A Glance Into the Janitorial Sanitation Industry

When you clean your house, you typically use general purpose cleaners and deodorizers to make your house look great. However, would you trust your kitchen surfaces to food preparation using those chemicals? Are they actually food safe? Are you sure no bacteria or viruses are lurking in your kitchen where you prepare food? These are the questions put forth almost half a century ago when commercial cleaning first began in the United States. The ability to utilize the right chemicals on surfaces to clean areas dedicated to food preparation, industrial building, computer component manufacturing, or any other service is better left to those who understand the difference between a cleaner and a disinfectant. Bell Chem, the janitorial and sanitation product supplier, has products and chemicals to meet the cleaning needs of almost any organization, and its knowledgeable staff can recommend which products will work for your business.  

Sanitation was first recorded at the time of Hippocrates, who created a branch of medicine focused on the “art of health”, which he called hygiene. In Ancient China’s Yellow Emperor’s Treatise on Internal Medicine, it was noted that “It is more important to prevent illness than to cure the illness when it has arisen.” To this end, water began to be filtered, and the bodies of humans and animals were buried rather than thrown into waterways. Fast forward 1000 years to New York City when garbage and “filth” were routinely tossed into the street as they were in Ancient Rome. Children were often paid to sweep a path through up to 3 feet of muck to help pedestrians cross the street. This scene was replayed across the United States, sparking the Great Sanitary Awakening and the rudiments of our public health infrastructure.

Nowadays the link between public health and sanitation is well known and janitorial and sanitation experts turn to Bell Chem to supply them with the products they find will enhance public health with the use of antibacterial and antiseptic chemicals. A sampling of the products in Bell Chem’s prolific inventory includes:

• Quaternary ammonium compounds to reduce Staphylococcus aureus

• Sodium hypochlorite (bleach) with myriad uses as a disinfectant, pH reducer, sanitizer, bleach, and oxidizer

• Trisodium Phosphate renowned for sanitizing stainless steel

• Sodium meta silicate as a detergent, emulsifier, and suspending agent

• Ethyl alcohol for cleaning surfaces, especially in microbiology labs

Bell Chem has its exclusive CsanTM product line of caustic cleaners, foaming cleaners, alkaline cleaners, general purpose cleaners, chlorinated detergents, acid detergents, sanitizers, and conveyor and chain lubricants. Each ensures every portion of your business is clean and sanitized. Give Bell Chem a call at 407-339-2355 (BELL) to ask about any of the products from your Florida janitorial and sanitation product supplier. To learn more about our products, read more at www.bellchem.com.

Household Industrial and Institutional Product Manufacturing Industry Summary

Chemicals have been combined to create products for more than 9,000 years. However, the chemical industry did not find its niche until the industrial revolution with the advent of sulfuric acid and soda plants across Asia, followed closely by artificial fertilizer plants. Shortly after that, textile mills across Europe formed synthetic dyes from coal, mass produced sulfuric acid, and used electricity and salt to create chlorine and caustic soda. Organic chemistry’s industrial beginnings in the 19th century formed plastics and fibers from petrochemicals, and polymer science joined with chemical engineering to drive the industrial and institutional chemical market forward. Plastics, paints, adhesives, and resins were engineered, and the end of World War II ushered in a change from organic chemicals to petrochemicals. As the industry advances, the household industrial and institutional product supplier, Bell Chem, changes with it.

Approximately three-fourths of the chemicals produced in the world emanates from France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, and the United States. In 2008, the United States’ chemical output garnered 18.6% of the market worldwide, bringing in $689 million. Many of the products generated by the United States are available through Bell Chem’s Florida warehouse. The following CsanTM Sanitation Products can be in stock: alkaline, foaming, and general purpose cleaners; chlorinated detergents; acid degreasers; sanitizers; and conveyor and chain lubricants along with other chemicals and ingredients.

Many other multi-purpose products in Bell Chem’s extensive inventory are ideal for industrial use, including:

• Acids: Acetic acid, ascorbic acid, citric acid, coconut fatty acid, gluconic acid, glycolic acid, hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, oxalic acid, oleic acid, phosphoric acid, and sulfuric acid all decrease the pH of products, disinfect, and refine products

• Surfactants: NP-9 (nonylphenol ethoxylate), N-60 and lauryl dimethylamine cause the production of foam

• Oxidizing agents: hydrogen peroxide, calcium chloride, sodium sulfite, and sulfonic acid eliminate odors and disinfect

Many of the chemicals in Bell Chem’s inventory have multiple purposes, such as:

• Tetrasodium pyrophosphate, which acts as a buffer, detergent, emulsifier, and a thickening agent

• Zinc sulfate, an electrolyte used as an astringent and emetic, dye fixative, leather preservative, in zinc plating and as an ingredient in fluorescent lights, luminous paints, and x-ray screens

• Sodium hypochlorite (bleach) is a common chemical that disinfects, removes stains, and increases pH

• Potassium hydroxide is also known as caustic potash and has a wide variety of applications, including the production of detergents, liquid fertilizers, potassium carbonate, potassium phosphates, and soap

The household industrial and institutional product supplier, Bell Chem, has the household industrial and institutional product manufacturing industry covered with its products designed to degrease, oxidize, clean, deodorize, sanitize, and lubricate. Give Bell Chem a call at 407-339-2355 (BELL) or visit www.bellchem.com to learn about our CsanTM sanitation products and how they can keep your business running smoothly.

Pharmaceutical Industry Summary

The pharmaceutical industry has very humble beginnings with folk remedies and treatments that were more miss than hit. As both doctors and medicine improved with the 17th-century scientific revolution, guesswork was replaced with scientific experimentation and rationalism. By the 18th-century, the industrial revolution made goods readily available to the general public, and the pharmaceutical industry leaped forward. Many of the formulas developed at that time are still in use and inventoried by the pharmaceutical product supplier Bell Chem.

The first pharmaceutical giant in the United States, Pfizer, was founded in 1849. Pfizer became highly successful during the Civil War with a sharp increase in the demand for antiseptic products and pain relief medicines. Aspirin, created from the bark of a willow tree, hit the market in the 1900s, although “pharmaceuticals” also tended to include soft drink additives, hair gel, and cod liver oil. Today’s pharmaceutical industry includes millions of lifesaving drugs, and Bell Chem can supply its customers with additives and chemicals to formulate the purest pharmaceuticals with the most precise doses possible.

Bell Chem’s inventory of chemicals and additives for the pharmaceutical industry is extensive. From antibacterials such as alcohols, chlorine, and aldehydes to keep your machinery and work spaces sanitized to stocking the ingredients for your end product, Bell Chem can fulfill your supply needs. We understand the various necessities of the pharmaceutical industry, and stock items to keep your business running smoothly and we have listed a few examples of our products below.

• Emollients: Hyaluronic acid and glycerol for moisturizers and other skin care products

• Thickeners and Stabilizers: Guar gum and pectin to add bulk and homogenize products

• Antifungal agents: Green tea and grapeseed extract keep products from spoiling

• Sweeteners: crystalline fructose, sucralose, and sugar for flavor

• Vitamins: Vitamins are used by the body for various functions, including as antioxidants (Vitamin C and E), in the formation of red blood cells (Vitamins B6 and E), for metabolism (various types of Vitamin B), and absorption (Vitamins C and D). Vitamin A plays a major role in vision, mitosis, and immune function.

• Antioxidants: acetyl-l-carnitine, Vitamin C and its derivatives, and lutein deter cellular breakdown

The role of pharmaceutical products is far-ranging and vastly important to maintain good overall health. Bell Chem sells the purest forms of pharmaceutical products to its customers, ensuring their end products are of the highest quality. Contact the pharmaceutical product supplier Bell Chem at 407-339-2355 (BELL) to order any of our pharmaceutical products, and read our past blogs to learn about many of our products marketed not only for the pharmaceutical industry, but for personal care, food, reagent, sanitation, and more.

Personal Care Industry Summary

Personal care products include those manufactured for personal hygiene as well as those for beautification. Beauty care products are marketed to attract our senses of smell, taste, and sight; many consumers are drawn to products with fragrant aromas or enticing colors. Personal hygiene products, on the other hand, generally serve a purpose and consumers expect them to reduce odor, clean or disinfect, or gently abrade.The personal care product supplier Bell Chem has an extensive inventory of cosmetic ingredients for the personal care industry, such as emulsifiers, cleansers, conditioners, and active ingredients.

Personal care products have been around for almost as long as humans have roamed Earth. Ancient Egyptian men and women used kohl to darken their eyelids. Chinese men and women stained their fingernails as far back as 3000 B.C. as a means to announce their social standing. Lastly, early Greek women lightened their skin with poisonous lead carbonate. Indigenous tribes have used ground rocks, clay, and minerals to create body paints in designs ranging from simple to elaborate throughout their histories.

Today, billions of dollars are spent worldwide to create, manufacture, and purchase personal care products. While past marketing promotions were aimed primarily at women, today’s men have a much greater market share, and the number of goods for the aging population of Baby Boomers has increased sharply.

While personal care products contain many of the same basic ingredients – water, emulsifiers, thickeners, emollients, pH stabilizers, fragrances, and preservatives – a smattering of esoteric ingredients can chemically alter a product, changing it from shampoo to a tube of toothpaste. In fact, approximately 12,500 chemical ingredients are marketed in the United States specifically to manufacture personal care products. Most of these products contain 15-50 ingredients in varied combinations. Since consumers use from 9-15 personal care products daily, this leads to 135-750 separate elements being applied daily per person. Many ingredients may be found naturally occurring; however, it is more cost effective to use manufactured products.

The common additives used in the personal care industry include the following:

• Emulsifiers: To keep products homogenized, emulsifiers such as polysorbates, soy lecithin, magnesium stearate, and glycerol monostearate are used to break water bonds and mix products evenly.

• Thickeners: Many common foods are more palatable when thickened; therefore, guar, locust, trag, CMC, and xanthan gum; corn starch; and collagen can transform a liquid into a more viscous form.

• Emollients: Moisture quickly dissipates from the surface of the skin, even when protective lotions are applied. Emollients such as white mineral oil, lanolin, paraffin wax, zinc oxide, and a variety of plant oils including olive, coconut, canola, almond, oat, and peppermint act to retain water and preserve softer, smoother skin.

• pH stabilizers: Skin has a normal pH of around 4.7, which is acidic. Many products work because they differ from the skin’s pH; if the product’s pH were neutralized, the product would not function as efficiently. Therefore, pH stabilizers such as citric acid, oleic acid, and phosphoric acid keep the pH at a more effective level.

• Fragrances: Most consumers purchase personal care products by reading the label, then smelling the product. The product with the preferred odor in their category is purchased. Fragrances such as botanical extracts, citric acid, lemon oil, peppermint oil, and eucalyptus enhance product appeal.  

• Preservatives: Shelf life is crucial for a product. Preservatives such as citric acid, sodium benzoate, potassium sorbate, and Vitamin E prevent spoilage and elongate the opportunity to sell the product.

Call Bell Chem today at 407-339-2355 (BELL) to ask about any of our line of personal care industry products. From sun care to fragrances and oils, Bell Chem can provide your business with the chemicals and products necessary to create the perfect product. Your personal care product supplier in Florida, Bell Chem, can ship products quickly and economically. Read our blogs to learn about many of our personal care products and more. If you do not see the grade or form of a product you desire, contact us.

Nutritional Industry Summary

As the overall population of citizens in the United States ages, the volume of nutritional supplements has escalated sharply. Bell Chem, your nutritional product supplier, has taken note of this rise in product use and stocks hundreds of supplements and chemicals for the nutritional industry.

Many of the additives utilized by the nutritional industry cross over into pharmaceuticals. The distinction lies in the labeling: a dietary supplement cannot claim to “cure, treat, or prevent a disease,” according to the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA). However, these products, including herbs have been used with success for many consumers for centuries. Tablets dating back to 4000 B.C. discovered the Mideast listed the uses of thyme, licorice, mustard, and poppies. Although China has a 3,000-year history of herbal remedies, recorded use of herbs in the United States only began a few centuries ago – and herbs were considered alternate forms of medicine. It was not until a few decades ago that nutritional supplements and herbs infiltrated the markets by offering preventive measures to many of the diseases taxing Americans.

Dietary supplement use escalated after 1994 when the DSHEA was passed, limiting the Food and Drug Administration’s hold on nutritional supplements. Supplements must contain a vitamin, mineral, herb or botanical product, amino acid, or organ tissue in the form of a whole product, concentrate, or extract. Bell Chem stocks several products in most of these categories.

• Vitamins: Vitamin A, B Vitamins (thiamin, riboflavin, pyridoxine), Vitamin C and ascorbic acid, Vitamin D, and Vitamin E

• Minerals: Calcium chloride, calcium sulfate, magnesium chloride, magnesium glycerophosphate, magnesium sulfate, manganese sulfate, potassium iodide, potassium chloride, potassium phosphate, sodium selenate 2%, and zinc oxide

• Herbs and botanicals: garlic oil, aloe vera, gingko biloba 24/6, honey, sesame oil, karaya gum, grapeseed extract, sweet almond oil, and several botanical extracts

• Amino and nucleic acids: Ribonucleic acid (RNA), calcium amino acid chelate, copper amino acid complex 20%, magnesium amino acid complex 20%, manganese amino acid chelate 20%, and potassium amino acid chelate 20%

As market demands for nutritional supplements increase, Bell Chem will stock more and more of the products you need. Read our blogs or call the nutritional product supplier Bell Chem at 407-339-2355 (BELL) for information on our vast array of nutritional supplements for your company.

Beverage & Brewery Industry Summary

For as long as humans have been farming, they have been creating beverages. One of the very first human-made beverages was beer. Wine followed by 4000 B.C. When it was determined beverages could be created using either grains or fruits, the possibilities opened vastly, and cider and ales developed. By the 16th century, industrialization had caused overcrowding in many towns, and water supplies became severely contaminated. Children drank milk, and their elders consumed beer to keep from drinking the water. Coffee, cocoa, and tea entered Europe in the 17th century. While coffee was available to commoners, only the elite could afford tea until the price of tea plummeted in the 18th century. Carbon dioxide was added to drinks in 1772. Mass production of beverages began in the 19th century with the advent of the Industrial Revolution. With this sudden burgeoning of products, manufacturers needed a standard method of safe storage without spoilage. Many of the additives used then are still popular today while others have been replaced with better varieties. Bell Chem takes its role as food & reagent product supplier seriously and strives to stock the best products available for the beverage and brewery industry.

Bell Chem stocks food-grade sanitation chemicals such as Jeffcool P200 and CSAN sanitation and cleaning products to clean equipment, countertops, and storage facilities for any beverage. The beverage and brewery industries rely on several chemicals stocked by Bell Chem that extend shelf life, such as sodium metabisulfite, potassium benzoate, and malic acid. The brewery industry finds their needs differ slightly due to the fermentation process of its products. Therefore, breweries require propylene glycol USP in their chiller systems and lactic acid 88% as a pH balancer to keep their businesses running smoothly. Flavoring is another venue where additives are in high demand, and Bell Chem can meet the need for its line of additives to enhance drink flavor – sucralose, xylitol, corn syrup, and phosphoric acid 85%.

The beverage and brewery industry uses products stocked by Bell Chem for each stage of the process of creating soda, tea, coffee, ale, wine, and other products. From cleaning the equipment to stocking neighborhood stores with products with extended shelf lives, the food & reagent product supplier Bell Chem can advance your business’ customer base. Read our blogs or call Bell Chem at 407-339-2355 (BELL) to learn about our nutritional, sanitation, industrial, and food ingredients for your company.  

Food & Bakery Industry Summary

The food and bakery industry was nonexistent in the early 1800s since 95% of families lived in rural areas and made these items from scratch. The Industrial Revolution moved 40% of the United States’ population to cities, and the method of feeding America changed drastically. Mass production of food involved a new line of chemical preservatives, which increased production and shelf life – and profits for manufacturers. The Food and Drug Act of 1906 focused on the role of the government in the chemical composition of the item consumed by Americans. World Wars I and II enticed Americans to eat fresh foods to give soldiers the preserved foods they needed. When the soldiers arrived home, the food industry ran dry on its market for preserved food, so it touted preserved foods as what was prepared and served by the most affluent households.The food & reagent product supplier Bell Chem stocks many preservatives for the food and bakery industry to extend shelf life and make foods safer to eat.

With the first Dietary Guidelines for Americans created by the US Departments of Agriculture and Health and Human Services in 1980, foods and baked goods began adding nutrients to their products to meet the health conscious needs of the general public and the more stringent guidelines prompted by the Dietary Guidelines.

• Preservatives, such as citric acid, malic acid, and potassium benzoate keep foods fresh longer, which extends shelf life.

• Adding nutrients meets the healthy guidelines by the USDA. Bell Chem supplies its customers with whey, tartaric acid, and dipotassium phosphate to meet that need.

• Food ingredients, such as double acting baking powder, sugar, whey, sodium bicarbonate #1, and cornstarch are stocked in bulk at Bell Chem.

Today, the food and bakery industry is marketing whole foods and products with fewer or more natural ingredients. The chemical basis for the preservatives and additives have changed along with this push, and Bell Chem has met the challenge with the latest in recommendations and customer needs. Contact Bell Chem at 407-339-2355 (BELL) to learn about their vast array of supplements the food & reagent product supplier of Central Florida stocks for the food and bakery industry as well as its line of personal care, sanitation, and water treatment chemicals.

Citrus Industry Summary

Florida’s subtropical climate is ideal for growing citrus during the hotter months and harvesting them from September through June. The most prominent citrus fruits are oranges and grapefruit, which grow in dozens of delicious varieties. Citrus is not native to Florida, believe it or not. It arrived early in the 16th century with Spanish explorers who planted orange trees near St. Augustine and began to grow commercially in the 19th century when railroads made it possible to ship citrus fruits across the country. It did not take long for citrus growers to recognize the importance of applying chemicals and fertilizers to their crops to increase production. The citrus industry welcomed Bell Chem and their sister company, Safe Chem, two decades ago to provide the ultimate chemicals, such as  CSAN Cleaning and Sanitation products, and practices to use those products safely. The sanitation product supplier, Bell Chem, keeps abreast of the latest trends and difficulties facing citrus growers and offer products to ensure the best crops possible.

• Top producing crops in Florida include oranges, grapefruits, and a category known as specialty fruits – tangerines, tangelos, and many cross-breeds.

• The unprecedented freeze over the winter of 1894 destroyed a significant percentage of citrus crops. Growers regrouped and moved their produce from North Central Florida to locations farther south. Within 15 years production was back on track, and 2/3 of Florida’s peninsula is now commercially viable for citrus growth.

• Surprisingly, the top citrus-producing county in Florida is Polk County, located in Central Florida.

Growing citrus takes well drained, deep soil because citrus roots do not enjoy being saturated. Soil should be at a pH of 6-8 on average. Citrus do not appreciate high salt content in the ground. To produce the best possible fruit, ensure your soil is slightly nitrogen rich or use a balanced NPK (nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium) fertilizer. Most citrus trees benefit from the trace elements found in fertilizers, such as magnesium, manganese, iron, copper, zinc, and boron. Bell Chem stocks many of these products for industrial citrus growers.

The citrus industry relies on herbicides, fungicides, and pesticides to keep their plants healthy and productive. Without these products, a tree containing a deadly fungus could infect the entire orchard, causing a complete shutdown of production, or, even more devastating, the destruction of every tree. Many of the products stocked by the sanitation product supplier Bell Chem, such as caustic potash 45% and urea form the basis of the chemicals used by citrus tree farmers in treating their crops. Contact Bell Chem at 407-339-2355 (BELL) for a complete listing of all our citrus industry products to keep your trees thriving. Our blogs detail many of these chemicals for a more in-depth understanding of their functions.

Tru-Flo Food Grade Salt

Salt has founded and ruined civilizations, started wars, acted as currency, and preserved foods for centuries. The human body requires salt in order to function properly. Not every grade of salt is the same, though, and not all salts are edible. Tru-Flo® food grade salt is of high purity and used for flavoring foods, preserving canned goods, curing meats, and acts as a carrier for nutrients. Food grade salt contains over 99% sodium chloride (NaCl) with only a tiny fraction of insoluble material. Crystal size is uniform to give the same amount of taste with every use and to dissolve evenly and quickly. Along with Tru-Flo® food grade salt, the food ingredient supplier, Bell Chem, stocks several grades of salt for commercial and food grade uses.

• Food preservation: Salt was used almost exclusively to preserve food before refrigeration. Today, many products, such as beef jerky or other dried meats, still rely on salt as the ultimate preservative.
• Seasoning: The human body craves salt. Humans consume approximately 12 million tons of salt annually. The World Health Organization’s dietary guidelines state that the average person should limit salt intake to 5 grams a day, but our taste buds associate salt as one of the main five components of flavor; therefore, humans take in far more than what is recommended.
• Carrier: Salt acts as a carrier for nutrients or food additives, such as iodine or nitrite. Iodized salt prevents gout and other thyroid conditions, and nitrite is utilized as part of the curing process. Fluoride, iron, vitamins and supplements are frequently added in conjunction with salt’s extra nutrients to stabilize them and ensure amounts are equal throughout the mixture.

Tru-Flo® food grade salt may be obtained from the sea, natural brine, or on land from underground rock salt deposits. Any of these locations will produce the free-flowing, small-grained salt consumers appreciate for their dietary needs. Contact your food ingredient supplier Bell Chem at 407-339-2355 (BELL) for information on food grade salt and the other pure food additives we carry. Our blog page of chemicals will give more detailed product information for you to read.

Sodium Hypochlorite 10-12%

Chances are excellent that if you look in your home or business cabinet right now you will find sodium hypochlorite 10-12%. Chances are also excellent you recognize this chemical by its more common name when it contains water as its solvent, liquid bleach. Customers of Bell Chem, the Florida Chemical Supplier, understand the importance of sodium hypochlorite as a bleaching agent and disinfectant.

• Bleaching: Sodium hypochlorite, with the chemical formula NaClO, breaks up and removes mold, tannins (found in plants and plant-based beverages such as tea), and in endodontics to remove fluorosis stains on teeth. Laundry detergents contain sodium hypochlorite to brighten white clothing.
• Disinfecting: As an antimicrobial, healthcare and laboratories find sodium hypochlorite ideal to stop the growth of bacteria, viruses, and other microbes. When used after a detergent is applied and removed, sodium hypochlorite acts as a disinfectant for body fluids, including blood. The application of a detergent and disinfectant deters the survival of most viruses and biological microbes.
• Deodorizing: The microbes that produce noxious odors are no match for sodium hypochlorite. This gives sodium hypochlorite properties to deodorize as it disinfects.
• When combined with a more viscous fluid, sodium hypochlorite is able to adhere to surface for a longer stretch of time, allowing a more thorough cleaning before being rinsed.
• Food processing facilities and food prep areas can be sanitized with a weak solution of sodium hypochlorite as long as the area contacting food is able to drain sufficiently before usage, according to the USFDA.
• Water treatment systems find sodium hypochlorite perfect for treating toxic waste, removing the toxicity to safe levels. Sodium hypochlorite also controls bacterial and other biological growth that contaminates water systems, pulp mills, and paper mills.

Sodium hypochlorite is used industrially around the world. With its ability to be used at different concentrations for myriad applications, every business should stock some form of sodium hypochlorite. Bell Chem’s sodium hypochlorite 10-12% can be used full strength or diluted. Contact the Florida Chemical Supplier, Bell Chem, at 407-339-2355 (BELL) to speak with one of our representatives concerning this or any other industrial chemical. Check out our blogs for all your chemical and nutritional needs.