In the US, industrial facilities of all types are required to adhere to federal government standards and regulations. The food industry is no exception. In fact, because of the kind of products they produce, food processing plants, storage and shipping centers, and food industry facilities are held to a higher standard of cleanliness than many other industries.
The top priority is cleanliness when it comes to foodservice flooring. Standards and regulations that apply to the food industry come from the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
FDA regulations read:
Walls, floors, and ceilings within establishments must be built of durable materials impervious to moisture and be cleaned and sanitized as necessary to prevent contamination of the product.
Except as specified under § 6-201.14, the floors, floor coverings, walls, wall coverings, and ceilings shall be designed, constructed, and installed so they are smooth and easily cleanable, except that antislip floor coverings or applications may be used for safety reasons.
The USDA requires that the chemical makeup of floor coatings used in food and beverage facilities contain only resins and additives found on their own approved list.
The reasoning behind many of these regulations is that flooring in food processing facilities is typically exposed to a variety of food byproducts, including fats, blood, food additives, and natural food acids. Because of their corrosive nature, these substances can cause severe damage by infiltrating uncoated or improperly coated concrete flooring. This can result in uncontrolled bacteria growth, sickness, and ultimately expensive food recalls.
To ensure hygienic surfaces, floor coatings selected for food and beverage processing plants, storage and shipping centers, and food service facility floors must create a protective barrier that prevents contaminants from permeating the flooring and durable enough to withstand regular and aggressive cleaning.
V-8 High-Performance Floors specializes in food service flooring. Both V-8’s 6.0 High-Performance Epoxy and Hybrid XT floor coatings meet and exceed governmental standards and regulations for food service flooring. Seamless, non-absorbent, and chemical resistant, V-8’s flooring is FDA, USDA & OSHA approved for incidental food contact.
For food-safe, inspection-ready flooring, contact an industry specialist at V-8 High-Performance Floors today.
