An Added Line of Defense: Antimicrobial and Antibacterial Surfaces
An Added Line of Defense: Antimicrobial and Antibacterial Surfaces In our last post, we talked about cleaning, sanitizing, and disinfecting as a critical part of every foodservice operation. Even with a vigorous cleaning and sanitizing program, multiple layers of defense are always a good idea to protect your operation and those you serve. One of those layers of protection is antimicrobial and antibacterial surfaces, but they are often misunderstood. These surfaces don’t replace frequent and thorough cleaning and sanitizing, but they do provide an additional line of defense in between cleanings. The idea of manufacturing high-touch products with antimicrobial surfaces was born in the late 1960’s, but it took a couple decades to create truly antimicrobial polymeric products for both medical and consumer applications, and even longer to make them widely available and affordable. Fortunately, a number of commercial foodservice equipment manufacturers were early adopters of the t...