BUSINESS NEWS

Sumter's UniFirst Corp. recognized with certification

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The UniFirst Corp. industrial laundry facility in Sumter has been awarded TRSA's Hygienically Clean Food Safety certification status for its cleaning and servicing of work apparel for food-related industries according to a news release.

TRSA is an international organization which represents textile services industry companies with expertise to determine the most hygienic laundering solutions for food manufacturing and food processing facilities and workplaces.

HCFS certification recognizes commercial laundries, such as UniFirst, that achieve and verify hygienic cleanliness of work garments through best management practices, quality assurance and third-party, quantified biological testing. TRSA's inspections evaluate practices relevant to handling and processing textile products used in food manufacturing/processing establishments for consistency with U.S. Food and Drug Administration and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention directives. Further, Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points practices are examined to show conformance.

UniFirst general manager Tim Parnell said in the release, "Our primary business objective is to provide our customers with only the best service quality possible, along with great looking, image-enhancing uniforms. Being awarded this certification underscores our commitment to that objective and testifies to the skill and knowledge of the teams who execute the operations at our facility."

"More and more, we're seeing our customers in food-related industries looking for third-party validation that our specialized Product Protection Process and our hygienically clean standards are consistent with HACCP guidelines," said Adam Soreff, director of marketing and communications at UniFirst, in the release. "Working with a Hygienically Clean Food Safety certified laundry helps reassure them that their managed uniform program is working in concert with their own food safety protocols to help them ensure food safety for consumers."

More information regarding TRSA HCFS certification can be found at hygienicallyclean.org. More information on UniFirst can be found at UniFirst.com.