RE: Hot water and hand washing

From: Hayes, Michael (CAG-FS) (Michael.Hayes@CONAGRASEAFOOD.com)
Date: Fri Feb 28 2003 - 11:49:38 PST

  • Next message: O. Peter Snyder: "Re: Hot water and hand washing"

    >From my experience, I would agree with the results of this experiment.
    Contact time is more important, scrubbing action is also important for
    physical removal of dirt.
    Warm water is for comfort level and for slightly better dissolving of dirt
    and suspension of oily residues.
    Also, contact time and physical scrubbing have antibacterial effects, as
    good or better than antibacterial soaps.

    Michael L. Hayes

    -----Original Message-----
    From: Strang, Mike [mailto:Mike.Strang@us.fjord.com]
    Sent: Friday, February 28, 2003 2:23 PM
    To: HACCP mailing list (E-mail)
    Subject: Hot water and hand washing

    I'm really enjoying the exchanges concerning the use of hot water for hand
    washing.

    Allow me to add an interesting twist.

    My boss's daughter did a hand washing experiment for a school science
    project. She used various combinations of water temps, detergents, and
    contact time to compare total plate counts and ATP swabs.

    The primary conclusion? Contact time was the most important factor. A quick
    wash with expensive anti-bacterial soap and hot water was not as effective
    as a 30 second wash with cool water and no soap. Her study was very
    amateurish, and probably not scientifically valid, but the results were
    interesting.

    Mike Strang
    Quality Control Manager
    Ducktrap River Fish Farm, LLC
    57 Little River Drive
    Belfast, Maine 04915
    Mike.Strang@us.fjord.com
    Phone: 207 338-6280
    Fax: 207 338-6288



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