Keep it clean
1 May 2014
High water costs and environmental laws are forcing process plants to consider new cleaning methods.
Keeping microorganisms or other toxic materials out of the production process is the most critical role of industrial cleaning technologies.
But with rising water bills and tighter environmental laws, companies may need to start rethinking how they manage plant hygiene.
Cleaning practices “are as varied as the products manufactured, and can be different from factory to factory,” says Urszula Gawrylak, a food hygiene specialist at Campden BRI.
“In general there is a move towards more sustainable cleaning with a focus on water use reduction, energy efficiency, time and cost of chemicals,” says Gawrylak, but adds that the implementation of these is often limited by a lack of common standards.
“At the moment a cleaning product is trialed in a factory and validated in normal cleaning procedures,” she says. “If this product fails to meet the factory standards then the area has to be re-cleaned with the established cleaning technology.”
“This adds cost and time to the cleaning process and as such many hygiene managers are reluctant to trial new procedures.”
Standard ways of determining that a new method is ‘fit for purpose’ and delivering the degree of clean required would help drive innovation, she says.
While European regulation on hygiene of food demands the cleaning of all “facilities, equipment, containers, crates, vehicles and vessels,” it does not offer any technical guidance on specific cleaning methods or equipment.
With the onus on companies to ensure their cleaning methods are up to scratch, they can choose between a huge range of wet and dry solutions, depending on what they deem to be most appropriate for their products and equipment.
“Microbiological food spoilage and food poisoning are two of the major concerns of most food companies,” says Gawrylak, but preventing damage to plant equipment is also a consideration.
Kenny McDonald, chemical engineer and member of the Institution of Chemical Engineer’s Food & Drink Special Interest Group, says equipment choice is critical for guaranteeing food safety, and has to be 100% fit for purpose.
“This requires careful design and construction,” says McDonald.
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