Ever notice that even the cleanest kitchens have one thing that may not look so great? The can opener! Can openers tend to attract rust and grime, and health inspectors love to pick on them. But there’s much more to a can opener than just a sharp blade. There’s also the safety risk of metal shavings and hazardous can edges.
Why Do Can Openers Leave Metal Shavings?
A can opener can leave metal shavings when a nicked blade or a slipping gear tears the lid instead of cutting it cleanly. The FDA notes that an opener’s cutting parts may collect metal fragments, which could get into food and possibly injure a customer. The FDA Food Code also says to keep those cutting parts sharp to minimize metal fragments.
Worn parts usually leave clues, so check the lid every time you open a can. A jagged cut, slivers on the rim, or an opener that skips or grinds all point to a worn blade or gear. Wide or uneven gear marks on the rim can mean the gear is slipping. If you see any of these, pull the opener before it touches another can.
How to Prevent Metal Shavings From a Can Opener
Clean and sanitize the blade and gear after each use, and any time food builds up on them. The Food Code requires the cutting parts to come off easily, so your team can clean and replace them. The FDA also says to replace an opener once it is pitted or can no longer be cleaned. Don’t wait for slivers in the food: replace worn blades and gears together, on a set schedule.
How the Can Opener Exchange Program Works
The Cozzini Stainless Steel Can Opener Exchange Program eliminates the need to ever purchase or replace a can opener again. The Program provides a fully reconditioned can opener replacement every 6 months, at no added cost to your lease. Your reconditioned can opener will have all new internal parts: the blade, spring, gear, and pins because a sharp blade is meaningless if the gears are stripped or the spring is damaged. Then we go the extra step by sandblasting the entire exterior to create a like new finish. You’ll receive a completely reconditioned can opener that looks and functions like new. One less thing for you to worry about. One more way Cozzini can make your life easier.
Can Opener FAQ
What should I do if I find metal shavings in food?
Don’t serve it, and don’t try to pick the pieces out. Throw out the food and pull the opener from service until you replace the blade and gear. The FDA lists metal fragments as a physical hazard that can cause choking, broken teeth and cuts.
How often should you replace a can opener blade?
The FDA Food Code doesn’t set a schedule. It says to keep the cutting parts sharp and to replace an opener once it’s pitted or can’t be cleaned. Check the blade and gear at least weekly, follow the maker’s schedule, and replace them at the first nick or ragged cut.
With Cozzini’s Stainless Steel Can Opener Exchange Program, you don’t have to track it: Cozzini replaces it every 6 months, at no added cost to your lease.
Do health inspectors check can openers?
Yes. Under the FDA’s marking guide for inspectors, one visibly dirty can opener in use is enough to mark a kitchen out of compliance for cleaning and sanitizing food-contact surfaces. Dirty equipment is one of the most common inspection violations, and a senior health inspector in King County, Washington, told the National Restaurant Association the can opener is something “a lot of people forget” to clean. The Food Code is a model that each state or local agency adopts, so details vary by location.
Ask your Cozzini route salesperson about adding the Cozzini Stainless Steel Can Opener to your knife exchange service, or start a free trial.
