Due to the frequent number of food recalls and associated cases of foodborne illnesses there is a need to eliminate harmful bacteria and pathogens on surfaces that have the potential to generate cross-contamination. Although COVID-19 was not necessarily transmitted through surface contamination, many foodborne Illnesses are (i.e. Campylobacter, Salmonella, E-Coli, Norovirus, etc.). Also, as a result of the pandemic in 2020, the general public/consumers are now more concerned with health safety and are aware of terms like sanitization.

To address these issues, we have developed an automated sanitizing dispenser for grocery store conveyor belts which will provide grocery stores with another layer of protection for their customers. Implementation of our dispensers will be a proactive decision which can help prevent someone from acquiring illness that can be traced back to a contaminated conveyor belt. One incident can lead to negative media reports which can be detrimental to a supermarket chain’s brand.