Don’t let Milk Jugs Sour Your Service

Pritchitts is encouraging caterers to abandon the traditional milk jug in favour of more hygienic alternatives in the lead up to Food Safety Week (11th-17th June 2012).

In a bid to tackle food safety issues, the dairy experts are highlighting research by the University of Valencia, which found 35% of milk samples in local bars, restaurants and cafes exceeded the maximum contamination levels established by EU law and were not fit for human consumption*.

Simon Muschamp, Head of Marketing at Pritchitts, said: “The research is a powerful reminder of why operators should abandon the traditional milk jug; jugs are often put out as a convenient way to cater for customers, especially when serving hot drinks – what caterers need to be mindful of is that they could potentially be serving up more than just milk!”

“Despite best intentions, the food safety issues when handling milk are a minefield. If equipment isn’t cleaned properly, jugs wiped with an unsuitable kitchen cloth or milk packs opened with scissors, it can all make the milk vulnerable to contamination. When you factor in milk jugs warming on the side of counters, the results aren’t surprising.”

With milk jugs widely used front of house, Pritchitts is urging caterers to take measures to ensure such food safety risks are recognised in an operation.

“There are a number of ways that caterers can tackle the problem but to immediately remove the food safety issue we’d recommend switching from milk jugs to individual milk portions, especially for tea and coffee use.”

Milk portions are free of harmful bacteria and long-life products that will ensure hygiene, taste and quality standards are maintained at a consistently high level right up until the point of service.

Pritchitts Millac Maid mini pots offer a complete range of one-cup, long-life dairy portions – perfect for coffee and tea. They provide a one-stop safe and convenient solution for consumers who simply need to peel and pour, and best of all, Pritchitts Millac Maid tastes just like fresh milk^.

Millac Maid pots are available in full and half-fat formats, and as they’re ambient there is no costly waste and provide effective stock control. The plastic pot is also fully recyclable.

Simon added: “Millac Maid is the perfect solution for caterers wanting to ensure that standards are maintained all the way to the cup. It means that concern about the hygiene of the milk jug is very much a thing of the past which is reassuring for caterers - and their customers.”