The oldest standards in the hygiene sector – those of the Indians, Egyptians, Assyrians and Jews – had a cultural or religious origin. Among the Greeks and Romans, there was a real emphasis on personal hygiene and fitness through bathing and exercise. The ancient world was also already familiar with aqueducts, canalisation and even food monitoring. However, in the Middle Ages personal hygiene was very much undervalued. In the 19th century it experienced a huge revival due to an outbreak of cholera. These days, it is still the top priority when it comes to the health of consumers.
In this regard, the responsibility of employees plays an ongoing role. In the factories and on the part of the authorities, foundations have been laid which cater to the need for a level of hygiene that corresponds to today’s circumstances.
Hand washing is undoubtedly one of the most important prerequisites when handling food.Cleaning and disinfecting hands before and after eating as well as after coming into contact with dirt is an absolute must.
Other important hygiene measures include:
Refraining from sneezing on work surfaces, as well as wearing head protection and clean work clothing and gloves, making sure they are changed several times a day.
The observation of hygiene requirements must also be constantly monitored by the company’s own hygiene officers.
ITEC has therefore made personal hygiene its business with uncompromising hygiene technology which far exceeds EU and USDA regulations, and by developing innovative systems that meet the highest hygienic and technological requirements by means of processes that compel employees to undertake specific hygiene measures before they can access certain areas or complete certain tasks.
The ITEC development which food producers can no longer imagine being without is the hand cleaning and disinfection machine which also compels employees to use it before access is granted.
One good example is the newly developed MANO Complete from ITEC. The MANO Complete guarantees fast, controlled and paperless hand washing, disinfection and drying in the tightest of spaces.
Access to sensitive areas is only granted following intensive washing, drying and disinfection of the hands with water and soap.
Once the water has been dispensed and the hands have been dried paper-free using a high-speed airflow, the machine switches to dispensing disinfectant.
By following the aforementioned washing steps and compelling the employees to pass through the machine, a log 5 reduction in germs can be achieved. Only by reducing germs by a logarithm of 5 can we really talk of disinfection.
The housing of the MANO Complete meets the highest standards of hygiene. The entire system is made of stainless steel or other corrosion-resistant materials.
The compact dimensions with incorporated turnstile means it can be installed with little effort, even in already existing buildings.
Further developments in the area of personnel and equipment hygiene at the end of the production process – an important element of hygiene sluice technology – are worked out and designed with the customers in accordance with their requirements.
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