Monthly Archives: April 2021

Go Green with Nelson-Jameson!

Happy Earth Day! This widely observed holiday is the perfect time to look back on the past year and reflect on each of our personal carbon footprints. How have we impacted climate change, global warming, and sustainability? I would say this last year the carbon footprint has been reduced compared to previous years due to the pandemic, especially in the earlier half of the year. Not only is this a time to reflect on our personal lives, but also on businesses nationwide. Nelson-Jameson has been doing our part of minimizing our carbon footprint by offering many eco-friendly products. From biodegradable gloves and paper products, to antibiotic test kits, and even turbidity sensors, we have the eco-friendly products needed to help reduce excess waste throughout any processing facility.

I would assume many individuals are questioning if sustainability is still a core focus in company values today, and the rightful answer is yes. Microsoft, a multinational company, stated this year that they pledge to become a carbon-negative company within 10 years (Scheel, 2021, pp. 2). Businesses across the world are still choosing to become even more sustainable for common reasons such as promoting efficiency, improving brand value, and innovation, a trend that seems to be sticking around for the long haul (Sustainable Business Network, pp. 4). How does the topic of sustainability affect the food, beverage, and dairy industries you may ask? Well, it does significantly.

With the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, sustainability is at the forefront of consumers minds when it comes to food. Consumers are expanding from not only caring about sustainability from the retailer perspective, but they also are intrigued to know each company that touches the food along the way has sustainability initiatives in place.

Nelson-Jameson offers eco-friendly product options that cover a variety of areas within a processing facility, including:

Safety Products: Biodegradable Gloves, Recyclable Beard Covers, and more.

Janitorial/Sanitation Products: Sanitizers, Soaps, and more.

Laboratory Products: Environmentally friendly Antibiotic Test Kits, ATP Swabs, Protein Residue Tests, and more.

Process Equipment: Anderson-Negele® Paperless Process Recorder, Turbidity Sensors, Conductivity Sensors, Alfa Laval OS Twin Screw Pump, and more.

Whether you plan to celebrate Earth Day by cleaning up garbage at a local park, or evaluating your businesses sustainability values and initiatives, remember to keep in mind that sustainability is key to promoting brand value for a business. To dive further into what eco-friendly products Nelson-Jameson has available, visit our website or contact us today.

Sources:

Scheel, R. (2021, February 03). Council post: Sustainability In 2021: Everything Companies Should Know. Retrieved April 16, 2021, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2021/02/04/sustainability-in-2021-everything-companies-should-know/?sh=6029e663208c

Why Should My Business Become More Sustainable? (n.d.). Retrieved April 16, 2021, from https://sustainable.org.nz/guide-to-sustainability/

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Don’t Be in a Brush Rush…

Ah, the beauty and purity of a new cleaning tool. Freshly removed from any packaging, and unsullied by the elements: nothing but possibility ahead of it. Whether you enjoy opening new tools as much as I apparently do, or you are more in the “pop it open, because there is a ton of stuff to do” camp, there are a few tips that our friends from Remco have provided to get the best out of your new cleaning tool. These simple steps help to ensure safety before the first use.

How to Prepare a New Cleaning Tool for Use
New cleaning tools—especially those sealed in plastic pouches like the ones from Vikan® and Remco—often look like they’re ready for use right out of the bag. It’s easy to assume these tools can start sweeping, mopping, and brushing right away, however, as most in the food industry know, looking clean isn’t the same as actually being clean. Here are a few steps that must be taken to ensure all new tools are ready for use in food production plants:

Remove Any Labels
Vikan® and Remco both apply labels directly to some of their products, as do many other cleaning tool manufacturers and distributors. Ideally, these labels will peel off easily, especially when they’re dry. If there’s a problem removing a label or there’s residual stickiness, simply use a washrag with warm water and soap, or use a sponge soaked in vinegar to remove the label and any adhesive left behind. It’s easier to peel labels when they’re dry, but a little extra effort may be needed for particularly stubborn adhesives. It’s essential to remove the label and adhesive fully, as the sticky residue can be a trap for debris and bacteria.

Clean the Tool
New tools may seem clean, but they’re produced in factory environments that do not have the same rigorous sanitation requirements as food manufacturing facilities. Put new tools through an industrial dishwasher or hand wash them, depending on what the plant’s HACCP plans call for during the tool’s regular usage. Either cleaning option may help remove any remaining label residue, along with preparing the tool for its first use. Don’t make the mistake of assuming a broom or a squeegee that will be used in a low-risk environment is “clean enough” when it comes out of the package. The tool should still be cleaned.

Sanitize for High-Risk Conditions
Decide how clean a tool should be before use, follow HACCP plans for how they’ll be cleaned during their regular usage. If a tool will be used in a high-risk environment, it should be sterilized before its first use, ensuring any microbes that may have contaminated the item before it arrived to you are fully destroyed. If a tool is going to be used in a low or medium-risk facility, simply cleaning and sanitizing the tool should be enough for it to be used safely.

Dry the Tool
No tool is clean without having been dried first. Whether by hanging it or by putting it through an industrial dishwasher’s drying cycle, tools must be dry to be considered clean. This helps prevent mold and other microorganism growth and ensures the tool is ready for use.

Once these steps are complete, the tools are ready for their designed purposes in food processing plants. Remember to maintain tools by keeping them free of debris and cleaning them frequently. Regular maintenance—starting with these first steps—will keep tools hygienic and help them last longer.

Nelson-Jameson carries a wide selection of color-coded products, including the full line of Remco products. Contact us today to learn more about the many ways Nelson-Jameson and our industry partners can help you get the tools you need on your pathway to creating safe, quality food.

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