With almost 90 years’ experience in hygiene, MEIKO is a leader in commercial warewashing equipment. Its commitment to creating specialised products for the cruise industry, and improving water and energy efficiency make it a natural choice for operators, as Dominique Raverdy, sales manager marine, explains.
Where does MEIKO operate, and what is its role?
Dominique Raverdy: MEIKO is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of commercial warewashing equipment. Founded as a five-man workshop in Germany in 1927, MEIKO has long since grown into an organisation with more than 2,000 employees worldwide. Today MEIKO leads the way in technology, engineering and manufacturing, and the global expansion of its business has taken its manufacturing, sales and service operations all around the world. MEIKO produces reliable, high-quality and environmentally friendly warewashing equipment ranging from under-counter units to the largest flight-type rackless machines. Already one of the most respected names in the warewashing business, MEIKO is committed to its exciting line of products designed specifically for the cruise market.
When it comes to marine kitchen equipment, how big an issue is energy conservation?
New builds and refurbishments each have their own unique set of challenges, but in both cases one thing is consistent – the industry’s search for improved products and efficiency, as vessels strive to cut energy costs and to preserve the environment.
The quality of equipment chosen will directly affect the level of energy conservation which cruise ship operators and owners are looking for. Dishwashers, for instance, can be one of the largest consumers of resources found in a foodservice operation. Ultimately, dishwashing equipment has to function efficiently and consistently. A galley that features equipment with advanced engineering and technology can achieve maximum energy efficiency. MEIKO’s latest dishwashing technology ‘MiQ’ has been designed to offer the lowest consumption values and operation costs in the industry by far.
What about other issues, such as hygiene and space; have there been any recent developments of note?
Our highly effective and intelligent dishwashing technology, MiQ, is guaranteed to maintain compliance with the world’s strictest hygiene and safety regulations at any time during operation. MEIKO has recently introduced multiple engineering advancements, including a feature where a machine will monitor its own operational status and can make continuous internal adjustments to ensure sanitisation and communicate any further needs to the shipboard staff. For example, if the fresh-water supply is unexpectedly interrupted to our MiQ flight-type machine, the conveyor belt will pause, the machine will display a clear information message and it will not continue operation until the proper dish or glass sanitisation level can be safely achieved. Providing maximum technology with a small footprint is always a key focus. By working closely with consultants who design ergonomic galleys, MEIKO is able to provide vessels with the dishwashing equipment configuration that is best suited to their needs.
How do you help cruise operators deal with the hygienic challenges of catering at sea?
Reliability is key when catering on a vessel – the last thing you want is a dishwasher that isn’t working. Most large ships will be serving three or four meals a day for passengers and crew. These dishwashers are working 24/7, so you want equipment that can cope with this continuous service. MEIKO marine equipment is designed around serviceability and accessibility. It is also user-friendly for staff and for the service technicians. MEIKO provides training to engineers on board, as well as global parts availability.
Finally, how do you see marine catering equipment evolving over the years to come? Do you have any interesting new products in the pipeline?
We are starting to see more interest in galley-wide energy management systems that will monitor a galley’s catering equipment for energy consumption. Some of these shipboard packages are being offered by specialists and consultants who take care of the turnkey approach in which the galley is designed for maximum efficiency. MEIKO now offers a remote energy management software package that is capable of monitoring and displaying a flight-type machine’s energy and water usage per hour. In addition, this can also allow a supervisor access to a history of sanitisation and operational details for a specific MiQ. MEIKO has always been well known for listening to its customers and their specific needs; therefore we are constantly challenging ourselves to offer interesting, unparalleled products.
