Cleaning for allergens: Rushing is not an option!

Innovation is in the heart of food hygiene specialist Christeyns. The 'Allergen Defense' programme is the latest development in allergen control. 

Just after the Second World War, in a backyard in Ghent, the first seed was planted for what is now a global enterprise. Mr Jules Robert Christeyns, with his N.V. Zeepziederijen Christeyns, first focused on the production of soaps and detergents for laundries. But curiosity, entrepreneurship and the urge to innovate soon led to the exploration of new products and markets. That DNA has remained unchanged to this day. Just like the company culture. Maik van Leijden, Sales Manager Food Hygiene at Christeyns Netherlands and Peter Littleton, who operates from the United Kingdom as Technical Director, confirm this wholeheartedly. 

Weekend or no weekend

"It certainly is fun to work here", says the enthusiastic Maik, "you really notice that it is a family business. It is a network of people, each with their own expertise, who you can call or video call, whether they are in Spain, the Czech Republic or England. And our CEO-owner, Alain Bostoen, is just as accessible." This is very recognisable to Peter, who laughingly adds: "The other way round, he also knows how to find us. And then it doesn't matter whether it is the weekend or not."

Strategic programme

Innovation is what it is all about, and it is therefore no surprise that Peter and Maik have come up with something new: 'Allergen Defence'. Allergens are proteins that can trigger allergic reactions in some people. Known allergens are peanuts, gluten, shellfish and soy, but there are fourteen in total. Allergen Defense' is a strategic programme, combined with a sophisticated range of cleaning agents, that exclude cross-contamination for one hundred percent. Why is that so important? "Well, it is estimated that there are around 100 fatal allergy attacks in Europe every year. And there are millions who have an intolerance to certain allergens. Not fatal, but you really don't want that to happen to you or your loved ones." Although this problem is recognised, it is not being controlled everywhere. "There is simply not enough attention paid to cleaning!"

Shortcuts

Does 'Allergen Defense' sound complicated? Well it isn't complex at all. "On the contrary, it's very much common sense, a sequence of steps you need to take to clean effectively." The roadmap falls into three parts: Validation (does it work?), Verification (does it always work, without exception?) and Control (perform a valid test after every cleaning). Why do we need to draw up a protocol if it is all so common sense? "Well," says Peter, "if you give ten people the task of cleaning a machine, they all do it slightly different, they find their own shortcuts. But there are no shortcuts when it comes to thorough cleaning." Crucial according to Peter is the use of cleaning agents to which enzymes have been added. "This greatly improves the use of standard agents such as alkaline or acidic products. It simplifies the challenge considerably!"

Advice

It all starts with mapping out the situation, followed by advice on equipment and products. Maik and Peter see that companies are still very cost-driven. "Perfectly understandable", says Peter, "but if we show that a lot of time can be saved in cleaning by means of technology, systems and protocols, the price of the cleaning product will make a lot less difference. Because time is money! Peter knows - from his time as a food safety officer in the food industry - the other side as well. "The trucks have to leave for retail in an hour or you'll be fined, so there's a lot of pressure to minimise cleaning downtime. But then again, the consequences of an allergen infection are incalculable, so rushing things is not an option. Peter is keen to engage in that dialogue.

Take it seriously

Awareness within companies of the issue is still a challenge. Christeyns would like to contribute to that. Maik: "We give training to people on the factory floor and to managers. The latter group is perhaps the most important to get involved. If the managers do not see the importance, it becomes really dangerous. The training courses are therefore kept as practical as possible, because documents are often not read. Part of the training is also a short film showing the frightening consequences of an allergy attack. Peter: "That short film always makes a big impression, because then people really understand how important it is to take 'Allergen Defence' seriously."

www.christeyns.com

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