Retailers set CIP pace
23 Nov 2005
With major retail companies demanding higher hygiene and production standards of their suppliers, Paul Griffin gives an overview of the origins and importance of adopting efficient cleaning-in-place systems in the food and drink industries.
Cleaning-in-place, or CIP as it is known throughout the process industries, has become a very important procedure since it was first introduced back in the 1960s. The original concept was pioneered by the hygienic industries in order to reduce labour costs, improve the sterility of process equipment and effectively reduce downtime.
Although today these principles remain the same for many processors of food and drinks, several of the major retailers have now drawn up their own strict guidelines or generically named ‘standards of compliance’, which now include an additional very important factor, ‘product traceability’.
These days, CIP is a recognised method designed to automatically clean process pipework and equipment without the need to use valuable production time on manually dismantling the relevant components prior to cleaning. Equally it is now also accepted that in the long term CIP is a less expensive and more consistent method than the traditional manual cleaning techniques.
At its simplest, CIP involves pumping around cleaning fluids to remove any residues left by the processing of mainly wet ingredients. One of its major benefits is the ability to automatically introduce, via dosing, strong chemicals such as caustic to effectively aid the cleaning process.
The mix can be adjusted depending on the level of soiling present and within the guidelines recommended by the chemical manufacturer. Arising from an increasing awareness of health and safety issues, it is now not considered good practice to manually introduce strong chemicals such as caustic, giving rise to further automated CIP systems.
The major retailers still remain the main driving forces behind the installation and use of highly efficient and often fully automated CIP systems. They are particularly keen to ensure in these more litigious times that a full audit trail exists so that products can be traced in the event of contamination issues arising.
In the early days of CIP nearly all systems were manually based with valves that had to be opened in sequence. Now multi-functional and highly efficient systems are available that are fully automated and can record for reference all procedures and events.
It is widely recognised that two types of CIP cleaning options are available. The first involves a ‘once through’ system that mixes the cleaning fluid, pumps it round the system and then discharges direct to drain. This method, while still used today, does have its downside, however. It is costly to manage as there is no liquid recovery, and unless an expensive drainage filter is incorporated in the design to filter both solids and caustic-contaminated liquid, high charges can be levied by the local authorities.
The second system, which is now more widely used, incorporates the recovery and subsequent storage of any surplus solution. This surplus forms the base of any further mix and is topped up automatically to the required level of consistency. This reduces the need to use repetitively high levels of caustic solution and reduces the on-going running costs.
Although CIP is a very cost-effective method of hygienically cleaning process pipelines and equipment, from a process equipment manufacturing point of view, it is more a case of design method than a cleaning process. A badly designed system may look and appear totally efficient initially, but invariably evidence of contamination will result.
Several leading retailers have been instrumental and at the forefront in CIP development, by introducing their own recognised ‘Codes of Practice’. These are highly detailed and stipulate the correct design, installation and cleaning procedures that should be adopted.
Carlisle Process Systems (CPS) has designed, manufactured and installed over 100 CIP systems for companies such as Weetabix, Parmalat, Bacardi-Martini, St Ivel, Nestle, Dairy Crest, Geest, Waitrose and numerous dairies and liquid food processors. Whilst in principle the main part of each system will be common with each installation, CPS has learnt from experience that every customer has differing expectations with regards to the overall performance of the CIP system.
Paul Griffin is business development manager for the Dairy, Food & Beverage Group of Carlisle Process Systems.
