3 questions the EHO will ask about your sanitiser

Today, I want to share with you the 3 questions the Environmental Health Officer (EHO) will probably ask you or your staff about your sanitiser or anti-bacterial spray.

I’ve inspected many businesses over the years and could not believe how many of their staff can’t answer these questions. The result can be a lower food hygiene rating for the business. Not to mention that if you’re not using your sanitiser or anti-bacterial spray correctly, you are potentially wasting money or risking contaminating your food.

Now, it doesn’t need to be this way because these questions are really quick and easy to answer, once you know what they are. As soon as you know them, you can check the answers and brief your staff. That way, you can be prepared to answer these questions with confidence during your food hygiene inspection and you won’t need to worry about your staff not knowing either.

Here are the 3 questions the EHO will ask about sanitiser:

1. Does your sanitiser comply with the relevant British Standard?

The first question is whether your sanitiser complies with the relevant British Standard, specifically BS EN 1276 or BS EN 13697. You can normally find this information on the product label. If in doubt, check with your supplier. The EHO will check this, so if you have the information to hand and are able to show them, they’re going to be impressed.

2. What is the contact time?

The EHO will expect that anyone in the business who uses the sanitiser to know and follow the correct contact time. Each sanitiser needs a certain amount of time on a surface to reduce bacteria to a safe level. This is known as the contact time and it varies from one product to another. If you’re spraying it and wiping it off straight away, you’re probably wasting money because it won’t do the job you bought it for. You should be able to find this information on the product label, but if it’s not, check with your supplier.

3. Does it need dilution? And if so, how do you dilute it?

This is important because a chemical that needs dilution must be diluted in accordance with the manufacturer’s instructions. To find this, check the product label or information from your supplier. If a sanitiser that requires dilution is being diluted incorrectly, one of two things is likely to happen:

• It will be too strong and possibly taint any food that is then prepared on the surface
• Or it will be too weak and it won’t do the job it’s meant to.

By knowing and understanding these 3 questions, you and your staff can handle your EHO inspection more confidently. This will help your business maintain a high food hygiene rating and use your sanitiser effectively and in a way that ensures food safety.