Fresh produce industry brochure

fresh produce industry

food safety and hygiene: inextricably intertwined

The fresh produce industry includes a wide range of companies and suppliers worldwide, and is more dynamic than ever. R&D and process and product technology are becoming increasingly important in helping businesses meet the demands of contemporary consumers. Fresh produce is having to go through an increasing number of operations before it reaches the shop displays, processes such as cutting, pressing and processing into snack and convenience vegetables, sliced fruit, juices, fries, salads and chilled ready meals. Because of all this processing, the importance of hygiene and food safety is increasing, and additional production processes and facilities are required.

Fresh produce processing generally involves both automated and manual operations, where hygiene, quality and efficiency are paramount. Food safety and hygiene are inextricably intertwined, and particularly in parts of the factory where more is being done than just washing and packaging, there is always a chance of the produce becoming contaminated with various bacteria. And it’s the floor that forms the basis for optimum hygiene during processing.

Where, in many sectors, a floor will be no more than a detail, in the fresh produce industry this is an essential aspect. From the moment the fresh produce enters the factory through to its cleaning, cutting, heating, freezing, packaging and preparation for transport, floors have specific functions at every stage in the wet and dry processing process. Bolidt provides a specific floor finish for each purpose and area, finishes that are seamless, strong and non-slip. Also easy to clean thoroughly, hard wearing, and with optimum mechanical and, where needed, thermal, resistance. Bolidt supplies reliable floor systems for every area in the fresh produce industry.

all expertise under one roof

Building production facilities for the fresh produce industry involves teamwork. With over 58 years of experience, Bolidt is a much sought-after partner for realising innovative, hygienic, hard-wearing, sustainable floor systems. A major advantage is that Bolidt has all the necessary expertise in house, meaning that for our clients in the fresh produce industry, we can take care of their every need. From development, production, advice and sales to application and maintenance, Bolidt controls every link in the synthetic floor production chain for the fresh produce industry. And equally important: Bolidt is generous in providing its clients with valuable input. Because every production process in the fresh produce industry has different requirements, and because each industrial floor is tailored to the client’s needs and wishes, Bolidt places a lot of emphasis on the advice, preparation and planning aspects of the operational activities and on project management. And all of this under one roof.

From beginning to end Bolidt treats its people, the local community and the environment with care. Environmentally friendly practices are a key aspect of Bolidt’s business operations. Bolidt’s working area is the world, and Bolidt treats this responsibly. Bolidt focuses on long-term thinking: in all four facets of the company – development, production, sales and application – we not only consider the present but also the future.

A promise is a promise

Besides getting valuable, professional advice on the floor finish, the planning and logistics of the application of the floor finish are

equally important. After all, postponing or shutting down a production process costs a lot of money. That’s why at Bolidt we believe that a promise is a promise. We stand by this, without sacrificing flexibility. Bolidt has a 24/7 mentality and strives to draw up a timeline that works for everyone. We are committed to meeting deadlines, and do all we can to ensure ongoing coordination and communication with our clients and other stakeholders. Timing and preparation are essential aspects for ensuring success in the construction process.

In-house production in the Netherlands, flexible options Bolidt has its own modern production facilities in the Netherlands, where the floor systems are produced with the utmost care. A key advantage of this for the client is that Bolidt can always respond quickly and effectively to specific needs and wishes.

Specialised application teams

It’s not only Bolidt’s synthetic floor systems that are of high quality: the trade specialists working at Bolidt are just as important. In the laboratory and in our own production facilities, dedicated professionals work daily on the development and production of innovative and sustainable floor systems for the food industry. The use of our own specialised application teams ensure the professional application of Bolidt systems. These are dedicated teams of well-trained and highly experienced staff fully specialised in installing and maintaining Bolidt floor systems for the fresh produce industry.

quality as a basis

At the base of all Bolidt floor systems you will find a thermosetting polymer that has been specially developed by Bolidt for its special properties that make it perfectly suited for floor and wall finishes in the food industry. Bolidt adjusts the composition according to the specific application, area and circumstances. Bolidt’s synthetic floor systems have a number of key features.

From antimicrobial to anti-slip

Because Bolidt floor systems are installed seamlessly and are non-porous, there’s no chance for bacteria to get a foothold and grow. The floor systems are impermeable over the full thickness, not just the top layer. And because the system is impervious to liquids, this prevents the growth of mildew, for example.

Add to this the scratch-resistance, and this antimicrobial protection is complete. The liquid-tightness also prevents harmful substances from penetrating to the substrate below and disrupting

the continuous production process. The system also ensures that the floor transitions seamlessly into walls, corners, columns, skirting, channels and drains for a perfect, seamless finish. To guarantee the best possible hygiene, the details are an essential part of Bolidt’s total solutions. Instead of using joint sealants, which can easily come loose, where flooring contains stainless steel drainage systems the Bolidt flooring locks in flush with these channels and drains.

Durable non-slip finishes guarantee safety in both wet and dry conditions. Maintenance is simple and cleaning is easy. These are all important properties and features, but there’s more.

Flexibility guaranteed

Flexibility is crucial for companies in the fresh produce industry. Expansions, innovations and changes are the order of the day, and alterations to the use or size of the production area are inevitable. Floors must be easy to repair and simple

to extend. Bolidt offers a maintenance contract that allows for changes of this nature. The fast drying time ensures that the production process is interrupted for as short a time as possible. This not only enables changes to be made but also reduces the lifecycle costs.

Optimal hygiene

Bolidt floor systems are perfect for large surfaces, but also for small details. Bolidt offers the most varied finishes that lock in flush to walls, columns, drains and channels, doorsteps and more.

With the concave skirting, angles of 90° or less can be avoided. These types of finishing touches, together with the seamless, non-porous nature of the flooring, ensure optimum hygiene. Since floors in the fresh produce industry often present hygienic challenges – and are,

for this reason, included in the hygiene regulations and certifications – Bolidt’s high-quality floor systems contribute to meeting HACCP requirements and affiliated certifications, such as BRC, GLOBAL GAP, IFS, Food, RIK, SKAL and GFSI. This is indispensable for the fresh produce industry.

Long service life

Bolidt does not supply floors, but complete floor systems. Each area typical to the fresh produce industry is given its own floor system, tailored specifically to the use of that space. This approach guarantees a long service life and helps to ensure continuous processing.

Minimal maintenance

Bolidt floors require a minimum of maintenance. This not only lowers costs, but also ensures that the continuous production process rarely needs to be stopped for maintenance. Maintenance and cleaning are made very easy thanks to the optimised structure of Bolidt floor surfaces and the absence of protective films or layers in our floor systems.

functional and attractive

When developing synthetic floor systems, the temptation to focus all attention on the functional requirements is great.

Floors in today’s fresh produce processing facilities must of course be strong, nonslip, durable, hygienic and easy to clean and maintain. But appearance is also important, and at Bolidt there is also a lot to choose from in this respect.

Achieving more with colour

The use of colour in floors can provide surprising, playful and at the same time functional effects. For example, colours can be linked to the specific function of an area. Not only is it pleasing to the eye, it can also simplify communication. Colour can be used to set off a particular area, for example.

Functional under all circumstances

At every stage in the processing of fresh produce, floors have specific functions. Unloading, storage, cleaning, cutting, slicing, chopping & shredding, freezing, packaging, shipping – Bolidt has seamless, heavy wearing, non-slip floor finishes available for every area.

Resistant to... well, actually everything

Bolidt’s synthetic floor systems for the fresh produce industry are impermeable, nonporous, and highly resistant to mechanical

loads, high temperatures and chemicals. These properties make them the optimum solution in the fresh produce industry. Bolidt floor systems are resistant to all materials, liquids and agents used in this industry, and forklifts and pallets can be used intensively on the floors in the shipping and packaging areas without any problem. Bolidt always offers the right floor solution.

Minimum maintenance

Bolidt’s floor systems are known for their hard-wearing durability. Maintenance and cleaning are made very easy thanks to the optimised structure of Bolidt’s floor surfaces and the absence of protective films or layers in our floor systems.

maintenance friendly and hard wearing

To properly evaluate an investment in floor systems in the fresh produce industry, you need to look beyond the initial invest ment. The savings with an initial lower investment can quickly be cancelled out by higher costs for professional maintenan ce and expert repairs. Bolidt goes further and also takes into account the service life of a synthetic floor in the fresh produce industry.

Maintenance

When it comes to maintenance of synthe tic floors systems and the associated costs,

Bolidt dares to look far ahead. Bolidt assumes its responsibility for all aspects of its floor and wall systems – functio nal and financial – and sees that this is reflected in the extremely long service life of the systems it delivers. If you want certainty upfront about your full invest ment, consider taking out a maintenance contract. Bolidt then automatically carries out an annual inspection and you don’t have to worry about the condition of your floors. Bolidt has various models that provide insight into the expected maintenance costs.

Cleaning

Cleaning is another vital aspect when choosing a floor. Cleaning costs money, so it’s one of the key considerations during selection. With production or processing operations that include a wet process, the floor needs to be washed down daily. When you can do that in three hours rather than the five needed for a different floor system, this can be a real deal-breaker. This is also why Bolidt supervises the cleaning process, through a cleaning consultant who draws up a cleaning protocol for the floor. Because proper cleaning maintains the functional properties of a synthetic floor and this way keeps up the hygiene standards, Bolidt also guides and advises its clients on the subject of cleaning.

Non-porous

Industrial floors in the fresh produce industry can’t be too porous if you want to clean them quickly and properly. That’s why Bolidt chooses to use floors that are completely impermeable across their entire thickness, unlike many other floors where often the only guarantee for the floor’s impermeability is the sealant top coating. If this seal is damaged, however, the penetration of liquids, for example, may give rise to the formation of mildew under the surface, a problem you won’t have with a fully sealed floor.

Investing in future generations

All raw materials Bolidt uses for its floor systems are carefully selected, and Bolidt pays a lot of attention to the application, use and re-use of the materials it produces. The materials are free of chemical solvents and care is taken to ensure that just enough product is produced for the particular floor that is to be applied. Even after exhausting their long service life, Bolidt products are suitable for re-use.

Bolidt takes its responsibility seriously and continues to invest in green and sustainable products and processes. In this way Bolidt also invests in the generations to come.

Responsible products

Since its founding in 1964 Bolidt has made optimal use of natural, non-scarce raw materials while always ensuring the excellent performance of the systems. This has been our guiding principle. In the application of its products, Bolidt complies with the general emission requirements: the products do not contain solvents and the application of these does not give rise to odour nuisance. This prevents issues arising during environmental and employee safety inspections and, with this, possible delays. What’s more, all Bolidt floor systems are free of PVC and plasticisers.

In addition to product development, Bolidt is innovative and trendsetting in making the application of its synthetic systems by its own people increasingly faster, more efficient and more sustainable. Bolidt works using the LEAN methodology. With this management philosophy aimed at continuous improvement – a philosophy that can be applied in all parts of the company – Bolidt combats waste and eliminates elements that do not offer added value.

HACCP and other regulations

Since floors in the fresh produce industry often present hygienic challenges – and are, for this reason, included in HACCP – Bolidt’s high-quality floor systems contribute to meeting HACCP requirements and affiliated certifications, such as BRC, GLOBAL GAP, IFS, Food, RIK, SKAL and GFSI.

for each area a specific application

Hallways

They lead hundreds of employees from one space to the other daily. Wear resistance is the most important property that floors here must have. Furthermore, it is important that the floor is easy to clean. This is because of the traffic between production, warehouse and other spaces, and the extra contamination this causes. Passage to the bordering spaces, without thresholds, and low-maintenance features provide optimal accessibility.

Wet and dry processing areas

Food processing companies in the fresh produce industry bring in products every day, which then have to be washed and cut immediately and then undergo dry processing steps, before being frozen.

The washing, drying and freezing stages all place completely different demands on the floor when it comes to aspects like the floor fall, and the thermal and chemical load capacity.

In addition, the floor must be safe in both dry and wet conditions. Perfect anti-slip qualities are crucial. And of course the HACCP requirements must be taken into account. Furthermore, the floor must be able to stand up to intensive traffic,

falling objects and abrasive effects. With Bolidt’s wide choice of floor systems, you are sure to find a suitable, long lasting solution even for the most demanding and specific situations.

Packing area

In packaging areas, the floor must withstand the use of transport equipment, such as forklift and hand pallet trucks, as well as foot traffic.

As in production areas, the floors must also be easy to clean. A daily process that can be very time-consuming.

Cold store and deep-freeze areas

Companies in the food industry often have a refrigerated storage or production area. In some places, they also freeze. This requires temperature-resistant floors. A dust-binding sealing of the concrete floor is highly effective and facilitates cleaning. The floor must withstand intensive forklift traffic and meet HACCP requirements. This is achieved with our impermeable floor systems, finished with coved skirting, rounded thresholds and/or rounded corners.

Loading and unloading areas

Loading and unloading platforms are subjected to a lot of wear and tear. Trucks are loaded and unloaded with fork lift trucks and hand pallet trucks. This causes an intensive loading and abrasive wear of the floor surface. Because the loading and unloading takes place (partly) outside, the floors must provide sufficient grip, also in wet conditions. A durable and slip resistant wearing layer makes this possible. Bolidt has years of experience with wearing layers on bridges and ship decks. This knowledge has been applied in the development of durable floor systems for industrial applications.

Offices

There are other criteria for offices than for the processing areas. Less wear resistance is required, but this is not entirely unimportant. Design and atmosphere play a main role here. Office areas must be quiet and orderly, with a pleasant ambiance. Because chairs are moved a lot,

scratch resistance is important. Thanks to their good cleanability, the Bolidt floor systems in offices can be combined excellently with those in the production and storage area.

Toilets, changing and shower areas

In these areas, hygiene is of the utmost importance. The floor must be easy to (keep) clean. Right angles or sharp corners which can collect dirt must be avoided as much as possible. A rounded and seamless transition between the floor and wall finishing can prevent this. Bolidt offers various finishes such as in-situ produced coved skirting. An anti-fungal wall coating which is flexible and watertight provides extra reliability. Because of the intensive loading, the floor must be both hygienic and wear resistant.

floor systems for the fresh produce industry

Each area requires specific features. All Bolidt floor systems are seamless, durable, low-maintenance and are processed in-situ by our own specialists. Below you will find an overview of the floor systems which Bolidt applies in the fresh produce industry.

Bolidtop® 910 CHR

Bolidtop® 910 CHR is an approx. 3.5 mm thick floor finishing system based on three-component, highly chemical-resistant synthetic resins. The system excels in its resistance to organic and inorganic acids. The floor can easily handle mechanical loads from medium-heavy traffic, such as forklift trucks and heavy pallet transport. The anti-slip surface makes Bolidtop® 910 CHR very suitable for wet and slippery conditions. The system is scratch resistant, seamless, durable, impervious to liquids and low maintenance.

Bolidtop® 700 / 910 CHR

Bolidtop® 700 / 910 CHR is an approx. 9 mm thick floor finishing system based on three-component, highly chemical-resistant synthetic resins. The system excels in its resistance to organic and inorganic acids and thermal loads. The floor can easily

handle mechanical loads from mediumheavy traffic, such as forklift trucks and heavy pallet transport. The anti-slip surface, with a choice of levels of slip resistance, makes Bolidtop® 700 / 910 CHR very suitable for wet and slippery conditions. The system is scratch resistant, seamless, durable, impervious to liquids and low maintenance.

Bolidtop® 700

This robust and aesthetically appealing floor finishing system features a high impact resistance. The mechanically compacted floor with terrazzo appearance can be very heavily loaded. The somewhat slip resistant surface contributes to a safe working environment.

Bolidtop® 700 PT

The carefully finished surface of this high-quality flooring with a terrazzo-look guarantees the absence of pores. Sanitary aspects have been considered very thoroughly. The mechanically condensed flooring can cope with heavy loads.

Bolidtop® 700 MRF

This robust flooring system is extra slipresistantand and can withstand heavy mechanical loads. The non-slip nature is durable and easy to clean. It consists of a machine-compacted floor with terrazzo appearance with an extra roughened surface for use in both wet and slippery conditions.

Bolidtop® 700 LP-054388

Bolidtop® 700 LP-054388 is an approx. 5mm thick, mechanically compacted and seamless terrazzo-look floor finish based on low-viscosity two-component synthetic resins. Bolidtop® 700 LP054388 excels in its resistance to high pressure, shock and impact resistance, making the system extremely suitable for heavy forklift traffic and heavy pallet transport. The enhanced level of slip resistance contributes to a safe working environment. The system is durable, impervious to liquids, low-maintenance, scratch-resistant and resistant to the most common chemicals.

Appearance:

Due to the effect of various application methods, hand trowelling, power trowelling and/or application in several layers, Bolidtop® 700 LP-054388

can show slight structure and colour variations, especially where the floor meets walls, skirting, overlaping joints, drains and channels, etc. And because the Bolidtop® 700 LP-054388 is a trowelled system, certain processing features like trowel marks may be visible in the final finish.

Bolidtop® 500

Bolidtop® 500 is a poured floor system with excellent flow characteristics. It is mechanically strong and provides good protection against chemicals. Besides, it is impermeable and can be easily maintained due to the closed and smooth surface.

Bolidtop® 500 RF

This antiskid floor finish system has excellent flow properties, which produce a sealed surface. It is mechanically strong and provides good protection against chemicals. Bolidtop 500 RF is slip resistant due to the sprinkled quartz granules embedded in the surface.

Bolidtop® 300

This seamless cast floor finish is approximately one millimetre thick and has very high durability and wear resistance. The system offers an even and smooth finish through which the structure of the substrate is no longer visible. It is also liquid-proof and offers a good resistance to chemicals.

Bolidtop 300 RF

The Bolidtop® 300 RF system is resistant to mechanical loads in the form of medium-heavy traffic such as forklift trucks and heavy pallet transport. Bolidtop® 300 RF is antiskid because of the quartz particles strewn into the surface. The system is seamless, durable, impermeable, low-maintenance and resistant to the most common chemicals.

Bolidtop® 200

This fully bonded coating system based on extremely wear-resistant synthetic resins has a robust layer thickness. The system has a liquid-tight, smooth and therefore highly cleanable surface. It also offers excellent chemical resistance.

Bolidtop® 525

This floor finish gives the area a fresh look and feel through a customised, unique combination of scattered Bolidt Decoflakes and the main colour, as well as its seamless character. This tough elastic system is scratch resistant, wear resistant, comfortable to walk on and it lessens contact noise.

Bolidtop® FiftyFifty

The modern and comfortable floor system which adds a lively effect to the area thanks to two similar colours. This tough elastic system is scratch resistant, wear resistant, comfortable to walk on and it reduces contact noise.

Bolicoat 50

This coating system is applied directly to concrete and provides a uniform coating in almost any colour. The system is environmentally friendly due to the use of water-based resins. It has a short processing and drying time and is also available in a non-slip version.

Bolidtop® Sealer ADS

This wear resistant and transparent coating has been specially developed for all cement bonded layers. Bolidtop® Sealer ADS reduces the pore volume at the surface. This ensures that surfaces are easier to clean and no longer release dust.

Bolidt Synthetic Products & Systems Nijverheidsweg 37 P.O. Box 131 3340 AC Hendrik-Ido-Ambacht

Netherlands

+31 (0)78 684

export@bolidt.com