What are the requirements for validating the effectiveness of a laundry service for protective clothing?
Hello all,
I was wondering what exactly requirements you have for your laundry service supplier? Can you kindly share it?
In one of the bullet points of the requirement 7.4.3 it is written that "the protective clothing is effectively cleaned (e.g. by the completion of microbiological validation and verification tests)".
My question is then how do YOU validate that the protective clothing is effectively cleaned? Do you require laundry company run tests, if yes, then how often they need to do that, every delivery, annually? Do you run tests your self? If yes, how often then?
OR maybe you have other ways to validate the cleanliness?
We do not work with/produce high-risk products
Hi ;)
Under this one you will face two requirements :
3.5.3.1 - Management of suppliers of services and 7.4.3 - Protective clothing
All above points shall be in the service agreement, if would be hard to trace the same coat for validation and verification unless you labelled it somehow.
I can't speak to Norway, but a good number of the US based firms who offer uniforms/smocks with included laundry services also have HACCP programs now for the food sites they supply. If your current one can't offer any explanations on their process controls for the laundering, might be a good chance to put out an RFP to other providers and have them demonstrate to you how partnering with them can improve your food safety.
Hello all,
I was wondering what exactly requirements you have for your laundry service supplier? Can you kindly share it?
In one of the bullet points of the requirement 7.4.3 it is written that "the protective clothing is effectively cleaned (e.g. by the completion of microbiological validation and verification tests)".
My question is then how do YOU validate that the protective clothing is effectively cleaned? Do you require laundry company run tests, if yes, then how often they need to do that, every delivery, annually? Do you run tests your self? If yes, how often then?
OR maybe you have other ways to validate the cleanliness?
We do not work with/produce high-risk products
HI
Into you swabbing schedule add in coats from each department (HC/LR etc) and swab clean coats for normal + paths.
Your laundry service should also be able to provide there own allergen testing regiments, use this as due diligence evidence to show that you have checked that the coats are coming back suitable.
You could also physically audit the laundry service if not accredited to GFSI standard?
Currently i process a 6m swab from HC and an annual swab from LC (x3 from each).
I request an annual document of results from laundry company.
Audited 09/24, auditor didn't even question any of this were happy with what was provided.
Context - RTE High Care Frozen deserts & LR bakery.
Thank you so much everyone for sharing knowledge and experience, Ii think we found a solution and basically the easiest way, even though it is not the cheapest. We will aim for an approved laundry service supplier that has very good follow up routines as their "normal" routine, including swabs :)
Sorry a bit late on replying on this. Do remember that you're not doing high care or high risk foods. I would be inclined to look for references for the time and temperature combination they are using being effective and a very limited number of swabs to validate this. (It would be a good idea to do pre and post to demonstrate effective log reduction.) You could then do some yearly verification of that process including any 3rd party audits they have or a site visit / audit and perhaps a couple of swabs. I do not see the need in low risk foods for extensive and regular swabbing.
Not sure if this is helpful but this is UK guidance for contaminated linens (imagine the stuff you'd think is actually going to be thrown out kind of contaminated) so way worse than anything from the food industry:
Laundry treatments at high and low temperatures - Blood borne viruses (BBV)
But no doubt there will be academic papers out there.