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Food industry · HACCP · NSF

Listeria in the floor drain
is a recall risk
worth designing out.

Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. persist in the biofilm of floor drains in meat, dairy and fish processing plants. Environmental swabbing finds them before they reach the product — but the reservoir itself has to be dealt with systematically. Green Drain™ takes the standing water out of the trap.

HACCP Int. RG-04 listingNSF/ANSI 2 listedFits EN 1253 drainsAudit evidence pack−40 °C / +100 °C
0
Standing water in the trap
One-way
Silicone valve, no moving parts
~5 years
Expected service life
None
Chemicals or power needed
Problem & solution

A plant has more floor drains than anyone can scrub.

Dairy and meat sites run dozens to hundreds of floor drains, and the CIP/SIP regime does not reach them all. Approved meat and dairy plants are supervised by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine; other food businesses are inspected by the HSE Environmental Health Service on behalf of the FSAI. Both expect a documented cleaning and monitoring plan — and where a customer requires BRCGS or IFS certification, the auditor pays close attention to environmental monitoring.

Without Green Drain™

  • Listeria monocytogenes and Pseudomonas colonise P-trap biofilm — including chlorine-tolerant, biofilm-forming strains.
  • Aerosolisation during floor washing and sanitation can carry organisms towards production surfaces.
  • A positive environmental swab triggers investigation, retesting and, in the worst case, a recall.
  • Official agencies expect preventive measures that are documented and demonstrably effective.
  • BRCGS Food Safety and IFS Food — private customer schemes rather than law — look for documented drain control.

With Green Drain™

  • No standing water for Listeria, Pseudomonas and Salmonella to sit in.
  • Stands up to CIP/SIP chemistry — NaOH up to 5 %, HNO₃, peracetic acid, quaternary ammonium compounds.
  • Rated from −40 °C (freezers) to +100 °C (hot CIP) — not for live steam above 100 °C.
  • Material compatible with EU 1935/2004 and EU 10/2011 (indirect food contact).
  • Listed under the HACCP International programme (RG-04) for drain applications; whether it belongs in your HACCP plan is yours to decide as food business operator.
EU regulatory framework

Food safety is a legal obligation.

The HACCP duty comes from Regulation (EC) 852/2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs, given effect in Ireland by the European Union (Food and Feed Hygiene) Regulations; Regulation (EC) 178/2002 sets the wider general food law framework. Food contact materials are governed by Regulation (EC) 1935/2004 (framework) and Regulation (EU) 10/2011 (plastics). BRCGS and IFS are private GFSI-benchmarked schemes — not law, but commonly demanded by buyers and exporters.

EC 852/2004
Food hygiene — HACCP-based procedures required
EU 1935/2004
Framework Regulation on materials in contact with food
EU 10/2011
Plastic in contact with food — specific limit values
BRCGS / IFS
Private schemes — buyers, not law, ask for environmental monitoring
HACCP International
RG-04 listing under a private certification programme
−40 / +100 °C
Seal temperature range (cold to warm sanitation)
Data Sources and Regulatory Framework (2024–2025 data)

Statistical data taken from official Irish and EU sources: Central Statistics Office Ireland (cso.ie), Health Service Executive (hse.ie), Fáilte Ireland (failteireland.ie), Bord Bia (bordbia.ie), IDA Ireland (idaireland.com), Health Products Regulatory Authority (hpra.ie). Regulatory framework: EUR-Lex for EU directives — EU 2017/745 (MDR), EC 852/2004 (food hygiene, HACCP), EU 1935/2004 and EU 10/2011 (food contact materials), EU 528/2012 (BPR), EU 2014/34 (ATEX). Standards: EN 1253-1 (floor P-traps, water seal ≥50 mm), EN 1253 Parts 6/7/8 (gullies with a water seal below 50 mm, with mechanical closure, and combined types; 2023 editions), HACCP International RG-04 (private certification programme), ASSE 1072-2020, NSF/ANSI 2 (listing C0571796), HSE AMRIC (Antimicrobial Resistance and Infection Control) guidance. Revision date: May 2026.

Implementation

The whole plant, phase by phase.

Larger sites fit them line by line during scheduled annual maintenance — typically a week of coordinated work with the engineering team.

01

Mapping

The technician maps all drains by line: intake, processing, packaging, and dispatch.

02

Specification

Written specification with sizes, listings and the safety data sheet for the QA department.

03

Validation test

Environmental swab pre- and post-test on 10 drains — one month of monitoring.

04

Roll-out

Line by line during weekly cleaning cycles — no production downtime.

Model Recommendation

Recommended sizes by production zone.

Irish meat, dairy, confectionery and bakery sites work to EU food hygiene law — enforced by DAFM in approved plants and by the HSE Environmental Health Service elsewhere — and most also hold a private certification such as BRCGS or IFS, or take part in Bord Bia's voluntary Origin Green programme. A typical processing site runs four or five drain sizes depending on the line, with central gully channels up to DN150. Freezers at −25 to −40 °C need silicone that tolerates thermal shock; Green Drain™ is rated from −40 °C to +100 °C.

Green Drain™ recommended for your sector.

  • Processing line (cutting, grinding, mixing)GD 3. The usual choice on Irish processing lines.
  • Cold storage and blast freezer (−25 to −40 °C)GD 3 or GD 4. Silicone stays flexible at freezer temperatures.
  • Central gully channels between linesGD 5 or GD 6. Highest flow during full-flush sanitation.
  • Sanitation zone (CIP/SIP)GD 4. Compatible with NaOH up to 5 %, HNO₃ up to 3 % and acetic acid.
💬 Not sure of the exact size? Send us a photo of your floor drain — our technical team will come back with a written recommendation the same working day, free of charge.
Check out Green Drain™ → Request a quote
GD 2
DN50 · staff sanitation
GD 3
DN80 · processing line
GD 3–3.5
DN80-90 · packing, intake
GD 4
DN100 · cold store, CIP
GD 5
DN125 · central channel
GD 6
DN150 · main gully channel
Questions

What we get asked most.

Will this help at a BRCGS or IFS audit?

BRCGS and IFS are private schemes, so it depends on your auditor and on your own environmental monitoring programme. We can supply the HACCP International RG-04 listing, the NSF/ANSI 2 listing (C0571796) and an SOP template as supporting evidence. Whether a drain measure belongs in your HACCP plan — and whether it is a critical control point — is decided by your own hazard analysis, not by us.

Resistance to CIP/SIP cycles?

The silicone resists NaOH up to 5 %, HNO₃ up to 3 %, peracetic acid up to 2 % and quaternary ammonium compounds. Its rated operating range is −40 °C to +100 °C, so hot CIP is fine, but do not use it where live steam or wash-down above 100 °C reaches the drain.

Can we get food-contact documentation?

The material is compliant with EU 1935/2004 and EU 10/2011 for indirect food contact via the drainage system. We provide the safety data sheet and the Declaration of Conformity on request.

Complete solution

Three products.
One protection portfolio.

Green Drain™ works best alongside GD Uri-Tabs™ for staff urinals and GreenSwirl™ for clearing build-up in the run.

Ready for a free site audit?

We come to the site, map the drains, and provide a written recommendation — no cost, no obligation.