Cleaning and disinfection in the food industry

For logical reasons, "working clean" in the food industry is a must. Cleaning and disinfection in accordance with strict laws and regulations are therefore essential. In this, the food industry is supported by manufacturers of various cleaning techniques and agents. Developments in this area do not stand still. New knowledge leads to new solutions and means that solve existing issues, but sometimes also introduce new ones.

Preventing food safety contamination and promoting the quality of food products starts with good machine design. The materials chosen must be resistant to potentially aggressive cleaning agents and be corrosion resistant. Stainless steel is an obvious choice with this, but plastics are also ideally suited for use in the food industry when they can also withstand high pressures and temperatures. Furthermore, surfaces must have minimal surface roughness so that they do not provide room for organisms to adhere and cleaning is easier. In addition, a "clean design" machine - free of dead spaces, crevices and sharp corners that provide spaces for the development of bacterial growth or other organisms - is essential and, of course, only "food-grade" lubricants are used that do not pose a danger to human health in the event of accidental contact with the product.

Cleaning techniques

When the machine is in working order, it will need to be cleaned and/or disinfected at regular intervals. For example, every evening after production, at every product change or at specific times. Long known are the cleaning techniques where high pressures and temperatures are used in combination with specific - often aggressive - cleaning agents. With these, machines are hosed down until the desired and required cleanliness class is achieved. There are also a variety of 'washing machines' in which individual parts can be cleaned automatically. From spray washers and flood washers for complex parts to complete cleaning tunnels and immersion machines. Manual cleaning of loose components - possibly in combination with high pressure - is also still a good way. For example, to degrease them.

Over time, however, alternative cleaning methods and means have been developed that, for example, address the large amount of energy required when working with high temperatures and pressures. Ionization is one such technique used not only in the food industry, but also for cleaning the air in a specific (medical) room. In ionization techniques, air particles are electrically charged and introduced into the room where they are able to destroy microorganisms. There are companies that developed completely automated installations for this purpose in which ionization is combined with a cleaning agent. The installation in question is driven into the room, turned on in the evening and in the morning the room can be used immediately. 

Cleaning agents

Other developments can be seen, for example, in the use of so-called enzymatic detergents. In fact, these are proteins that take on the role of a biocatalyst. This means that they accelerate chemical reactions. A property that is used anyway in food production - for example, in curdling milk - but can also play a role in cleaning machines. The use of enzymes in detergents at the time has already led to better cleaning at lower temperatures because these enzymes penetrate deep into the dirt and break it into small pieces there, which then allows the detergent to do its job better. 

Now enzymes are not particularly suitable for large-scale cleaning in the food industry, but in certain "niche" applications they are. For example, they are well suited for removing biofilms, allergens and cleaning membranes. The main advantages that enzymes generally provide in this regard is the fact that they are neutral agents that are safer for the user and also do not damage surfaces. It is important to use the right temperature, however, because enzymes lose their effectiveness in applications higher than 55°C and are less effective at lower temperatures.