Are horizontal food contact/ zone surfaces free of recessed fasteners?
When Allen heads, Phillips screw heads or other fasteners are recessed, they become nonhygienic because those recesses cause solid traps, metal-to-metal contact and dead spaces. If there is a depression on a horizontal surface, it will become a holding place for moisture and other soil—all the nutrients needed for bacteria to grow. To avoid this, you want to fasten nuts on the bottom side of the product contact surface so you don’t have anything on the product side, and bolt it in from the bottom or put in a gasket to seal it. Make sure that all nuts (cap, wing or other) are mounted on the outside of the equipment so that if a nut vibrates loose, it will fall onto the floor. If the nut is on the inside, it could fall into your product the bolt will stay in place in the hole and you won’t suspect that the nut is missing. The nuts themselves should be polished stainless steel with no exposed threads and bolt threads should be covered to eliminate grooves and provide fewer places for bact
