives to chlorine and other dangerous chemicals.
How fast does food-safe sanitiser kill bacteria?
Generally speaking, common food-safe sanitisers recommend 5 minutes of contact with surfaces to ensure all bacteria and viruses are eliminated. The changeover time between customers can sometimes be more than 5 minutes so you are left with wet tables and waiting customers. Electrolyzed water has a contact time of 2 seconds which eliminates the waiting time between customers.
Do food-safe sanitisers have adverse effects on the environment?
If disinfectants and sanitisers are safely disposed of down a waste pipe, they will eventually pass through a wastewater treatment plant, with no direct impact on the environment.
However, when poured down the drain it can come into contact with other substances already in the system, causing potentially dangerous chemical reactions. This then releases dangerous gasses and fumes that can back up into your home or business.
