Understanding Coronavirus Impacts on Commercial Dishwashing
2020 was an unprecedented year. COVID-19 swept across the world in rapid time, leading the World Health Organization to declare it a global pandemic in March. The apparent ease of transmission of the disease caused by the coronavirus SARS CoV2 lead to heightened concern about health and safety. Non-essential businesses shut their doors, including many restaurants, until new protocols could be put in place. The foodservice industry grappled with how to provide for their customers while keeping them and their employees safe. As a commercial appliance service company, Casco worked with clients to improve sanitization.
What You Need To Know About the Virus
SARS CoV-2 is a coronavirus that is novel to humans. There is still a lot of uncertainty about how the virus spread to humans and when. The first identified case occurred in Wuhan, China. However, by the time that individual fell ill, the disease was likely already widespread in the region. Humans are a new host for the virus, so they have no natural immunity against it, opening the door to rapid and widespread transmission.
Like other respiratory illnesses, COVID-19 spreads from person to person through airborne droplets and aerosols. Viruses require a host for survival and reproduction, but they can live outside of their hosts for brief periods. As such, there is the potential for the disease to spread when a person touches a contaminated surface.
What You Need To Know About Commercial Kitchen Sanitization
Though the foodservice industry always had to concern itself with sanitization practices, the pandemic called into question current standards and measures. Are products on the market good enough to deactivate the coronavirus? How often should staff clean surfaces? Do commercial dishwashers sanitize as they clean? Though products had been tested against known pathogens, the novelty of the coronavirus meant that uncertainty levels were high.
Suppose you have a commercial dishwasher that is National Sanitation Foundation-standard-three certified. In that case, it effectively kills 99.99% of the microbes of public health concern when the appropriate level of heat and chemicals make contact with dishware surfaces. However, viruses aren’t considered microorganisms because they cannot survive long term outside of a host. These products have not been tested against SARS CoV-2, so their effectiveness against the virus isn’t known for sure.
What is known at this time is that soaps are capable of breaking down the outer fatty layer of the virus, causing it to break down. In addition, high heat — on the order of 132.8 degrees Fahrenheit — is potentially sufficient to render the virus inactive. If you set the final rinse of your commercial dishwasher to meet the NSF sanitation standards of 180 degrees Fahrenheit, then it is likely hot enough to deactivate the virus.
What Employees Need To Do During Their Shifts
To reduce the risk of transmission and infection, your employees should follow all CDC COVID-19 and NSF sanitation guidelines, including:
Where To Find Commercial Appliance Service and Repair
Casco has been partnering with the food industry since 1969. When your commercial dishwasher isn’t performing up to standards, we’re here to help. Contact us today to find out more about what we can do to ensure your dishwasher performs its best when you most need it.
SARS CoV-2 is a coronavirus that is novel to humans. There is still a lot of uncertainty about how the virus spread to humans and when. The first identified case occurred in Wuhan, China. However, by the time that individual fell ill, the disease was likely already widespread in the region. Humans are a new host for the virus, so they have no natural immunity against it, opening the door to rapid and widespread transmission.
Like other respiratory illnesses, COVID-19 spreads from person to person through airborne droplets and aerosols. Viruses require a host for survival and reproduction, but they can live outside of their hosts for brief periods. As such, there is the potential for the disease to spread when a person touches a contaminated surface.
What You Need To Know About Commercial Kitchen Sanitization
Though the foodservice industry always had to concern itself with sanitization practices, the pandemic called into question current standards and measures. Are products on the market good enough to deactivate the coronavirus? How often should staff clean surfaces? Do commercial dishwashers sanitize as they clean? Though products had been tested against known pathogens, the novelty of the coronavirus meant that uncertainty levels were high.
Suppose you have a commercial dishwasher that is National Sanitation Foundation-standard-three certified. In that case, it effectively kills 99.99% of the microbes of public health concern when the appropriate level of heat and chemicals make contact with dishware surfaces. However, viruses aren’t considered microorganisms because they cannot survive long term outside of a host. These products have not been tested against SARS CoV-2, so their effectiveness against the virus isn’t known for sure.
What is known at this time is that soaps are capable of breaking down the outer fatty layer of the virus, causing it to break down. In addition, high heat — on the order of 132.8 degrees Fahrenheit — is potentially sufficient to render the virus inactive. If you set the final rinse of your commercial dishwasher to meet the NSF sanitation standards of 180 degrees Fahrenheit, then it is likely hot enough to deactivate the virus.
What Employees Need To Do During Their Shifts
To reduce the risk of transmission and infection, your employees should follow all CDC COVID-19 and NSF sanitation guidelines, including:
- Proper handwashing: The NSF establishes handwashing guidelines for the restaurant industry. Though it is essential for employees always to follow protocol, it is critical now. Special care needs to be taken when preparing and serving food.
- Proper surface sanitization: Establish procedures and a schedule for surface sanitization that ensures all hard surface areas are cleaned correctly and frequently throughout the day.
- Proper dish sanitization: Ensure employees follow all necessary steps for dish sanitization, including scraping all scraps before loading into the dishwasher, not overloading, adding the right amount of cleaning agent and setting temperatures to the correct settings.
Where To Find Commercial Appliance Service and Repair
Casco has been partnering with the food industry since 1969. When your commercial dishwasher isn’t performing up to standards, we’re here to help. Contact us today to find out more about what we can do to ensure your dishwasher performs its best when you most need it.