Colour coded cleaning and food preparation

Colour-coded cleaning 

Colour-coded cleaning is a proven system to use colour-coded cleaning equipment for specific areas to avoid cross-contamination. This efficient cleaning system is essential for any business where health, safety, and good hygiene are paramount. Designating different coloured items for each area makes the correct equipment, such as pails and heavy-duty wipes , easily identifiable in the workplace. 

There are five designated colours used in the colour-coded cleaning system used globally.

Each colour has a specific use to avoid any uncertainty, as follows:

• Blue: general cleaning, offices and low-risk areas
• Green: kitchens, food service and food preparation areas
• Red: Toilets, bathrooms, wash rooms and dirty utility rooms
• Yellow: Infectious areas and isolation areas
• White: Clinical areas and operating theatres

Pails

Fildes Food Safety Sani-Pails and Soap Pails are colour coded red and green, respectively, to help minimise any potential confusion between cleaning and sanitising solution containers. Available in different sizes for front and back of house applications, 'Sanitizer’  and 'Do Not Use For Food' are printed on the Sani-Pails  and ‘Detergent’ and 'Do Not Use For Food’ are printed on the Soap Pails to ensure they are only used for cleaning products.

Cloths

The Microfibre Heavy Duty Wipes colour-coded cloths are antibacterial, inhibiting the growth of germs and odours and are available in red, green, yellow, brown and blue. By using the designated cloth in the designated area, you minimise the potential of spreading bacteria from surface to surface.

Tip: For best practice, make sure separate cleaning equipment is always used in food preparation areas or where food is stored – colour coding helps keep this simple. 

Colour-coding in food preparation

This system is also frequently used in food preparation, predominately with colour-coded chopping boards and utensils such as cutting board brushes. 

The same five designated colours for colour-coded cleaning are used in colour-coded food preparation with the addition of a brown chopping board. As with cleaning, each colour has a specific use, as follows:

• Blue: Raw seafood
• Brown: Cooked or ready to eat foods
• Green: Fruit and vegetables
• Red: Raw meat
• White: Bakery and dairy
• Yellow: Raw poultry 

Our range of colour-coded chopping boards are available in four sizes, and the six colours allow for each board to be used exclusively for fruit and vegetables, raw seafood, dairy, raw meat and poultry, and cooked/ready to eat food. Using this system will minimise the risk of lingering bacteria and prevent the spread of foodborne illnesses.

Browse the full range of products available from Fildes Food Safety, each designed to help maintain immaculate hygiene practices in your business.