Laundry & Garment Solutions for Food & Agriculture

The Bidvest Laundry Group continues to make inroads into the South African food and agriculture supply chain, no matter location, scale of operation, staff complement or nature of business

At the Bidvest Laundry Group, we know how to launder; it’s a science we’ve been mastering for over 35 years. 

 

We have a solid national footprint and infrastructure, backed by a highly-experienced, dynamic and dedicated team – one that is able to provide industry-specific laundry and garment solutions that tick all of the necessary boxes.

 

In this article, we shine a light on the food production and agricultural industries – from the farm to the factory, packhouse, warehouse, silo and cold room; from changing seasons and staff rotations, to the strict controls around food hygiene, export standards and other factors that are unique to this particular sector. 

Our laundry and garment solutions for these industries are many, but these are key:

Garment rental – The food production and agricultural sector primarily makes use of HACCP-compliant workwear, including dust coats, conti suits and freezer suits, all of which can be customised to suit a customer’s needs. We supply workwear at a fixed monthly (or even seasonal) fee that includes weekly pick-up and delivery for laundering in our advanced laundry facilities, with swab testing and replacing and/or mending of items, all part and parcel of the service. Clean garments are then returned, a new load of soiled workwear is collected for the laundry, and so it continues. 

 

Our wash process – With a laundry volume of approximately 145,000 garment pieces per day countrywide, we remain committed to our thermal and chemical disinfection methods and washing processes. We launder to stringent wash-process guidelines, using environmentally-friendly chemicals approved by the SABS.

 

On-premise laundries – An on-premise laundry is suited to any industry where there is a need to wash medium-to-large volumes of garments within the quickest turnaround times possible. On-premise laundries are also best suited to industries that require their laundering to adhere to stringent standards and procedures (HACCP compliance), infection protocols and stock controls (where items cannot leave the premises) – all of which, most certainly, fall within the day-to-day running of any food-producing operation. 

 

RFID – Globally, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology is revolutionising and transforming garment rental and laundry management systems by replacing outdated manual processes with automated, computer-based tagging solutions that help with the accurate tracking of items. RFID is perfect for the food production and agriculture industries, as it enables operations to manage staff uniforms in a more economical and efficient way over the long term; assists in proving HACCP compliance; simplifies uniform stock control and overall garment care (where workwear needs to be frequently washed and rotated). 

 

Compliance – Strict hygiene and safety protocols span the length and breadth of the food supply chain, to protect consumers, meet all-important legal obligations and safeguard brand reputations. For export purposes, it’s also paramount that food operations continually prove their commitment and compliance to food quality and safety. Over and above being ISO-9001:2015 certified, the Bidvest Laundry Group also carries ISO-14001:2015 (environmental) and ISO-45001:2015 (occupational health and safety) certifications. Not only can customers rely on our diligence in terms of these aforementioned standards, but we can also, in turn, help them adhere to the rigorous compliance standards set out for their particular industries with the solutions we offer.

 

The Bidvest Laundry Group continues to make inroads into the South African food and agriculture supply chain, no matter location, scale of operation, staff complement or nature of business – from nuts and citrus, to sugarcane, bananas, livestock, poultry, dairy, fisheries, grain producers, finished food manufacturers and more.

 

We remain committed to delivering impeccable service and investing in world-class machinery, equipment and technology that saves time, money and the environment.

For a free assessment of your site and/or to find out more about our industry-specific laundry and garment rental solutions, get in touch