When Chef’s Pantry refurbished the vegetable processing area of its Braeside plant, it was imperative for the food distribution business to ensure a hygienic environment that would maintain the freshness of its produce.
To meet this top priority and minimise the risk of contamination, a specialist flooring solution was installed that would facilitate the removal of dirt, grime and bacteria from the area.
Approximately 1,200m² of Flowfresh SR (4-6mm) and Flowfresh Sealer was installed to create a seamless, easy to clean finish that would maintain an impervious, gap-free coating despite the busy onsite operating conditions that are inherent to supplying over 90 tonnes of fresh food products every week. Drainage was incorporated into the finish so that unwanted contaminants could be quickly washed out of the area.
Daniel Grunfield, Chef’s Pantry’s Sales Manager, said that thanks to the new floor “cleaning is so much easier and faster”. He added that “cleanliness is the most important part of our business, and with this floor it is much easier to tell if we have a problem and so much easier to keep clean as well”.
The new, Ash Grey, light-reflective finish would provide the site with an aesthetically pleasing surface able to withstand the inevitable impacts, traffic, spillages and cleaning that it would be subjected to.
A key factor behind Chef’s Pantry’s choice of flooring was that Flowcrete Australia’s Flowfresh range has been HACCP International certified. HACCP International operates a product certification scheme within which they evaluate materials intended for the food industry to identify food safety hazards and appropriate controls in order to reduce the risk of food contamination from those materials. This is now a key requirement of many due diligence processes, including the approved procurement of materials.
Flowcrete Australia’s Victoria Sales Manager, Arthur Karayannis, said, “Flowfresh has been designed to meet the challenging flooring needs of the food and beverage industry, where it is critical to keep processing areas clean and clear despite the chemicals, traffic, equipment and intensity inherent to the sector.
“This food safe approach to flooring was ideal for Chef’s Pantry, which knew that getting the processing area right was essential to providing the freshest and highest quality produce to its customers.”
Another important factor for Chef’s Pantry when it was undertaking its flooring specification was that the flooring incorporates the antimicrobial additive Polygiene. This silver-ion based agent is able to eliminate up to 99.9% of bacteria in contact with the floor. The polyurethane system has been proven to meet the ISO 22196 standard, which measures the antibacterial effectiveness of plastics and other non-porous surfaces.
The combination of HACCP International certification and ISO 22196 compliance proves that Flowfresh is uniquely tailored to meet the food industry’s stringent hygiene demands.
Flowcrete Australia’s approved applicator had to ensure that the flooring project was undertaken quickly, as there was only a limited shut down opportunity available. It was also important to minimise the installation timetable, as taintable food was being stored in an adjacent area.
The flooring’s positively textured finish provides a slip resistant surface, which enhanced the safety levels in Chef’s Pantry’s vegetable processing area, where dropped produce, spillages and cleaning water could potentially lead to slippery conditions.