Bacteria outbreaks can keep production and quality control staff awake at night.However Hygiene Technologies has made it easier for those responsible to sleep easier with the introduction of Opal Terminex to combat outbreaks.
In a recent case a food manufacturer was undertaking its regular external and internal swabs within the plant.
Following a period of wet weather, an external area well away from the manufacturing zone, recorded pathogens that were proving difficult to eliminate.
“We have very high hygiene standards and regularly test four zones – outside, entrances/foyers, manufacturing area and the packing zone.
“We were continually getting hits in the foyer entrance, and the product we normally use just wasn’t working.
“It was really unusual that over the period we recorded a higher number of hits.”
On reflection, the weather over this time was very wet and this is an environment that Listeria thrives in.
Due to it being an external area it was important to quickly find an effective sanitiser.
It just so happened that a Hygiene Tech representative was visiting and after listening to the problem, he recommended using Opal Terminex.
“We gave it a go and it killed everything that was there and we haven’t had a problem since.”
Terminex hits biofilms hard and is proving to be a strong combatant to biofilms or bacterial slimes.
Terminex actively attacks and destroys the links that bind the biofilm together and also eliminates any micro-organisms contained within it.
Biofilms and bacterial slimes are produced by micro-organism activity and begin life as a thin film of something called monosaccharides and fatty acid compounds.
Colonies of all sorts of micro-organisms form over time attaching themselves to this film which becomes a ‘safe haven’ for them.
They are often protected from the effects of most sanitising agents, with two of the most common (Sodium Hypochlorite and QAC) having virtually no effect on them.
Traditionally, these biofilms can only be removed through the use of intense mechanical action, super-heated steam or Hydrogen Peroxide at 30,000 ppm.
Terminex can be used regularly or as the plant’s quality coordinator says a “cleaner up-erer” when there’s a spike.
A comment we’ve received from another user is … “I’ve tried everything on this and was doubtful that your product would do any better.
“However, Terminex worked straight away. It did exactly what you said it would do – very impressed.”
Terminex can either be applied via a pump up sprayer or a trigger spray bottle and can be left to work its magic before being rinsed off.
Terminex is is a broad spectrum sanitiser (see independent Asure Quality test report on antimicrobial efficacy); is effective over a broad pH/temperature range and is very slow to be in-activated by organic material.
Terminex is an effective solution for:
- Soaking food production machinery components
- Removing biofilms
- As a ‘break the cycle’ sanitiser
- Mid shift disinfecting for critical hygiene processes
- Post cleaning sanitiser
- Small scale CIP sanitising