Zero Complaints – the Ultimate Goal for Hair Contamination Is Attainable
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Zero complaints – the ultimate goal for hair contamination is attainable by Richard Burnet, ABurnet Ltd, pendently reviewed by Professor severance of hair-shafts that will be Walter Street, Draycott, Barry Stevens MA FTTS, President found to contaminate food and Derbyshire DE72 3NU, UK. of the Trichological Society 2014-16. therefore need to be effectively con - The research discovered a wide tained. hen big food retailers dis - range of factors that influence the Professor Stevens adds: “If we cover hair contamination rate of hair loss; natural and envi - accept that hair-shaft shedding is a Wthey fine the food and ronmental factors that can reduce constant occurrence it is possible drink manufacturers who make the the effectiveness of some head cov - that 13-43 hairs could be shed from store’s own-label products. They ering and causes of workers discom - the scalp of each employee during even de-list the very worst offend - fort that can significantly boost the an eight hour period. This equates ers. It is a big incentive to manufac - numbers of hairs that they shed. with 1,300-4,300 hairs per 100 peo - turers to work harder to reduce the ABurnet developed products and ple. numbers of complaints, but it is a methods of covering as the research “These figures can be significantly complicated challenge. progressed and trials with close augmented by thermal injury and A food production worker can assessment of the test candidates severance (following exposure to boast of having between 100,000 to produced hundreds of pieces of data KleenCap NeckGuard with excessive heat from hairdryers, curl - 145,000 scalp hair-shafts at any that demonstrated the most effec - StayCool and antimicrobial ing tongs etc) and chemical insult given time. An average of 40-130 tive hair control methods and technology. (bleaching, colouring, permanent hair-shafts will be lost each day and means. waving, chemical relaxing or chemi - be a significant risk of food contami - Professors Subhash Anand, appliances employed in hairdressing cal straightening). The figures will be nation. In a food factory of 100 Subbiyan Rajendran and Dr Karthick procedures. further increased by the daily losses workers between 4,000 and 13,000 Kanchi Govarthanam contributed l Chemical processes (colouring, of beard, nasal and ear hairs, eye - hairs each day need to be contained significantly to the research report permanent waving, relaxing or brows and eyelashes.” to protect the consumers and the and the White Paper is rich in detail straightening) are potentially damag - retailer’s reputation and the manu - and explanation that will help food ing by compromising the protein facturers business. and drink producers to understand structure of the hair-shaft. Why contain hairs? the causes of hair shedding and the l Levels of such damage will be ways and means of achieving zero or individually unique. Whilst daily grooming will remove near zero contamination. l Current conditioners do not many of these shed and damaged The issue of hair contamination is repair hair-shaft damage but are use - loose hairs, the fact that: not just a natural phenomenon of ful in providing temporary improve - l Clearly not all shed and damaged hair shedding but also a direct result ment to lustre, feel, and drag ‘loose’ hairs are removed by per - of modern hair styling. reduction during routine grooming. sonal grooming. According to Professor Barry l The above processes compro - l Many hair styles are not brushed Stevens: mise hair-shaft elasticity and tensile or combed but ‘distressed’ leaving l Higher rates of hair shedding can strength leading to such conditions the shed and damaged loose hairs be attributed to poor diet, reduced as tricoptilosis (splits) or bubble hair on the head in addition to those iron levels, post natal alopecia, fever syndrome (blisters) and/or trichor - shed during the work activity itself. Trichorrhexis Nodosa photo- or numerous other medical condi - rhexis nodosa (node formation) l Drying wet hair with high temper - micrograph (x50). The high spots tions. with possible severance at some ature settings on hair dryers and indicate the points of eventual l Hair damage is common – due to point along their axes. styling with curling tongs damages severance (B. J. Stevens). use of high temperature thermal It is the daily on-going shedding/ hair causing it to break off. l Chemical treatments such as When workers started to wear Left (A) a 12gsm mob cap. Inherent gaps in material easily allow hair colouring, chemical straightening and head covers such as mob caps and to protrude. Right (B) KleenCap breathable hair barrier fabric restricts perming damage hair causing it to hairnets it helped to control the hair penetration. StayCool technology transports moisture through weaken and frequently break off released hair. Yet it has not been as the fabric to evaporate into the atmosphere to help keep workers prematurely. effective as food makers hoped and cool. Antimicrobial inhibits the multiplication of bacteria and fungi l Individual’s habits vary greatly reports and fines continued to hap - such as Gram positive staphylococcus. with some people showering before pen. sleeping rather than just before ABurnet Ltd has been working A B work. with respected scientists at the l Many people do not wash hair University of Bolton on a £250,000 daily. research project. The knowledge l Hair shedding is occurring all the and data has been gathered in a time, including during the work shift White Paper entitled ‘Target Zero itself. Hair Complaints’ and it is now avail - These shed and broken ‘loose’ able for readers to access online hairs will be disturbed and poten - (www.aburnet.co.uk/target-zero- tially contaminate production during hair-complaints). It has been inde - 500x magnification of human hair against fabric Continued on page 12 International Food Hygiene— Volume 26 Number 2 11 University of Additional hair Optional anti- Bolton findings containment technology microbial technology Actual Factored Hair Short hair Outer av. quantity av. quantity containment protruding HairTite HairBarrier StayCool HairTite KleenCap head covering protruding protruding improvement over long hairs per use hairs per use factor hair multiplier Under covering = None 12gsm mob cap 74* 85 0.0 2.3 7 7 7 7 7 KleenCap Standard 35 35 2.4 2.0 7 3 7 7 7 Under covering = HairTite Standard 12gsm mob cap 21 21 4.0 1.6 3 7 7 3 7 KleenCap Standard 20 20 4.3 1.7 3 3 7 3 7 Under covering = HairTite HiCare 12gsm mob cap 15 15 5.7 1.8 33 7 7 3 7 KleenCap Standard 15 15 5.7 1.7 33 3 7 3 7 Under covering = HairTite Standard KleenCap Max 11 11 7.7 1.6 3 33 3 3 3 Under covering = HairTite HiCare KleenCap Max 8 8 10.6 1.6 33 33 3 3 3 * Where mob caps ballooned away from the head, protruding hairs could not be accurately counted. The University therefore factored the figure to account for the percentage of the head zones where the mob cap ballooned away from the head. Table 1. Research into different head coverings undertaken by the University of Bolton, England, found marked differences in performance. Continued from page 11 ture, higher levels of work activity or (Staphylococcus aureus). However, wear to remove any residual hair- a working shift due to the following discomfort from inappropriate head hand contact with the scalp during shafts caught in the material. reasons: coverings themselves. food production is probably more “However eyebrow, eyelid, ear l The wearer scratching his/her l General movement during the likely to act as a carrier therefore and facial hair cannot be ignored – head, the frequency of which can be work activity. complete head hair covering is rec - their prevention is more problem - increased where workers are hot l Whether standing or seated the ommended. atic.” due to either the ambient tempera - head is usually tilted down towards “I cannot ignore the potential for ABurnet’s new KleenCap Max is the work activity increasing the contamination via beard hair as this available with antimicrobial propri - KleenCap Max with StayCool exposure of shed or damaged hair can be an involuntary target of touch eties. The product has been tested and antimicrobial technology. from the crown due to gravity. by infrequently washed hands. to inhibit the growth of both Gram l The abrasion of any head cover - Covering the beard with net is positive and Gram negative bacteria ing over hairs that are not lying flat. therefore a wise precaution,” MRSA and E. coli with 99.9% effec - It is therefore no surprise that hair Professor Stevens added. tiveness after 15 washes in HairGon is potentially a significant contami - “Food production personnel can – the advanced formula wash addi - nant of food. effectively prevent scalp hair conta - tive that has been tested by the mination through the wearing of University of Bolton, England, to HairTite HygieNets and KleenCap- dissolve residual hairs during the A microbial threat? Max, with HairBarrier products such wash. as Neck Shield – which can be worn KleenCap-Max, with antimicrobial, Whilst it is known that the scalp can in multiple ways to cover beard, face HairBarrier and StayCool technolo - be a haven for bacteria (especially and nasal hair as desired, or Beard gies, has been independently tested the relatively harmless Malassez Shield, or KleenCap-Max Neck as being both effective at containing Furfur (Pityrosporum Ovale), Guard (covering scalp and beard shed and damaged hairs, keeping Professor Stevens is unable to elimi - hair) if new each day or cleansed staff cool and comfortable and being nate hair-shafts as disease carriers with HairGon after a single day’s cost effective in use.