Cold Link Africa November / December 2019 | Page 27

FEATURE
INCORPORATING COLD CHAIN
Effective retail hygiene for refrigerators
By Emma Corder, managing director of Industroclean
Commercial refrigeration is a huge investment for retailers who produce and sell food. It is essential that
these appliances be thoroughly cared for to ensure a safe, clean and hygienic environment for food and
those who consume it.
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leaking and odours that come with
things like load shedding or a unit that
has packed up, this should be addressed
as soon as it is detected.
According to the World Health
Organisation’s (WHO) food safety
guide (Food Safety: What you should
know, 2015), bacteria, like Listeria, has
the ability to multiply beneath fridges.
It is inevitable that this would apply
to any other surfaces that come into
contact with items that may have been
contaminated. Dairy and meat need
to be stored at 2°C to 4°C while frozen
goods must be kept at -18°C or lower.
Retailers are advised to clean
fridges from the top of the unit, then
move to the inside walls, shelves, and
then floor. This will ensure that it is not
contaminated again. Care should
also be taken with food packaging,
especially since retailers and the public
were affected by listeriosis in the past.
It has been reported that Listeria on the
he South African Consumer
Protection Act (CPA) states that
poor refrigeration, which may
compromise stored food, could lead to
serious legal issues for supermarkets. To
prevent this, as well as stock loss, retailers
need to make sure that their refrigerators
are ISO 9001 certified. This is vital for
delivering the freshest products to their
customers.
The effective cleaning of commercial
fridges and freezers is the best method
of keeping within the act. This prevents
parts from becoming clogged up,
allows units to run smoothly, and ensures
that food is well-preserved at the ideal
temperature. This can be achieved by
ensuring that the right cleaning materials
are used.
The cleaning product you use will
make all the difference in the result you
achieve, whatever the surface. In some
cases, a multi-purpose detergent is the
answer. It should be noted that the
equipment and the contents that will be
stored in it should always be considered
when choosing cleaning materials.
Cleaning your fridges or freezer
on a regular basis shouldn’t have to
be a major operation, whether they
are commercial or domestic units.
Commercial refrigerators should really
be cleaned once a week, but with the
Commercial refrigerators should really be cleaned regularly.
November/December 2019
exterior casing (packaging) of meat
products may transfer to other products
and onto surfaces.
The South African
Consumer Protection
Act (CPA) states that
poor refrigeration, which
may compromise stored
food, could lead to
serious legal issues for
supermarkets.
The following steps for cleaning
commercial refrigerators are
recommended:
1. Always first unplug the unit and
transfer produce into another
freezer.
2. Use an all-purpose detergent and
non-abrasive cleaning cloth to clean
the inside and outside.
3. Then rinse the cloth and wipe again.
4. Disinfect and dry, using a cloth.
5. When the refrigeration unit has
dried, transfer produce back after
checking for leakage and other
damage. CLA
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