Detectable products — working tools with detectable additives — are the standard in the food industry. Colour coding is a way to organise these tools in production so they reliably fulfil their function.
Why colour coding?
Because it reveals errors before they cause problems. A tool in the wrong zone or from the wrong shift is immediately visible — without reading labels, without searching records.
Colour coding helps to:
- prevent cross-contamination between zones or products
- reduce human error when handling tools
- improve oversight and control over tool movement in production
- meet the requirements of HACCP, BRC or IFS audits
When to use colour coding?
Whenever there is a risk of mix-up. In food production, this occurs:
- when working with and without allergens in the same workplace
- when processing raw and finished products
- when tools move between production zones with different risk levels
How to implement the system?
Assign one colour to each production zone or shift — and document the system in writing. Practical examples: blue for dry operations, red for raw material intake, green for dispatch, yellow for maintenance.
What a functional system must include:
- a written colour and zone scheme that employees are demonstrably familiar with
- a record of each tool — piece number, assigned colour, zone
- a completeness check at the start and end of each shift
- a clear procedure when a tool is lost or found
If you are implementing colour coding or want to supplement your system with detectable working tools, browse our product range. We offer Detectable products — from Detectable Pens and Detectable Markers to Detectable Knives, gloves and Detectable Cleaning Agents. On request, we engrave: logo, company name or piece number for easy tracking.