Say you have 10 germs living on the wall of a food processing facility. Under the right conditions, those 10 germs can multiply to 10 million in just a few hours. The presence of mold, bacteria, and viruses on surfaces or in-contact with the manufacturing process can impact the food and even cause illness in the consumer. (Don’t think about it too much, or you’ll spoil your food!)
The proof is in the pudding: Any kind of industrial coating found in a food or beverage facility will eventually break down, resulting in peeled paint, rust, and porous surfaces where bacteria can grow. In 2002, Ken Johns published a research paper presenting a new idea for paint, a solution designed to minimize biohazards in industries like healthcare and food processing: sanitary coatings.
Sanitary coatings on walls, ceilings, floors, and other surfaces protect the integrity of the product and the health of the consumer, which is why the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) creates and enforces industry standards around certified coatings.
Harpeth Painting has experience with the Sherwin Williams general polymers lines of saniglaze coatings (which is now part of the Resutile systems), and BlueBell Creamery’s manufacturing facility in Sylacauga, Alabama recently employed the team to upgrade its surface finishes.
Contact Harpeth Painting to protect your products, and customers, with sanitary coating.
Protecting the BlueBell Brand
BlueBell Creamery was in need of resurfacing throughout its facility to prevent deteriorating coatings due to age, frequent cleaning, and general use. Specifically, BlueBell needed …
- Upgrades to certain finishes that would meet their ultimate goals of durability and cleanability,
- To ensure that the right system was used to remove the old finish,
- And to follow new sanitary guidelines implemented in the food industry overall.
First, Harpeth Painting needed to prepare the glazed block and CMU used throughout the BlueBell manufacturing facility. Using diamond grinders, the glazed block surfaces were deglossed by hand. The CMU walls were washed and hand scraped to remove any loose paint.
Next, the Harpeth Painting team applied a pre-primer tack coat of GP5531 to previously glazed surfaces, then filled and smoothed any grout lines with FT910 epoxy filler. The intermediate coat was Macropoxy 646, a substitute for water-based epoxies not available due to ongoing COVID-19 product shortages, followed by a final coat of Sherloxane 800 to provide excellent gloss retention and additional chemical resistance.
For the previously coated CMU surfaces, Harpeth Painting directly applied a FT910 to fill holes and grout joints on the entire surface before sanding it down and grinding it smooth. Lastly, the team used Macropoxy, followed by Sherloxane 800.
Once the job was done, did the team indulge themselves in some BlueBell ice cream? That has neither been confirmed nor denied.
Peeling & Porous Doesn’t Pass Inspection
So, you’re not in the ice cream business, but you recognize the health and safety risks of peeling paint and porous surfaces in your commercial facility. In reality, any materials or surface coatings used in your facilities should conform to standards for your particular industry.
Not entirely sure how your business will fare under an inspection? Take a look at these areas a certified coatings professional will evaluate and discuss any of the following problems with a coating contractor:
- Cracked or peeling floors
- Peeling paint or flaking rust
- Porous surfaces
- Direct food-contact surfaces
- A 90-degree angle between floors and walls, versus a cove base
- Damaged insulated metal panel (IMP) wall systems
- Areas frequently and repeatedly washed, especially if lacking slope-to-drains
- Trench drains, versus box drains
Harpeth Painting Can Smooth Your Worry Lines
Harpeth Painting provides an array of commercial painting and surface materials services in Nashville, Middle Tennessee, and beyond, including:
- Exterior & interior painting
- Wallpaper installation
- Decorative finishes/staining
- Commercial repaint
- Specialty coating & sanitary coating
- Industrial/sandblasting
During a consultation, our painters can offer advice about the best types of paints for your project needs and goals, along with guidance when picking finishing coats for your business.
Contact Harpeth Painting today!
