Automated disinfection 

To meet the strict requirements for food processing areas, it is necessary to disinfect these areas. Using a development from medical technology, SimpelDesinfect has introduced a system to the market that makes this possible without the intervention of employees: Nocotech. Its operation is based on the production of ions in the air and has the official authorization of the CTGB (and thus an N number) and EU approval. This makes it approved as a disinfectant for the food industry.

Hugo ter Hoeve has a background in food microbiology and legionella prevention. Together with his business partner Robert Kostrubiec, coming from the paramedical and infection prevention world, he started the company SimpelDisinfect. Ter Hoeve explains, "Preventing infections in the food industry is crucial for public health, I don't think I need to explain that to anyone. As far as that is concerned, no savings are made on disinfecting areas to prevent infections. If things go wrong, the costs are many times higher, not to mention possible personal suffering. When I came into contact with the Nocotech principle through Robert, we both quickly saw that this could be applied more widely than just in the medical world where it is used as infection prevention."

Operation Nocotech

The operation of the Nocotech disinfection system is based on the production of ions that destroy microorganisms. Simply put, the system draws in air from the room to be disinfected. It then ionizes the air by rotating it very quickly in a turbine. In effect, this electrically charges the air. Then the ionized air is heated and blown into the room at high speed (over 300 km/h) in combination with Nocolyse Food liquid. 

This process then leads to the production of ions in the air. These are small charged particles that can transfer their charge to microorganisms, which are thereby eliminated. Microorganisms are all bacteria, fungi and yeasts, spore and spore formers as well as viruses. For the food industry, this mainly involves salmonella, listeria, enterobacteriaceae, fungi and yeasts. Kostrubiec: "The special thing about this process is that nothing remains. This means that no residue is left on the surfaces, making rinsing unnecessary. Moreover, it is a non-corrosive method of preventive disinfection for which microorganisms can never become resistant. Meanwhile, the effect has been demonstrated not only in extensive tests, but also in numerous practical applications in the food industry as preventive disinfection."

Use

Using the system is simple. The machine is placed in the room to be disinfected after which only the volume of the room must be entered in m3. After this, pressing the 'on' button is sufficient to start the disinfection process. Of course, it is also possible to place the machine permanently in a room and include it in an automatic control. This allows the disinfection to start automatically and the entire disinfection process can be carried out without human intervention.

In doing so, the data generated are fully validated. For example, data on the times when the machine is switched on and off or on malfunctions. In this way, all important data are registered that every certifying authority would like to be able to see. Moreover, the user is informed in an early stage about the replenishment of the Nocolyse so that the disinfection process never runs out.

Ter Hoeve concludes, "Besides the fact that this is a very effective way of disinfecting - with which you literally reach every nook and cranny - it is also a sustainable method. After all, you don't consume large amounts of water and the waste water is significantly reduced because no chemicals need to be flushed away. Please feel free to get in touch to explore the possibilities for your business."