Hobart Food Equipment is always mindful of the ways that its food prep equipment can support food safety in retail grocery stores, particularly in the deli, said Grace Strotman, Hobart marketing specialist.

As Hobart considers how to design and engineer its slicers, for example, the company tries to make it as easy as possible for operators to thoroughly clean the equipment to ensure the highest food safety standards are met.

That includes minimizing crevices or bolt holes where foodborne bacteria can settle and manufacturing equipment with removable parts.

In addition, the removable components on Hobart HS Series slicers are a huge food safety differentiator in the marketplace, Strotman said.

The slicers have a removable blade, top knife cover and ring guard cover that can be washed in the dishwasher, and the removable meat grip assembly, top-mounted Borazon sharpener and product tray can be washed in a three-compartment sink containing soapy water, clear water and sanitizer, respectively.

The line’s HS6 and HS8 slicers also have cleaning legs to prop up the machine so operators can clean underneath them and the HS7 and HS9 slicers have a gas-assist spring that provides access to the underside for cleaning. Hobart slicers also have a tilting carriage that makes periodic cleaning easier throughout the day, Strotman said, and it’s fully removable for deep cleaning. The base of the slicers is aluminum and has limited crevices, making it easier for operators to clean.

“Hobart engineers always look at ways to generate continuous improvements in our food prep equipment that can support food safety standards, and they stay apprised of new technologies that can help meet that goal.”

Also to that end, Hobart has implemented an easy-to-navigate LCD touch screen display on its HS6-1PS manual and HS7-1PS automatic portion scale slicers, which allows operators to set up customizable alert messages so they can be notified when it’s time to clean and sanitize the slicer.

This article is an excerpt from the December 2023 issue of Supermarket Perimeter. You can read the entire Food Safety Technology feature and more in the digital edition here.