Why food environments use blue detectable dressings
Two features, for two different failure modes: visible if it falls in, findable if it is not seen.
Dressings used in food production are blue and contain a metal strip. Both features exist for the same reason: preventing a lost dressing becoming a contamination incident.
Why blue
Almost no food is blue. If a dressing falls into a production line, blue is the colour most likely to be spotted by eye against product.
Why metal detectable
If it is not spotted, an inline metal detector will find it. That is the second line of defence, and it is why the strip is not optional.
The wider requirement
Under food hygiene regulations, anyone handling food with a wound on exposed skin must have it covered with a suitable waterproof dressing. On hands, that dressing is normally covered again with a disposable glove.
Practical management
- Keep detectable dressings in a dispenser that shows how many have been taken.
- Record issues, so a missing dressing is noticed at the end of a shift.
- Brief staff to report a lost dressing immediately rather than quietly.
FitMedix does not currently make a detectable range — if you are food-facing, buy that specific product from a supplier who does.
See a pharmacist, GP or urgent care if a wound will not stop bleeding after ten minutes of firm pressure, is deep or gaping, was caused by something dirty or rusty, contains anything you cannot flush out, or shows spreading redness, heat, swelling, pus or a fever. Get help urgently for animal or human bites, wounds over a joint, and any wound in someone with diabetes or poor circulation.
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FitMedix products are CE-marked medical devices intended for the care of minor wounds. This site does not provide medical advice — seek professional help for deep, dirty or non-healing wounds, or if signs of infection appear. Always read the instructions on the pack.