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5 Tips for working food safely in the plastic packaging industry

Food safety is crucial, both in food production and food packaging manufacturing. By working food safe, you ensure that consumers do not get sick from your products. Below we give you 5 tips for working food safely in the packaging industry.

Wash your hands

Don't forget to wash your hands when you go into production! You can contaminate packaging with allergens if you don't wash your hands properly. Suppose you eat a granola bar with peanuts at lunch and then you work with packaging, residues of peanuts can get into packaging through your hands. There is then a chance that the peanut residue could get into food products during the filling of packages at the customer's premises. If a person who is allergic to peanuts then buys and eats this product, he or she may become very sick from it.

Wash your hands at least in the following situations:

  • Before starting work;
  • After you go to the bathroom;
  • After you touch something dirty;
  • After dinner.

Wear a hairnet

Is a hairnet mandatory in your company? Then always wear a hair net in production! This prevents hair from falling into containers and then getting into food products. Be sure to wear the hairnet over your ears, even though it may not be comfortable. It is important that your hair net covers all your hair so that hairs are caught in the net. Check out the examples below:

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This employee is wearing the hair net correctly. All the hair is covered.
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This employee is not wearing the hairnet correctly. The hair net is not over the ears nor is the hair completely covered.

Do you have a beard? Then wear a beard net over your beard too!

Do not bring personal items

Store personal items, such as food, drinks, keys and jewelry, in designated areas before entering production. This prevents a ring you wear from damaging packaging, for example. Or that allergens from your sandwiches end up on your work clothes, and then in packaging.

Do not wear makeup, false eyelashes and resin nails, these too can fall into packages or damage packages if you wear them in production.

Rules vary from company to company. Therefore, always ask about the specific company rules in your company.

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Prevent pests

Pests are a food safety hazard. For example, rodents and birds can make nests out of lying around packaging material and remains of dead insects can get into packaging. Your company has therefore taken measures to keep pests out. But you yourself can help keep pests out:

  • Close waste containers;
  • Clean up trash as soon as possible;
  • Ensure a tidy workplace;
  • Place stored material on pallets;
  • Seal holes and cracks as much as possible;
  • Install screens for doors and windows.
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Ensure a tidy workplace

Keep your workplace tidy and orderly. Clean up packaging scraps and other trash. If packaging scraps are left lying around, they can accidentally get into packaging through your shoes, hands or clothes.

Clean up cleaning agents when you are done cleaning and lubricants when you are done servicing. This prevents these agents from getting on the production line and contaminating products. Special storage locations often apply to cleaning agents. With lubricants, also pay close attention to keeping food grade and non-food grade lubricants separate!

Do not leave worn-out parts of machines and tools lying around, but store them in designated areas. Consider, for example, shadow boards for tools and collection bins for worn blades.

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Want to train your employees on food safety in the plastic packaging industry?

Then have your employees follow our e-learning "food safety in the plastic packaging industry" or contact us without obligation at info@precongroup.com or +31 (0)30 - 65 66 010.

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