Whether you own a meat slicer for domestic use or for industrial use, it needs to be cleaned thoroughly.
Most people don’t even bother to clean the meat slicer which doesn’t only affect the hygiene of the environment but also affects your health.
An unclean or dirty meat slicer or meat grinder can lead to many food borne illness diseases as raw meat contains harmful bacteria and meat slicer having any leftover chunks of meat present on it can cause multiplication of that harmful bacteria and resultantly can pollute the environment and your health.
So, today, we will be guiding you thoroughly about how to clean a meat slicer and how often a meat slicer is cleaned and sanitized.
Importance of cleaning a Meat slicer
For your information, Meat slicers are not only used to slice meat but are also used to slice cheese and other food items (from time to time) similar to that of Meat Grinders.
So it’s crucial to clean them to prevent the food items and environment from contamination.
So, here are some important points why cleaning a meat slicer is essential.
No cross Contamination
When one doesn’t clean a meat slicer, the bacteria present on the machine get transferred to another food item (e.g, cheese) which is called cross contamination and it leads to food borne illness diseases.
So, it is important to clean and sanitize the meat slicer to prevent food borne illness diseases especially caused in meat industries (if not taken proper measures).
Smooth performance
We all know, in order to to keep a unit or machine healthy we need to take care of it and when it comes to a meat slicer or any other food-item related unit/machine, one need to clean it on daily basis to improve the shelf life and resultantly, a machine will perform smoothly and for a longer period of time.
Cleaning and sanitizing meat slicer ensures that it works at its best.
On the other hand, any negligence can lead to hygienic issues and compromised performance of the meat slicer.
Pass health and hygiene inspection
Being an owner of a restaurant or a food industry makes you worried about surprise inspections from food inspectors.
These inspections are specifically designed for food and safety control.
So, cleaning and sanitizing your meat slicer from time to time prevents you from this hustle and would be getting positive feedback from food and safety inspectors.
How to clean a Meat slicer; Quick and Easy steps
The way of cleaning a meat slicer holds utmost importance as the effective cleanliness depends upon the appropriate and through cleaning.
In addition, there are two types of cleaning methods which will help you maintain your meat slicer easily and will increase the overall credibility of it.
1. Light cleaning
First comes light cleaning of your meat slicer which should be done daily after using it.
It doesn’t matter if it is a big and costly meat slicer or a cheap meat slicer, this step is must.
The cleaning also depends upon how frequently you use the meat slicer.
For example, if you use a meat slicer five times a day, then you need to clean it after every use.
However, here are the steps to follow when doing light cleansing;
- First of all, unplug the machine and let it rest for 1 minute.
- Separate or detach the food remains from the machine thoroughly.
- Now take a food-grade cleaner (muslin cloth for domestic meat cleanser) and wipe the machine by dipping the cloth in hot water and thoroughly clean all parts of the meat slicer( food chute, carriage, pusher, catcher and blades).
- Now take a new cloth/towel and clean the machine again.
2. Deep cleaning
Light cleaning of the slicer doesn’t mean you can go without deep cleaning.
It is compulsory to deep clean the meat slicer after you are done using it for the day.
Deep cleaning prevents the machine from being a cause of cross contamination and prevents the customer’s from getting food borne illness diseases.
- Repeat the light cleaning process before starting the deep cleansing.
- Now, disassemble the whole machine and put all the parts in a tank with a detergent in it.
NOTE: Don’t put the knife case in the tank if the meat slicer set comes with knives as well.
- Wash all the parts thoroughly with hot water and soap and at the end spray the sanitizer on the parts thoroughly and let them dry.
- Use tiny brushes for scrubbing some parts as well for deep and thorough cleaning.
Recommended Read: You can checkout the Best Meat Slicers to Buy under $100 if want some cheap and reliable options for your kitchen.
How frequently should you clean your meat slicer
Now here’s the major concern about cleaning a meat slicer; how often you should clean it.
As per the instructions and recommendations of FDA, each and every contact surface should be cleaned and sanitized after every four hours.
The logic behind this is, if you delay the cleaning for more than 4 hours, the food particles stick to the machine more aggressively and become hard to remove until harsh scrubbing is applied.
Also, it creates more room for bacteria and harmful organisms to multiply and contaminate the environment.
Light cleaning should be done after every use of the slicer (multiple times in a day) and deep cleaning should be done once a day (when you are done using the meat slicer for that day).
SIDE NOTE: It would be appreciated if deep cleaning is performed by a professional so any part of the machine is not damaged under the process.
You may also like to read: Best Dishwasher safe Knife Sets
Cleaning Vs Sanitizing a Meat Slicer
Most of the users get confused with these terms; cleaning and sanitizing.
Cleaning is the removal of food particles and any other particle from the surface via rinsing it or cleaning it with soap.
Whereas, sanitizing kills and removes the pathogens present on a surface.
So, which one is important and when?
The simple answer to this question is if you have a meat slicer for domestic use then it would be more than sufficient to stick to the cleaning process (depending upon how frequently you use the meat slicer).
However, for large industries, bakeries and meat departments, chances of cross contamination are pretty high so cleaning and sanitizing both processes are recommended.
Important Tips for Cleaning a Meat Slicer
Here are some important tips to consider for cleaning a meat slicer.
- Always use cut-resistant gloves when disassembling the machine or dealing with blades.
- Don’t use abrasive cloths or sponges for scrubbing the machine as it will create small pores where harmful bacteria can accumulate.
- Lubricate your machine from time to time as well for smooth performance.
- Keep the sanitizing spray ready while doing deep cleaning.
- Prepare tanks for hot water and detergents prior to cleaning.
How to sharpen a Meat slicer Blade
Sharpening a meat slicer blade is similar to sharpening a knife; either you can sharpen it by hand or by using sharpening machines.
If you don’t own a sharpening machine, there are multiple sharpening stones available which you can use to sharpen your slicer’s blade.
FAQs
Here are some additional commonly asked questions regarding meat slicer cleaning.
How often should one need to sharpen the slicer blade?
As frequent as possible. Higher the blade is sharpened, the efficient and smooth performance the slicer offers.
How often should you need to clean the slicer when it is in constant use?
After every 4 hours.
Which one is preferred; cleaning or sanitizing?
For domestic use, only the cleaning process would be more than sufficient.
However, for industrial and commercial use both cleaning and sanitizing processes are recommended.
Wrapping Up
Cleaning and sanitizing the meat slicer machine is crucial to maintain the hygiene and health of the environment and Humans.
In addition, when it comes to food safety and control there is no question about compromising the cleanliness of operating units.
In a nutshell, a meat slicer should be cleaned after every 4 hours (if it’s in constant use) and it is important to sanitize it as well at the end of the day (commercial and industrial use).
However, for home-use, thorough cleaning after every use would be sufficient.
