At American Wear, we know that picking uniforms for your food processing team means more than choosing colors or slapping on a logo. Your workers face real challenges every day in environments where one wrong move can compromise safety, hygiene, or compliance.

We work directly with you to make sure your uniforms handle everything from food handling zones to processing lines while meeting the standards OSHA sets for your industry.

Protecting Workers and Products Simultaneously

Food processing uniforms do more than just cover your team. They serve a vital purpose by keeping your employees safe and your products protected. The right garments create a clean barrier between each worker, their surroundings, and the food they handle.

Because these uniforms face constant wear and industrial laundering, they must be built to last. Strong fabrics that resist moisture, simple designs that leave no room for bacteria to hide, and sturdy stitching all play a role in keeping every item sanitary and dependable.

At American Wear, we’ve supported food processing companies since 1951. Over the decades, we’ve learned what works and what doesn’t in demanding production settings. Our uniforms are made for this environment from the start, tailored to your industry rather than adapted from general workwear.

Hygiene Requirements & Design Considerations

When we design or recommend a uniform for food processing workers, we focus on key hygiene features that align with best practices in food safety.

Some of the critical features include:

• Minimizing or eliminating pockets: Pockets above the waist can trap foreign objects or bacteria and risk contamination. Many facilities choose pocketless tops for processing zones.
• Avoiding buttons: Buttons may fall off, become foreign object hazards or harbor bacteria in crevices. Snap closures or other clean design features are often preferred.
• Proper fit and minimal loose fabric: Oversized uniforms or trailing hems may snag on equipment or allow contaminants to accumulate. Uniforms should fit each worker appropriately.
• Durable, washable materials: Since uniforms will undergo frequent industrial laundering, the material must maintain integrity, resist fiber shed and maintain color and cleanliness.
• Separate laundering and hygienic controls: To maintain food safe hygiene standards, uniforms often should be washed in dedicated food industry laundry streams with documented hygiene controls.

At American Wear, we integrate those design principles into our uniform programs for food processing environments. We work with you to match uniforms to your facility zones, processing requirements and brand identity while keeping hygiene in sharp focus.

Safety & OSHA Compliance

Safety isn’t only about uniforms. It’s about the broader environment in which your employees work. The uniform is one part of a system that supports safety culture. OSHA sets general requirements applicable to food processing facilities. For example, under standard 1910.132, employers must provide and maintain protective clothing and gear wherever hazards exist. And under 1910.141, workplaces must maintain sanitary, orderly and clean conditions, including floors, workrooms and changing facilities.

While those standards aren’t food processing specific, they reinforce the obligation to ensure uniforms are part of a safe and hygienic work environment. Furthermore, the food processing sector often must meet broader food safety standards (e.g., HACCP, FDA, USDA) which place emphasis on contamination control and hygienic design, so the uniform program must support that.

When you work with our team at American Wear, we help you address the uniform related portion of your safety program. We can assist in selecting uniforms that meet your specific hazard profile (e.g., cold chain, high moisture, processing lines) and ensure the program includes maintenance, laundering, replacement schedules and inventory controls, so you aren’t left managing gaps or non compliant garments.

Best Practices for Your Team

Here are some practical steps we recommend to maximize the value of your uniform for food processing workers program:

1. Conduct a uniform audit: Identify all processing zones, contamination risks, worker tasks and clothing needs. This helps determine which features your uniforms must have (e.g., high visibility, antimicrobial finish, pocketless design).
2. Define laundering and replacement protocols: Ensure that uniforms are washed in a manner consistent with food safety hygiene and that worn or damaged garments are replaced promptly.
3. Train your workforce: Ensure employees understand why the uniform matters (contamination risk, safety hazards, correct fit) and how they should wear it (not outside processing zones, keep it clean, notify for replacement).
4. Partner with a provider who supports inventory control and garment tracking: At American Wear we offer garment control systems through our StarTrac Garment Control™ technology, scheduled replacements and delivery logistics so you stay compliant without managing every detail yourself.
5. Align uniforms with your brand and operational efficiency: While hygiene and safety are the priority, the uniform is also a visible part of your brand and worker experience. Well fitting, comfortable uniforms build pride, help retention and improve your image.

Why Choose American Wear

Our team brings over 70 years of experience in uniform and facility services. We specialize in the food processing industry and have built programs that meet the demanding hygiene and safety needs of those operations.

When you choose us, you benefit from:

• A dedicated team that understands the food processing environment. We’ve been family owned and operated since 1951, serving clients in New Jersey, New York City, Long Island, Rockland and Westchester Counties, Connecticut, Philadelphia and Eastern Pennsylvania.
• Custom uniform programs that match your processing zones and branding. We work with you to create solutions tailored to your specific needs.
• A reliable rental or direct sale option, depending on your operational preference.
• Laundry, maintenance and replacement logistics built into your program so you’re not trading off safety for convenience. Our StarTrac Garment Control™ uses RFID technology to track every garment through the entire process.

Partner With Us for Food Safe Uniforms

Choosing the right uniform for food processing workers helps protect your products, employees, and reputation. At American Wear, we design uniform programs that keep hygiene and safety a top priority while supporting your daily operations.

Our team will help you find durable, comfortable, and compliant uniforms so your staff can stay focused on their work. Contact us today to create a food-safe uniform plan that fits your facility’s needs.