The most important word in the hospitality industry today is “clean,” according to a September article in the New York Times that outlines how top global companies are putting new cleaning strategies in place.
For restaurants and food service operations in particular, it’s not enough to simply put more time, people, and chemicals into cleaning. There has to be absolute trust in order for diners to return to food service establishments and for staff to feel safe serving customers. Building trust isn’t just about how often you clean; it’s also about all the policies and practices you uphold at your establishment, from mask wearing to social distancing and touchless menus. It’s also about what you do between cleanings.
The hottest new food trend is one you can’t see
In food service, something invisible and odorless is changing the sanitation conversation. It’s microbiostatic antimicrobial technology, and it’s coming soon to a restaurant, dining hall, or cafeteria near you.
Microbiostatic, dry-state antimicrobial agents stay active on surfaces long after they have been applied. Novālent™, a leading microbiostatic technology, polymerizes on virtually any surface to form a monomolecular ionic layer that ruptures bacteria, viruses, and other microbes that contact the surface. That barrier remains effective even through routine cleanings of tables, chairs, equipment, and food prep areas. Odorless and non-toxic, Novalent is approved for use as an antimicrobial under EPA and FDA regulations to preserve food contact surfaces, making it a safe option for use throughout a food service operation and a vital component of a comprehensive cleaning regimen.
Here’s how Novalent transforms a typical restaurant’s cleaning routine into a three-step system for continual “clean-in-between” protection:
- Surface dirt, oil, and visible residues are removed as needed with a degreaser or surfactant such as EnviroSystems® Green Kleen 420-4.
- Daily disinfection is accomplished with a sanitizer such as EnviroSystems® Sanitizer 440 to kill microbes, bacteria, and viruses upon application.
- Depending on how much use, contact, and vigorous cleaning the surface experiences, periodic application of a long-bonding microbiostatic antimicrobial such as Novalent will sustain antimicrobial action between disinfections for up to three months at a time.
A smart shift for food service
The hospitality and food service industries have been hit hard by COVID-19, and many operators will simply never return to business. But for those who do, it will be vital to have systematic cleaning protocols that protect guests and workers even between cleanings and during the busiest service periods. And it’s important that those protocols are practical enough to remain in place long after this pandemic has passed.