SHOPPING CART CLEANLINESS
Brownstein: Local firm on top of it
What collects more bacteria: a supermarket shopping cart or a toilet seat in a public restroom? Not even close. According to data by the University of Arizona's Dr. Charles Gerba, the toilet seat contains 1,180 particles of bacteria while the shopping cart comes in at a mind-boggling, whopping 860,000 particles.
Ew.
Hard to believe that a variety of bathroom fixtures, among other items, are anywhere near the bacteria count of supermarket carts, not to mention that on trolleys in pharmacies, shopping mall stores, airports et al. And on hand-held baskets, too.
But one Montreal company is now leading the charge in cart cleanliness. The Diamond Group has created the Chemcart Disinfecting System, wherein a biodegradable agent kills 99.9 per cent of all viruses and bacteria, including COVID-19, on shopping carts and baskets of all sizes.
The company has developed different models — resembling dishwashers — that can accommodate single and double carts and baskets in machines. It has also produced a tunnel device — resembling a car wash — that can handle multiple units. In all instances, an infrared dispensing mechanism sprays a chemical mist — not water — that clears contaminated surfaces on contact.
It takes 10 minutes for the chemical to dwell on the carts and baskets and do the job. The Diamond Group is now working on a chemical that will require only two minutes of dwell time and which should be ready soon.
“People are mostly aware that carts and baskets contain a lot of bacteria and viruses, but not to the extent that they do,” Diamond Group vice-president Hilly Diamond says. “Carts had sort of been neglected for a long time, and even wiping them down now with disinfecting sprays and wipes really can't effectively do the trick.
“It puts into perspective the amount of bacteria we're dealing with daily when walking through retail shopping outlets, particularly during a pandemic. COVID-19 has really shone a light on dangers lurking in places we often take for granted and has put more emphasis than ever on where we're putting our hands and the cleanliness of areas we inhabit.”
The pandemic had also put the Diamond Group into a dilemma. Established 88 years ago by Hilly Diamond's great-grandfather Harry, the company's principal business had been manufacturing and supplying stainless steel and millwork food-service equipment, primarily to hotels and restaurants. Also among its clients have been Colgate, Google, Amazon and Facebook, for which the company has set up cafeterias.
But with the pandemic taking a particularly heavy toll on hotels and restaurants and the bulk of its business, Diamond figured his company had better make a quick pivot.
“It began in early March when we got a call from one of our supermarket customers looking for a lot of Plexiglas at their cash counters and asking if we had machinery to cut Plexiglas,” Diamond says. “So overnight we turned a couple of our machines into Plexiglas cutters and started supplying it to supermarkets. We wanted to keep our employees and our machines working because we had no idea how long the pandemic would last.
“Then we came to a decision that to remain viable we had better come up with more ideas and developed several products, one of which was the Chemcart.”
The company sold its first Chemcart system in May and hasn't looked back, having since shipped systems throughout the country. Several IGAS as well as other supermarkets have purchased systems, and various chains are now testing them.
Diamond is also in the midst of finalizing a deal with Trudeau airport for the sanitizing of luggage and bins.
“After Montreal, our plan is to pitch airports around the world,” Diamond says. “We've already had significant interest in Europe.”
The Chemcart systems range in price from $8,000 to $12,500.
There are similar but not identical products out there. The big difference is that Chemcart is a misting system not requiring water and thus not having to be installed by a drain, sometimes outdoors, on a flooding surface.
“The pandemic made us quickly realize that we had to adjust to the times,” Diamond says. “Otherwise, there would have been consequences, and there are just too many who are dependent on our survival for their survival.”
After Montreal, our plan is to pitch airports around the world. We've already had significant interest in Europe.