For restaurants and commercial kitchens, food-safe disinfectants are an important part of your cleaning arsenal. You may have upwards of hundreds of customers to cook for each day, meaning you just can’t risk food-borne pathogen contamination.
Sanitising kitchen and dining surfaces to the highest standard means you need a food-safe disinfectant you can trust. The challenge is ensuring high-level disinfection without introducing harsh chemical residues or unwanted flavours.
In this article, we will explore the main food safe disinfectants, how they work, and most importantly, the best way to use them in your hospitality facility.
What Are the Different Types of Disinfectants?
The standard range of chemical sanitisers includes quaternary ammonium compounds or quats, chlorine-based compounds (e.g. hypochlorite or bleach), phenolics, alcohols, iodophors (iodine), organic acids (e.g. glycolic acid) and peroxygens (hydrogen peroxide and peracetic acid).
However, to clean and sanitise food contact surfaces, you’ll need a food-grade sanitiser. In the next section, we will discuss the main food-safe disinfectants and the science that makes them work.
1. Quat Sanitisers
Quaternary ammonium compounds are often called quat sanitisers. They are one of the most common types of sanitisers as they are very effective at killing microorganisms, including viruses, bacteria and fungi.
The science behind how quat works is by the action of cationic surfactants, which means the active agent is positively charged. This means when it comes in contact with pathogens, it will destroy their cell walls and membranes by binding to their negatively charged structure, resulting in the pathogen being inactivated.
Quat sanitisers are great for food preparation surfaces because they are very stable and remain effective at sanitising, even after their initial use. When used at the concentration of 200ppm, they can be left on food preparation surfaces without rinsing, to continue killing germs. However, any concentration higher than 200ppm will need to be rinsed with potable water for complete food safety.
The K44 Quat sanitiser from our Diamond Hygiene range is specially formulated for food preparation surfaces in catering establishments, and is an incredibly effective antimicrobial that imparts no taste or tainting to food. When it’s used correctly, it complies with the requirements of FSANZ 3.2.2.
2. Bleach
Bleach is a chlorine compound that is very common in disinfecting due to its wide availability and relatively low cost. Chlorine compounds contain active chlorine which is the active ingredient that kills bacteria, viruses and mould. The chlorine oxidises pathogens, breaking down their structure to destroy them.
However, due to chlorine’s corrosive nature and its strong oxidising power, it can also be a very hazardous substance to use. It can corrode metal, bleach and damage fabrics, and leaves a strong odour and taste.
When used as a food safe disinfectant in kitchens, a concentration of 100ppm is effective in warm water and left on a surface for at least 30 seconds to ensure effective sanitisation. Once made into a solution, it should also be discarded after 24 hours as the active ingredient will no longer be effective.
The WHO has previously recommended 1000ppm for general disinfection uses. However, this concentration requires a thorough rinse with potable water and is therefore not regarded as food safe if not rinsed.
The K56 chlorine sanitiser (sodium hypochlorite solution) from our range is great for sterilising vegetables before preparing them for meals.
3. Peracetic Acid
Peracetic acid is a great food safe disinfectant as it effectively kills pathogens, as well as removing biofilm, but also breaks down into the environmentally friendly ingredients acetic acid, water and oxygen.
Much less corrosive to surfaces than bleach, it is however hazardous to skin if prolonged exposure occurs.
When used as a disinfectant, a dilution of 100-200 ppm for peracetic acid should be used.
Using Disinfectants for Food Surfaces
When using any surface sanitiser in food preparation areas, it is critical to ensure you are using a food-grade disinfectant and that you always follow the manufacturer’s instructions for appropriate dilution and use.
This can be especially important when it comes to guidelines for dwell time as this can make the difference between a safely disinfected surface and one where pathogens can remain after cleaning.
To learn more about our comprehensive range of food-safe disinfectants and ensure you are minimising any risk of food contamination or infection outbreak, contact our professional team for advice on the right solutions for your facility.
When it comes to providing hygiene and cleaning solutions for hospitality facilities, Veridia helps you take care of all the details, ensuring compliance and peace of mind.
