What Are Three Ways a Food Processing Plant Can Benefit From Plastic Lockers?

Food contamination is one of the most pressing problems faced by food processing plants across the world. Besides resulting in an outbreak of food-borne diseases, food contamination also leads to significant wastage.

The spoilage of food not only poses serious consequences for businesses but also the environment. Moreover, contaminated food poses a threat to consumer health and can badly affect your business reputation.

As food contamination leads to dangerous consequences ranging from sickness to fatality, it’s critical to know and understand the four types of contamination. These are:

• Chemical
• Microbial
• Physical
• Allergenic

With food processing plants being one of the most regulated industries in the world, it is essential to store products in a safe, well-ventilated, chemical-resistant storage space.

Importance of Installing Lockers in Food Facility Plants

While there are several reasons for food products getting spoiled, it usually occurs when they are exposed to certain foreign particles such as:

• Micro-organisms
• Chemicals
• Pests

Secure, easy-to-clean, UV stable and rust-resistant storage for general storage of staff items is critical to keep raw materials safe from these contaminants.

Over the years, metal lockers have been a staple within the food industry, whether in warehouses or food processing facilities. However, these lockers are susceptible to rust and corrosion. The rust particles can come in contact with the food raw material, causing food poisoning and increased toxicity.

While metal lockers are prone to corrosion and abrasion, wooden storage units are vulnerable to mould formation and termites, they aren’t especially sturdy and can easily catch fire. These factors make wooden lockers an unfeasible storage option for food processing plants.

On the other hand, high-density polyethylene plastic lockers are easy to clean, resistant to abrasive chemicals and rust, low maintenance and well-ventilated.

Here’s how plastic lockers benefit food processing units:

Unmatched Levels Of Hygiene Due To Chemical Resistance

When it comes to the food industry, safety is an utmost priority. However, sometimes food products may be exposed to residual chemicals.

It is therefore essential to store edible non-perishable food products in a hygienic and chemical-free space. Keeping sacks of raw material in a metallic locker can increase the chances of contamination as heavy metal ions seep into the food items. Long-term exposure can make the food products unsafe for human consumption.

High-density polyethylene plastic is corrosion-resistant, even to the corrosive effects of many chemicals, so the chances of contamination are reduced considerably.

Additionally, residual traces from strong disinfectants and cleaning agents pose a risk of chemical contamination to food in storage. As plastic lockers are easy to clean and don’t require harsh cleaning agents to sanitise them the possibilities of trace chemicals seeping into food is considerably reduced.

Lockers Vents To Keep Lockers Dry

Lack of ventilation creates unsuitable conditions within food processing plants. It can result in a number of problems that can affect overall food safety, such as:

Hampered air flow can cause a high level of condensation and enable mould and bacterial growth.

When ventilation is poor, it can lead to pest infestation.

Additionally, insufficient air circulation can result in objectionable odours, micro-organisms and yeast formation.

Lack of ventilation can accelerate the premature ageing of food products, and encourage the formation of caustic gas, causing edibles to go bad.

Why Do Lockers Have Vents?

It is, therefore, crucial to have vented lockers that allow air circulation, keeping the food products fresh for a longer time. These perforated lockers don’t retain moisture, so the chances of odour, smell, and mildew formation decrease significantly and higher hygiene levels can be maintained.

How Are Plastic Lockers Ideal For Frozen Food Warehouses?

Frozen food warehouses have high levels of moisture and condensation. Such conditions result in corrosion and mould formation, making metal and wooden storage units unhygienic and unsuitable for storing raw food materials.

Plastic lockers for frozen food warehouses are ideal for the following reasons:

• Moisture and vapour-proof, keeping the content dry and safe from bacteria and microbial contamination.
• These lockers are designed to store non-perishable food products safely.
• Durable and leakproof keeping the raw food material safe.
• With the temperature usually below freezing point in frozen food warehouses, it’s crucial to have a storage unit that can withstand extreme temperatures. HDPE plastic lockers don’t become brittle or crack even when temperatures are below 0 degrees.
• Plastic lockers are resistant to oil, grease and water, making them easy to maintain and stay hygienic.
• Better air circulation keeps unpleasant flavours and odours from impacting stored foods.

If you are looking for lockers for a food processing plant, contact FSP Oz Products for an obligation-free quote.