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Plant hygiene using ozone makes an Impact in Food Industry

An important aspect of the manufacturing process in the food industry is the cleaning and disinfection of technological equipment. Due to recent developments related to foodborne diseases, it is becoming more and more common in food processing. In the food industry, the cleaning process involves the removal of food or beverage contaminants from surfaces to disinfection. If the surfaces are not cleaned properly, the disinfectant will not be effective.

The cleaning process is influenced by many factors:

The longer the cleaning solution stays in contact with the device, the more material will be removed. Most nutrients are easily broken down by rising temperatures. The chemical concentration of detergents usually decreases with time and temperature. Mechanical strength facilitates soil removal and reduces time, temperature and concentration requirements with Ak assainissement.

Clean In Place (CIP) systems clean the inner surfaces of containers and pipes by passing a cleaning / disinfecting solution into the system. This method eliminates the need to disassemble the equipment. An additional advantage of the CIP method is that the process is automated and workers are directly exposed to detergents. Improper cleaning (COP) requires the disassembly of equipment and the placement of equipment in a container containing the cleaning solution in circulation. Mechanical systems can be as simple as working with a brush and cleaning equipment for cleaning equipment. This article focuses on the CIP process.

The CIP process of cleaning food equipment usually involves the following stages:

Pre-washing, cleaning, rinsing, acid rinsing and disinfection. The type of chemicals used and the exact process used will depend on the characteristics of the nutrient soil, the amount of normal soil remaining after the process, and the nature of the surface.

Time, concentration and temperature are the most critical factors for chemical pesticides.  Different organisms respond differently to different chemical factors and concentrations, so the process of chemical disinfection also depends on the specific organism. Common ingredients for use are chlorine, iodine, quarterly ammonium compounds, acid-ionic disinfectants, fatty acid disinfectants, peroxide-type compounds (eg PAAs), and ozone-based chemicals.

The chemical disinfection process in the CIP system takes only 10 to 30 minutes and uses cold water compared to hot water for thermal disinfection. The thermal process can last up to 60 minutes. So the advantage of chemical disinfection over thermal disinfection is that it reduces energy costs and reduces cycle time.

In terms of ozone, compared to other antiseptic chemicals

 ozone is a broad-spectrum biocide that acts against all pathogens found in food processing environments. Ozone generally acts faster than other substances, i.e. at shorter cycle times or at shorter doses. T The fastest acting agent has the lowest Ct. 

Giordia lamblia (3 log reduction) Ot value for 99.9% reduction was better than Ct (1.9) chlorine (122), chloramine (2200) and chlorine dioxide (26). Ozone Ct (1.2) is also excellent for reducing the virus by 99.99% (same as chlorine compounds (8), reducing 4 logs compared to chloramine (1,988) and chlorine dioxide (33).

As the data show, the Ct values ​​of ozone are 6 to 1000 times better than those of alternative pesticides. Unlike other pesticides, ozone does not significantly affect pH. Chlorine becomes much less effective as the pH of the solution increases. The FDA has also identified ozone as an indirect food additive. Because it is so low in aqueous solution, with a half-life of about 20 minutes or less, it disintegrates rapidly in the device and further reduces potential problems with its use.

Also used for disinfection of grains and mushrooms. Numerous studies are underway to extend its use to nuts, meat and eggs. The use of ozone does not produce toxic by-products and leaves no residue in the washed water. 

The biggest fear of engineers in the food industry is bacterial contamination. Nicknames, Listeria, Salmonella, it doesn’t matter: it’s all about product returns, factory closures and, most importantly, reputation damage. Hygiene and disinfection of food surfaces and equipment is essential. The first choice of disinfectant is usually sodium hypochlorite (bleach). Antioxidants are easy to understand, but their ubiquitous nature shows signs of resistance to certain pathogens, such as Aromonas and Bacillus cereus.

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