Tiếng Việt
中文 (中国)
For a food plant, a floor is not just a surface to walk on and place equipment on — it is part of the hygiene system, helping a facility pass hygiene inspections and maintain clean production conditions every day. This article sets out 5 requirements for epoxy flooring in food plants and how each requirement is verified. This article does not claim that any Kadier coating system meets HACCP, FDA, USDA, FSSC 22000 or any food certification, nor does it claim non-toxicity or safety for direct food contact — those matters can only be confirmed with manufacturer certification and a TDS with a clear scope.
Foundational principle: flat, impermeable, drained, easy to clean
The general principle for food-workshop floors is: a flat, smooth, impermeable surface with good drainage that is easy to clean and disinfect. Surfaces in direct contact with food must also be smooth, impermeable, free of toxic leaching, and easy to clean and disinfect. This article presents these principles as a general framework for customers to check against, without attaching a specific document number or standard that has not been verified as current.
5 requirements for food plants
1. Hygiene — seamless, joint-free, coved wall bases, no standing water
Floors must be seamless, with no dirt-trapping joints, curved wall bases to remove hard-to-clean corners, and falls to drainage channels so water does not stand after washing. This is the most important requirement, because every joint, corner and puddle is a point where dirt and microbes accumulate.
2. Chemical resistance — food acids, cleaning alkalis, disinfectants, fats
Food plants contact food acids daily (for example lactic acid, fruit acids), cleaning alkalis, disinfectants and fats, oils and grease. Each chemical must be checked against a real list — name, concentration, temperature, frequency and form of contact — against the manufacturer chemical-resistance table for the correct coating system. Cleaning chemicals must also be on the list, not only process chemicals.
3. Non-toxicity — zone by zone, never self-declared “food-grade”
“Food-grade” is not a self-declared label. A coating system may only be described as suitable for a food zone when manufacturer certification supports it with a clear scope: which zone, under which conditions. Direct production zones must also be distinguished from dry stores and auxiliary zones, because the requirements for each zone differ. This article does not claim that any Kadier system is safe for direct food contact.
4. Heat and thermal-shock resistance — hot-water washing, steam, cold–hot transitions
Hot-water washing, steam spraying and transitions between cold and hot zones create repeated thermal shock on the floor surface. In zones of strong thermal shock and hot washing, urethane-cement is often mentioned alongside epoxy as an option to be advised on per the TDS, without claiming that epoxy wins in every workshop in a food plant.
5. Slip resistance and load capacity — wet, greasy, forklifts, dropped tools
Wet-zone floors are frequently wet and greasy, while also carrying forklifts, heavy equipment and dropped tools. Roughness must be enough for slip resistance when wet and greasy, yet still cleanable — a balance to be tested with a real cleaning process before handover, not judged by eye alone.
Zoning table: do not use one system for a whole plant without analysis
| Zone | Priority |
|---|---|
| Wet zones (processing, washing) | Drainage, slip resistance when wet and greasy, resistance to hot water and cleaning chemicals |
| Dry zones (packing, storage) | Cleanability, wear resistance, forklift and trolley load capacity |
| Cold zones | See cold-storage requirements: thermal shock, condensation moisture, defrost drainage |
Pre-handover verification checklist
- Check seamlessness, curved wall bases and drainage falls by eye and with a real water test.
- Check the list of cleaning chemicals and process chemicals against the manufacturer chemical-resistance table.
- Check slip resistance when wet and greasy by the agreed method.
- Check film thickness and adhesion at agreed locations.
- Trial the real cleaning process — water pressure, washing temperature, chemicals — before handover.
- Keep the file for hygiene inspection teams: the TDS of each system used, the chemical-resistance table, the acceptance report and the cleaning instructions.
Operation: cleaning and early failure monitoring
During operation, early failure points must be monitored: edge lifting at drainage channels, wear on forklift lanes, discolouration or surface softening from a newly introduced cleaning chemical. When a sign appears, the chemical log and cleaning process must be checked before concluding, because a newly introduced chemical may be the cause rather than floor quality.
Frequently asked questions
Does an epoxy floor automatically meet “food standards”?
No. “Food-grade” or suitability for a food zone must be supported by manufacturer certification with a clear scope. This label must not be self-declared for any coating system without certification.
Why split wet, dry and cold zones?
Because each zone has different priorities: wet zones need drainage and slip resistance when greasy, dry zones need wear resistance and vehicle loads, cold zones need thermal-shock and condensation-moisture resistance. Using one system for a whole plant without analysing each zone risks choosing the wrong function.
What records should be kept for a hygiene inspection team?
The TDS of each system used, the chemical-resistance table checked against the real chemical list, the acceptance report, and cleaning and maintenance instructions.
What information should be sent when contacting us for a survey?
A zoning plan, the cleaning process (washing temperature, chemicals, frequency), forklift loads and the current substrate condition.
For a zone-by-zone survey, please contact us for a quotation or send a request via the contact page (hotline/Zalo 0899355489, WeChat wxid_95o54joujyrr12), including the cleaning process — temperature, chemicals, frequency — for comparison of a suitable system.
Illustration: a food plant with a seamless red floor, stainless-steel equipment and a drainage channel. Pexels stock photo (photo ID 2889347), illustrating a food-plant space, not a photograph of a Kadier project.
