Premises, Facilities Management & Technology
"Environmentally it's good, and very simple to use," said one judge of the Pro-tect cleanliness test developed by Biotrace. The test is applied via a large pen-like instrument and involves swabbing a surface to activate a simple colour-change device. Within minutes a change in colour to the swab indicates a hygiene pass or failure. Green indicates a pass, grey a caution and purple a fail.
Moving into the world of the Internet, Efdex, marketed as "the global e-market for the food and drink industry", was also applauded for its ease of use. The service, which began in September last year, offers TV and text news, plus a chance to order and buy a wide range of products on-line.
Of particular benefit to small businesses - especially sandwich shops and cafés - are two other computer software packages. LabelLogic and NutriLogic from Planglow Labelling Systems can be used with a normal PC to enable caterers to create individual labels incorporating client logos, nutritional information and barcodes. The systems can either be used together or separately.
Judges termed Icevent from System Hygienics as "a product that looked as though it would solve major problems in the kitchen. By cleaning grease-laden extract it could prevent fire hazards". The product uses dry-ice pellets, which cause grease deposits to loosen before being mechanically blasted into small fragments.
Something completely innovative, said the judges, was the Odour Extraction System from Ventalu. "We have to be realistic," said one judge, "there are areas in pubs and hotels where insufficient ventilation causes problems". Ventalu has sought to remedy this by venting foul air direct from the toilet pan. It has a vandal-proof lavatory seat and cover with a back hinge mechanism which has an extraction system built in to it which extends into a pipe.
