(Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the March/April 2016 print issue of Food Manufacturing ) America is getting serious about food supply safety. With the Food Safety Modernization Act taking effect, food safety guidelines that once were merely best practices are becoming law. While this new regulation is having a ripple effect across the spectrum of food manufacturing products, it is particularly pronounced in door technology. Wash-Down Doors Wash-down doors are a primary example. A new generation of flexible, fabric doors has been developed in recent years that feature anti-microbial materials and other upgrades for wash down applications. Unlike traditional hard core doors, these new doors roll upwards (rather than sliding sideways) and have extremely fast cycle times, with some moving as rapidly as 100 inches per second. Developed to meet USDA, FDA and GMP standards, they are made of smooth polypropylene, a material that provides higher resistance to acids and bases and a lower water absorption rate than vinyls and urethanes. This material upgrade is a key component of their appeal, as it makes them highly resistant to mold and extremely durable against the stresses of daily wash-downs using chemical solvents. Additionally, the new generation of wash down doors have tapered surfaces and stand-offs that all but eliminate “harborage” of bacteria or other contaminants. They are also designed to be highly corrosion-resistant. This includes the use of stainless steel and UHMW components, and the elimination of shrouds hinges and reversing edges as they add to cleaning time and could harbor contaminants. Freezer/Cooler Doors Door technology has also been rapidly advancing with regard to freezer and cooler areas of food manufacturing facilities. In the past, these applications typically involved heavy, hard-core doors with high R-values that minimized conduction (energy loss through the door panel). Unfortunately, these doors were […]