“A quality commercial dishwasher is ideally suited to help meet the stricter standards of hygiene required as part of the response to controlling the spread of Covid-19,” says Paul Crowley, marketing manager of Winterhalter UK.

“Dishwashers can use hotter water than handwashing, and can precisely dose the amount of chemicals required. This makes it simple to create a washing programme that removes almost all germs as it cleans.

“As restaurants, pub, and other businesses serving food and drink to the public begin to reopen, the importance of ensuring that utensils, crockery and cutlery are as clean as possible between each use has increased.

“While many companies are making claims about how their products can sterilise kitchenware, crockery and utensils, Winterhalter is confirming that all commercial dishwashers that meet basic DIN standards can deliver this level of hygiene.

Appliances from Winterhalter are compliant with DIN SPEC 10534, a preliminary standard set by DIN, the German institute for standards, which defines hygiene requirements for commercial dishwashers and how to meet these standards. In order to achieve near complete sterilisation there needs to be a washing cycle of at least 90 seconds at over 55°C, followed by a rinse at 65°C, using appropriate detergents for what is being cleaned, along with standard chemicals like rinse aids. Machines certified to DIN SPEC 10534 can remove up to 99.999% of germs and, combined with safe handling practices by staff, they are a vital part of hygiene safety in commercial food preparation.

The specialist hygiene team can be contacted at [email protected]