![food and beverage food and beverage](https://www.westcoat.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/USDA-Blog-01.jpg)
Do the Floors in Your Food and Beverage Facility Meet USDA Standards?
by Cheryl Morgan
- August 16th, 2022 /
- Education
The USDA created regulations that were put into place decades ago to keep consumers healthy, safe, and to keep bacteria and contaminants away from foods and beverages. Spaces like commercial kitchens and processing facilities have to comply with these regulations or they risk infecting their product. So, what does that mean for business owners who are ready to install complaint floors? What options are available?
Seamless Flooring is a Must in Food and Beverage!
No matter which version of compliant flooring you choose, you want to be sure you are applying a seamless, non-slip concrete coating. Eliminating seams significantly reduces potential bacterial growth and build up in grout and seams. Not to mention, this type of flooring is much easier to clean and maintain.
Superior Chemical Resistance
Your new compliant flooring should be chemical resistant. Although resistance levels can vary depending on the material, our epoxies and urethanes will allow for deep cleaning without worry of harsh cleaners damaging your floor. Be sure you understand the difference between your products and their individual chemical resistance levels. Always check our Chemical Resistance Chart to be sure.
Use an Integral Cove
Having a seamless, integral cove eliminates another vulnerable area – the floor to wall siding can be especially problematic. Using the same material for your seamless cove keeps it uniform and performs the exact same way as the floor.
Need a High Heat/High Impact Option?
If hot ovens or high impact machinery is a concern in your kitchen or plant, we have options for you too. Also, USDA compliant, our Temper-Crete Urethane Cement system gives you the ultimate in impact resistance and can tolerate extreme temperatures. Still seamless and easy to clean, you have both decorative and added protective finish options to give you a solid and powerful solution. Temper-Crete™ is a monolithic, flowable, urethane cement that can be installed with limited downtime and is designed for areas with heavy foot and moderate wheel traffic.
The Temper-Crete™ System is ideal for commercial kitchens, restaurants, breweries, wineries, and food processing plants.
High Build Options
Epoxy Mortar System is a 100% solids epoxy, combined with graded sand and troweled into place. It provides a high-build system that is highly impact-resistant, chemical resistant and very durable. Epoxy Mortar is used to create seamless floors in manufacturing plants, commercial kitchens, restaurants, and service areas where heavy use, such as forklift traffic occurs, or heavy machinery is used.
Next Steps
Now that you understand what’s needed in rennovationg your commercial floor, making a decision can still be a challenge. Reach out to our skilled resin flooring experts at Westcoat to help guide you to the right choice for your facility, providing information about the manufactured product, installation process, as well as maintenance after install and warranty details. The floor you choose should be formulated for the conditions of your space, allowing your operation to run smoothly for many years.