The current shift in the mindset of consumers towards healthier convenience foods and more wholesome approach to food is becoming stronger. This presents unique challenges for food producers to become more innovative, specifically when aligning their strategies to meet changing consumer demands. In this “fast paced” lifestyle, consumers anticipate food products to be ‘all things in one’ and are pressurising the producers to embrace: innovation, thereby fostering competition for the provision of the most conveniently fresh and wholesome products.
The competitive edge?
High throughput convenience foods such as cold sliced meats, sausages, “heat and eats’, salads, cheeses and sandwich ingredients are at a significantly greater risk of microbial contamination and spoilage due to the high degree of manual intervention required during preparation. Despite the rigorous implementation of preventative safeguards, chilled and frozen products remain at risk to increm ental microbial challenge. Of particular importance to these categories of product is the presence of Listeria , which is considered a severe health risk, and persists in the factory environment and has been shown to survive and multiply even at temperatures as low as 4″C. To this end, the possibility of Listeria contamination at any stage of production cannot be ignored due to its potential risk to cornumer health and the integrity of the supplier brand.
What can be done?
Even when abiding with strict hygiene management protocols [GMPJ, there remain severe limitations both in terms of sanitation options and the time allied thereto in order to achieve and maintain minimum acceptable quality standards without rompromising productivity. Radical Waters’ multi-purpose sanitation solution, ACTSOL is generated using only natural ingredients, and the solutions are wholly safe when in contact with personnel and for the composite use in all food environmcnts. Actsol is a safe, fast, effective solution that can be applied directly to all food types, both as an ingredient or as a surface or enviromental application to control the presence of all types of pathogenic and spoilage microbes induding but not limited to bacterial and fungal spores, listeria, Salmonella and E-Coli 0157.
The direct benefits when using Actsol for RTE products:
- Real-TIme application
- Direct food contact
- Safe and Non-toxic on food
- Enhances shelf life by effectively eliminating food spoilage organisms and human pathogens
- Non-Allergenic – no sensitisation due to wholly natural ingredients
- Taint free
Actsol is easy to apply and can be utilised to:
- Extend shelf-life of RTE meals.
- Sanitise hands and preparation surfactS
- Disinfect process equipment
- Decontamination of all perishable products
- Fog working areas and display counters
Actsol is SABS acrredited and is also certified for use within the kosher and Halaal communities. Actsol is a brood-spectrum natural anti-microbial solution that supports healthier eating.