Personal hygiene

within the
food industry
Practical provisions for complying
with HACCP protocols

Elpress / Whitepaper - Personal hygiene

Personal hygiene within the
food industry
Food safety is high on the agenda - with consumers, with governments and with the retail trade. Supermarkets, res-

taurants and catering suppliers do not want to run any risks and must be able to rely on the food industry to produce

safe and wholesome food. Fortunately, the food industry in the Netherlands, as well as in the rest of Europe, takes

hygiene directives and legislation very seriously.

In order to keep the risks of contamination as low as possible, , the HACCP guidelines were set up. These guidelines specify the

vision and policy for food safety. Compliance with HACCP guidelines is becoming increasingly easy because there are more

possibilities for companies to monitor hygiene. The resources that can be deployed and the available control measures are

diverse and constantly evolving and improving. With systems and products that ensure food safety, you stay in control and can

guarantee the quality and safety of the food that you produce.

In this white paper, we will tell you more about the practical measures you can take within your company in the area of personal

hygiene in order to be able to comply with HACCP guidelines. This white paper focuses on:

- HACCP guidelines in general

- Personal hygiene

- Risk management with quality products

- Tailor-made solutions and future developments

 1

HACCP guidelines

Elpress / Whitepaper - Personal hygiene

HACCP guidelines
The HACCP guidelines are not a recent invention. NASA HACCP stands for Hazard Analysis
developed this system back in the 1960s in order to control and Critical Control Point System.
the food consumed by astronauts. These Hazard Analysis

and Critical Control Points was later introduced for the entire H: Hazard

food industry. Much of the food industry must now make A hazard that may be present in a food or

food in accordance with a HACCP plan. HACCP is subject to beverage that may pose a threat to the health

European legislation, which means that the law applies to all of the consumer. Think of bacteria, fungi,

countries within the European Union. viruses, parasites, chemicals and physical

hazards s uch as glass, metal etc.

The following points must be addressed by companies with a

HACCP plan: A: Analysis

- Process management Analysing possible hazards. An assessment

- Fitting-out of facilities and equipment must be made of the risks hazards to

- Water supplies determine the risk they pose. The analysis

- Environmental hygiene combines the likelihood the hazard will occur

- Cleaning and disinfection and the seriousness of the consequences for

- Pest control public health.

- Personal hygiene
CCP: Critical Control Points

Where the emphasis lies depends on the nature of the business. In Points in the food manufacturing process that

the meat industry, the risks are mainly related to contamination. need to be kept under control in order to

Cleaning and sanitisation, pest control and personal hygiene are prevent or reduce a hazard to an acceptable

the most important factors. In a company where bread is made, level.

the risks are slightly different and an HACCP plan is therefore set

up in a slightly different way. Quality Assurance Managers or Food

Safety Managers create the plan and monitor its operation. The function of these employees is important because the proper

operation of a food safety plan results in safe food; a necessity if a company is to have customers.
 2

Personal hygiene

Elpress / Whitepaper - Personal hygiene

Personal hygiene
When a business wants to create safe food, personal hygiene is critical. In order to meet strict hygiene standards, nothing

should be left to chance. You want to have and maintain control. There are various ways to take control: A well-equipped

hygiene room forces the employees to comply with hygiene requirements. Of course it is important that this system fits your

organisation in several ways. It must fit the guidelines you are implementing, at the time and in the time frame reserved for

personal hygiene, and the system must suit the premises and the various production areas. Diverse challenges can be tackled

per element or merged into a plan that accurately identifies the moments, locations and needs. The objective is food safety,

and the way in which this is to be achieved must be efficient, transparent and affordable.
 3

Risk management with

quality products

Elpress / Whitepaper - Personal hygiene

Risk management with
quality products
A HACCP plan is set up by identifying what can go wrong and how this can be

prevented at each stage in the production process. This is also the case with personal

hygiene solutions. This aspect is often underestimated by food companies, although it

is essential for food safety. Staff training is one side of the story; employees need to be

aware of their responsibility and how to bear it. On the other hand, a company needs

applications such as:

- Hygiene locks

- Hand cleaning

- Chemical dispensers

- Shoe/Boot sole cleaning

- Shoe/Boot sole disinfection

- Drying and storage racks

In a well-configured location, these applications provide accurate access control.

3.1. Hygienic entrances

Customised solutions are offered in a hygiene lock. Employees reach the work floor via the lock or are forced to move from

one room to another via a lock. Because the lock is the only passageway, the employees walk through a system containing

the necessary disinfection procedures. Depending on the degree of coercion required to ensure personal hygiene, gates

can be set to open only after an operation has been completed. Pictograms make it clear what the routing is and what is to
be done. These pictograms are important because there are many foreign employees working in the food industry or new

Dutch citizens who do not always have a good command of the language. Of course, this explanation is only relevant for new

employees and when the hygiene lock has just been installed. For many people, everything will become clear very quickly.

The hygiene locks are made up of several elements. It may seem like a complicated construction, especially since we are also

talking about the pictograms above. However, in practice, the employees go through the lock in this way. We can see that

the lock promotes employees reach the production area more quickly.

3.2. Hand cleaning

Cleaning the hands is essential for food safety and forms an important part of HACCP systems. After a visit to the toilet, lunch

or a smoking break, the hands must be washed, dried and sanitised. Hand cleaning can be part of a hygiene lock or a stand-

alone element. Soap, drying equipment and a dispenser with sanitizer are easy to integrate.
3.3. Chemical dispensers
An automatic soap dispenser or dosing unit must be passed through when entering the workspace. The unit

works with an entrance gate called a turnstile. When the hands are inserted into the cylinders of the unit, sensors

are activated. The sanitiser or soap is automatically applied to the hands and only when this has been done is the

turnstile released, allowing the worker to gain access to the next room.

3.4. Sole cleaning and sole disinfection

The soles of shoes carry a lot of visible and invisible dirt into

the workspaces. Cleaning and disinfecting the shoe soles is

therefore an important part of personal hygiene under the

HACCP guidelines. There are various types of cleaners available:

- Sole cleaners

- Sole and shoe edge cleaners

- Sole and shaft cleaners

Sensors or push buttons activate the systems and clean shoes

and boots effectively.

After cleaning, disinfection takes place. A special bath is used to sterilise shoes or boots. The bath is automatically

refilled with disinfectant, so that the system does not have to stop and progress does not come under pressure.

Automatic adjustment also ensures that the use of chemical products never exceeds what is strictly necessary.

3.5. Room layout

Ensuring hygiene requires proper allocation of space for storage, drying space and space for the systems that clean

and disinfect. Think of lockers where work clothes can be stored and where hairnets and gloves are kept in stock.

A bench seat to sit on when putting on work shoes or boots and a drying rack for those shoes at the end of the

working day is needed. Apron racks and apron washing facilities are also required in many food companies. All in

all, these functions require space and, above all, a good layout of that space. Employees should not interfere with

each other, especially when shifts are changing. The prior monitoring of the flows of employees and the actions they

perform at certain times in the context of HACCP provides insight. This insight helps to choose a logical layout in
which hygiene is guaranteed and the processes run effectively without taking up too much time.

Elpress / Whitepaper - Personal hygiene

 4

Solutions and future

developments
Solutions and future developments
4.1. Customised solutions
The installation of systems and products must be adapted to the company. Standard solutions may suffice, but custumisation

often works better. Quality is determined on the other hand by the means, and on the other by the use of those means. If you

opt for a hygiene lock, it is good to have the situation assessed by an expert first. This expert wil take all circumstances into

account and think not only terms of products and systems but also in terms of use by employees.

Elpress is such an expert. We have already been able to help many companies implement HACCP- mandated personal hygiene

measures by deploying our expertise and supplying systems and products. For smaller organisations, we look at what resources

are needed to achieve their objectives. We think along with you, which means we will never make things more complicated

or bigger than they need to be. Larger companies often have greater challenges when it comes to issues of personal hygiene.

With our extensive experience, we know what it takes for employees to do the right thing at the right time, without them

getting in each other’s way. In addition, the service team is on hand to help if there are any questions or things change within

your company. We do more than just develop and place products, we are your partner for personal hygiene within the HACCP

guidelines.

4.2. Developments for the future

Developments take place rapidly nowadays and not just in our company. Standards change, possibilities are expanded.

Consumers demand and expect more, governments and other bodies are directly concerned with regulation and control. In this

rapidly changing world, it is important to keep in touch with your wishes. Elpress from Boxmeer has over 40 years of experience

in industrial hygiene. During those 40 years, we have always been able to anticipate our customers’ needs. Because we are a

total supplier, we have a clear insight into how everything works. Our own engineers design new systems and products and

improve applications. This lets us directly shape the changing demand.

Our progressive approach, always with quality control, is reflected in the fact that Elpress is the first, and so far the only,

manufacturer of hygiene locks in the world, whose products are independently recognised for supporting your HACCP

environment.

4.3. Sustainability
Anyone who is consciously concerned about the future also thinks about sustainability. For us, sustainability starts with offering

high-quality products and systems. In this way, your company can use our solutions for a long time. Some parts are subject to

wear and tear, simply as a result of daily use. By ordering individual parts, such as brushes, couplings and taps, you can replace

elements without having to quickly replace an retire product. Sustainability also has to do with the right application; in other

words, customisations. If the situation is well thought out, there is a greater chance that the solution will be future-proof and

therefore sustainable.

Another factor is that our systems have low levels of power consumption. Because many products work with sensors, they can

switch themselves off when not in use.

Elpress / Whitepaper - Personal hygiene

Our consultants, engineers and all other employees are located in a sustainable building. Here, too, we are happy to take

responsibility. Heated by geothermal heat and powered by solar panels, we work in a fine environment on beautiful and high-

quality hygienic solutions for the food industry.

More information about personal hygiene in practice?

Do you want more information about setting up facilities in the area

of personal hygiene, in order to be able to guarantee food safety and

thus meet the requirements set by the law based on HACCP principles?

Please do not hesitate to contact Elpress. We have a Passion for Hygiene

and are happy to help you.

Elpress B.V.
Handelstraat 21 T +31 (0)485 51 69 69

5831 AV Boxmeer E sales@elpress.com

The Netherlands W www.elpress.com

Who is Elpress?
At Elpress we believe in hygiene and we do not do that because it is in the law, but because it simply provides better food

products. For over 40 years, Elpress has been the leading producer and supplier of hygienic products for the food industry. Our

focus is on providing total solutions in the field of hygiene processes.

We combine our knowledge and complete product package, which includes hygiene locks, crate washers, sole cleaners, wash

basins and turnstiles, to add value to your company. We always offer appropriate advice on hygiene processes, so that we can

raise food safety to a higher level.

Certifications

NEDERLAND NEDERLAND