Prelaq Foodsafe and Prelaq Foodsafe TXT are prepainted sheet steel materials that can be used for internal facing of walls and ceilings in food premises. The paint coats have been developed so that they are easy to clean and do not emit harmful substances that may affect the food. The sheet steel materials are often used as the surface layer in sandwich panels.

FOOD PREMISES
The various types of food premises include cold stores, storage premises, institutional kitchens, butchering premises and production premises. Special demands are applicable to these premises. The surfaces must be light-coloured, easy to clean and must not emit toxic substances.
The hygienic and cleaning requirements vary between different premises, depending on the operations pursued in them.

Cold stores
Little contamination normally occurs in cold stores and refrigerated rooms, and the environment is generally dry.
Butchering and production premises
Strict demands are made on the cleanliness and freedom from bacteria of surfaces surrounding food premises in which slaughtering, butchering and meat processing operations are pursued. Due to these requirements, the most intensively used premises must be subjected to daily cleaning by means of detergents of varying aggressiveness. The detergents are often highly alkaline. The environment may sometimes also be salty. This must be taken into account when selecting the materials and preparing the detailed design. Departure from our application instructions may lead to a drastically shortened useful life of the prepainted sheet steel material.
Prelaq Foodsafe and Prelaq Foodsafe TXT may be inappropriate for butchering and production premises, since strong detergents may cause blistering of the paint and corrosion of the substrate material. In such cases, an assessment must first be made of the effect that the detergent is likely to have.

PRODUCTS
The prepainted surfaces of Prelaq Foodsafe and Prelaq Foodsafe TXT are white and are approved to use in premises in which unpacked foods are handled, although not in direct contact with the food. Prelaq Foodsafe has a smooth surface, whereas Prelaq Foodsafe TXT has a textured surface. The reverse side of the sheet is coated with a 10 µm thick coat of epoxy paint and the surface is suitable for adhesive bonding.

TESTED PROPERTIES RELATED TO FOODS
The SP Swedish National Testing and Research Institute has tested Prelaq Foodsafe and Prelaq Foodsafe TXT for conformance to the "Regulation (EC) No 852/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 29 April 2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs". The following properties of the materials were tested:

• Water absorption

• Cleanability

• Cleanability for removing bacteria

• Fungal growth

• Toxicity of the coating

Both of the products tested were found to be suitable from the hygienic aspect with regard to all properties tested.