Ensuring hygiene throughout the various stages and activities in which fruits and vegetables are manipulated is not only essential but also a crucial factor to ensure the absence of unpleasant surprises.
The Globalgap norm, which is mandatory since last January 1, 2012, establishes that the staff should have alcohol-based elements to their availability throughout the collection and marketing operations so they can use these elements to ensure hygiene.
"To date, it has been difficult and expensive to carry out these obvious needs of personal hygiene at work because of the reality and the environment in which an employee carries out his work," said Jose Luis Serra, from the commercial department of DEODORANGE®. "It is not always easy and inexpensive to ensure these measures, especially in the phase of collecting the fruits and vegetables in the field, or even in the facilities of the cooperative or in the market, where the worker must leave his post on many occasions," he stated.
DEODORANGE® has developed an easy, economical and effective solution that allows for hygiene practices when handling fruits and vegetables to prevent contamination of difficult isolation and dire consequences once detected in the markets. This is the F4-DEODORANGE® hand wipes.
F4-DEODORANGE® is a single-use sanitizing wipe that is soaked with a 70 degree persistent alcoholic gel and that is packaged in a single-dose for better hand hygiene. "This is a patented formula product that presents significant technical improvements over other means of hygiene," Serra said.
"It has an increased efficiency because the alcohol gel doesn't evaporate as fast as the simple alcoholic solutions. Additionally, it allows producers to easily demonstrate that they are complying with the standard to customer audits or certification companies. Its use complies with GLOBALGAP standards, among other ones."
In addition to its technical advantages, DEODORANGE® not only ensures hygiene, but also a strong economic performance, as its use conforms exactly to the real need the collectors/manipulator face during their day, and it can also be used in any other activity requiring hand hygiene.
Some of this product's virtues are:
• Saves time, as the workers don't have to commute to a sanitizing point or washing station.
• The product isn't wasted, as it can't be spilled and it is packaged in a single-dose.
• It facilitates controlling the consumption of hygiene supplies and stocks, both in the field and in warehouses that handle and package the fruits and vegetables.
• It has no expiration date so can be used for months if properly stored.
• In addition, producers can easily calculate how many of these wipes the operators will use per day to make a budget and control costs.
"Ultimately, this is a solution created especially for the horticultural sector, trying to accommodate a real need, effective and efficiently, by saving money in costs and by saving time."