PC- Hard antibacterial floors from TURKUS+LAINER™ Group.
Food safety and product quality depend on many elements, including the selection of the right flooring. Current regulations require food establishments to maintain the highest standards. What is bacteriostaticity and what role does it play in the operation of a business?
PC-Hard® antimicrobial flooring.
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Restrictive requirements of the food industry - bacteriostaticity and other factors
Regulation EC 852/04 of the European Parliament and of the Council of April 29, 2004, concerning the specific requirements of premises where foodstuffs are prepared, handled and processed, imposes restrictions on the industry that are key to maintaining high product quality and food safety. Not only is the hygiene of raw materials, employees, machinery and the production environment important, but also the polyurethane-cement flooring, on which microbial growth can occur.
Which product should be used is determined by many factors (e.g., humidity, traffic load, pedestrian traffic, cleaning requirements, static load, dusting, abrasion, unit size, sanitation, hygiene requirements, resistance to chemicals, or temperature extremes). In this situation, the developer should use experienced architects or manufacturers to minimize the risk of loss. Bacteriostaticity has a major impact on production processes in the fish, meat, fruit, vegetable, milk, egg, beverage and alcohol production and bottling, flour, feed, or industrial kitchens industries.
Antimicrobial flooring - key properties
Improper selection of surfaces in a production facility can carry serious consequences. In this situation, it is crucial to reduce the risk of microbiological contamination, as well as to provide a suitable surface for work, which must be non-slip. Polyurethane-cement flooring, reduces microbial growth on the surface almost 100%. An architect designing a surface in a manufacturing plant should pay attention to whether the product he chooses is HACCP certified, and whether it complies with the ISO 22196 standard.
But that's not all. Very important in addition to bacteriostaticity is the level of emissions of VOCs, or volatile organic compounds, which in large quantities can affect food, degrading its quality. To ensure such conditions, impermeable, non-absorbent, washable and non-toxic materials should be used. In addition, a good antimicrobial floor should last for a long period of time, without forcing the plant to make the downtime necessary for renovations and repairs.
PC-Hard® antimicrobial flooring
© TURQUOISE+LAINER
PC-Hard® floors from the TURKUS+LAINER™ Group
In order to verify that the surface is definitely free from the growth of mouths, a so-called ZOI test is performed, which examines the zone of growth inhibition. In the case of PC-Hard® K2 and AG polyurethane-cement floors, the test was conducted on 14 groups of bacteria, which are the biggest threat in food processing and production facilities. The results confirmed that their growth cannot occur on the surface. Hence, these systems deserve special attention, and more information can be found on the manufacturer's website: TURKUS+LAINER
PC-Hard® K2 prevents the development of fungi and bacterial flora, while having high resistance to harsh mechanical conditions, as well as high temperatures (even up to 150°C). PC-Hard® K2 and AG antimicrobial floors are HACCP certified and meet the highest VOC requirements. K2 will perform well in both dry and wet areas, and the thickness of the floor can be up to 12mm. In addition, both systems are monolithic, which means that the number of joints and expansion joints affects the organic storage of waste and food debris.
High bacteriostaticity is also demonstrated by the PC-Hard® AG system, which will be great for the poultry, fish and dairy industries. Compared to the K2 system, it is slightly less mechanically resistant, but provides better slip resistance and shows greater resistance to chemical compounds. Hence, it will perform very well in typically wet areas.
For more information, visit the company's TURKUS+LAINER page on the AiB portal.
