Colour-Coding for Contamination Control
Webinar registration
Date: March 26th, 2026
Time: 3:00 PM PDT / 9:00 AM AEDT (March 27th)
This webinar is also offered at 9:00 AM EDT / 2:00 PM CET with live interpretation in Spanish, French and German. Click here to register for this time slot.
If you are unable to attend the live session, we still encourage you to register. We will send you the recording afterward in your selected language.
About the webinar
Colour-coding is an effective visual management tool that supports contamination control, food safety, and operational efficiency within food processing environments. When designed, implemented, and reviewed correctly by site management, a colour-coding system can act as a preventive control to help minimise allergen cross-contact and microbiological or foreign material cross-contamination.
Vikan pioneered cleaning tool colour coding in the 1990s, and the practice has now become an industry standard, required by food safety standards around the world.
As part of a broader food safety strategy, colour-coding complements Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), sanitation programs, and 5S methodology. The principles of 5S—sort, straighten, shine, standardise, and sustain—help create a clean, structured, and organised workplace by facilitating the effective management of cleaning tools, hygiene equipment, and material handling resources.
Colour-coding can be applied across multiple levels of a food production site, including:
Segregation of areas such as different rooms,
Zoning of equipment and environments based on proximity to food contact surfaces
Identification of different hazard types, including microbiological and allergen risks.
The approach supports compliance with regulatory and standards-based requirements, strengthens contamination control through clearly identifiable hygienic and environmental monitoring zones, and promotes a strong food safety culture through consistent visual controls. While the benefits are significant, successful implementation also requires careful planning, employee engagement, and ongoing review to address practical challenges.
The webinar will provide:
The general principles behind the use of colour-coding.
An overview of colour-coding as part of 5S.
A food industry case study on how colour-coding has supported contamination control.
Practical resources related to the use of colour-coding.
Meet the speakers
Neil Bogart
Principal Scientist at Post Consumer Brands
Neil is the Principal Scientist at Post Consumer Brands, where he provides expert support on food safety and sanitation. Neil has a diverse background, including founding Bogart Food Safety & Sanitation Associates, and serving as a technical support coordinator at Ecolab. His expertise spans food safety, sanitation, hygienic design and microbiological support, particularly in the dairy, food, beverage, and bottled water industries.
Additionally, Neil is a member of InfraGard’s Birmingham Alliance Chapter. InfraGard is a partnership between the FBI and private sector members focused on protecting the U.S. critical infrastructure. Neil has a passion for all things foody with a degree in Food Science from Mississippi State University and a Cordon Bleu certification. In 2025 he was deservedly recognised as the IAFP Sanitarian of the Year.
Deb Smith
Global Hygiene Specialist, Vikan
Deb has over 40 years of food safety and research training and experience. Prior to joining Vikan, she worked as a microbiologist at a large poultry production site; with the UK Government as a Scientist in the Food Safety Division; and as a Food Hygiene Research Manager for CampdenBRI.
At Vikan, Deb provides food safety and hygiene advice, training, and support to colleagues and the food industry. Deb is also an active participant in several industry associations including IAFP, and she has also been the recipient of the IAFP Sanitarian award.
Alexandre Mollmann
Business Development Manager at Vikan
Alexandre specialises in Site Surveys and Shadow Board solutions. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Biology and a master’s degree in Innovation Management.
With experience across international projects, he plays a key role in customer-focused innovation at Vikan. Known for his structured, detail oriented approach, Alexandre supports teams in improving operational excellence and end user outcomes.
Jack Burnett, PhD
North American Hygiene Specialist, Vikan North America
Dr. Jack Burnett serves as the North American Hygiene Specialist for Vikan North America, a manufacturer of hygienic cleaning tools. He earned both his Master's and PhD in Food Science from Purdue University, where his research contributed to advancing the understanding of persisting Listeria in food processing environments.
His diverse background, from managing an apple orchard to studying pollination in bumblebees, informs his unique perspective on the intersection of ecology, microbiology, and food safety.