Food safety is a critical part of running a successful food business. Proper hygiene is essential in preventing the spread of foodborne illness and ensuring customer satisfaction. One way to help improve and maintain food hygiene during food handling is to use food crates. Food crates provide many benefits and whether you’re a producer, manufacturer or the final seller, using food crates can have a significant impact on your food hygiene practices.

In this article, we’ll explore the benefits of using food crates and why they are an essential part of food hygiene.

Food hygiene standards in the UK 

In the UK, food hygiene and safety are regulated by the Food Standards Agency. Food safety is heavily regulated, and businesses have various rules to follow to help ensure they comply with the standards set out by the FSA.

Ensuring hygiene is one of the most important priorities for those in the food industry, and from food handling to serving, every step of the process requires strict processes.

How food crates improve hygiene in food handling 

Using food crates is one of the easiest ways to store and handle food. Some of the benefits of food crates include:

  • They’re made from durable materials
  • They’re easy to clean
  • Their non-porous materials mean they don’t absorb moisture 
  • They’re made to a standard size that allows them to be used across the food supply chain
  • They’re available to both rent and buy, providing affordable solutions to meet different needs and budgets.

These benefits, and many others, mean that food crates can be a vital element in maintaining food hygiene during the food handling process. Some of the ways they do this include:

Preventing cross-contamination 

Cross-contamination is a constant threat that people in the food industry face. Cross-contamination poses severe health risks for consumers, and can lead to a lot of trouble for businesses found to be in breach of food hygiene regulations. Using traditional food handling methods such as cardboard boxes, poses a risk of tears, leaks and contamination due to their perishable nature. 

Food crates, however, are designed with hygiene in mind, with properties that help reduce the risk of cross-contamination, while being easy to clean so that they can be used again and again.

Enhanced food preservation 

Maintaining food freshness and quality is important for several reasons. It helps prevent waste and money loss, but it also ensures that food stays safe to eat for longer. Food crates are ideal for protecting perishable food items. They help regulate temperature and airflow, ensuring proper ventilation to protect against outside elements and protecting their contents. They can be stacked to store and handle easily, making it easy for businesses to protect their products.

Effective cleaning  

Food crates are easy to clean compared to other types of packing materials like cardboard or soft plastics that can only realistically be used once for food handling. Using industry-standard cleaning methods, food crates can be washed easily to prevent bacteria build up as well as contaminants. A strict cleaning process can ensure that each food crate is washed and dried carefully to help reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses and ensure strict health regulations are met.

Efficient and safe handling 

Food is regularly manually handled, and using food crates is one way to help improve handling processes to prevent the risk of damage to food. Their simple design, handles and stackable qualities make them easier to handle than other types of food storage and transportation, providing strong protection throughout the supply chain process.

Waste reduction 

Sustainability is a huge concern for the food industry, which is responsible for producing a large proportion of carbon emissions. Finding ways to cut down on waste can help offset a company’s carbon footprint, helping to reduce the use of single-use materials, and ensuring that more sustainable handling processes take place. Designed for long-term use, food crates can be used repeatedly and are scalable to the needs of the business. While this helps businesses to reduce their waste, it also helps save money, which can be vital at a time when food costs continue to rise.

Improve hygiene in food handling with food crates to buy and rent from phs Teacrate

For many food companies, food crates are a vital tool in upholding strict hygiene standards. From preventing cross-contamination to preserving food, they have a vital role to play throughout the food supply chain.

As a leading company in the UK, phs Teacrate provides a range of services to help you manage your food crate supply. We stock food crates to rent or buy, allowing you to choose options that best suit your needs. We can collect, deliver and maintain your food crates with end-to-end services for your business. Learn more about our crate washing services to see how we can help your business maintain strict hygiene and deliver outstanding quality to your customers.