How Technology Is Transforming Sanitation

4. Chain rail drives automatic cleaning solutions. Chain oil and lubricants can be an adulteration risk in animal processing plants using overhead rails to transport carcasses. It’s not uncommon for rail lubricants to drip onto conveyors and other food contact surfaces. Yet these areas are often difficult to access for cleaning. New chain rail drives with automatic cleaners solve these problems by delivering controlled cleaning directly to the rails that need cleaning.

Chain rail drive cleaners can be easily moved or permanently hard-mounted, depending on the need. Systems are programmable with specified cleaning regimens and wash cycles and can be integrated into centralized chemical handling for truly “hands free” operation.

5. Chemical misting regimens. There are many places in a plant that can probably be categorized as hard to access and difficult to disassemble. Take spiral freezers, for example. These multi-tiered units are difficult to maneuver for soaking and full cleaning which can over time cause microbial harborage and food product contamination. However, with the demands of a daily food production operation, a shutdown and disassembly of the spiral freezer can be costly and time-consuming. The fix?

Misting or fogging using specialized chemicals can be useful in controlling microbial growth in hard-to-clean areas. A high-quality, well-designed fogging system can help minimize the risks of microbial activity in between scheduled full disassembly and cleaning of a freezer.

Fogging produces a particle size in the range of 10 to 50 microns, which allows the particles to remain suspended in the air until they evaporate. Fogging can use a static system, built-in system, or a mobile unit. Under typical conditions, it takes about 15 to 30 minutes for the fog to disperse and an additional 45 to 60 minutes for the droplets to settle out of the air and onto the surfaces.

No-rinse sanitizing is becoming common in many food facilities. To minimize risk of chemical contamination, these systems must use precision blending and customized metering, combined with accurate and consistent chemical sprays. Make sure to partner with a chemical supplier or sanitation company to tailor a customized solution before beginning a chemical misting program.

6. Improved clean-in-place (CIP) options. CIP systems have been in the industry for a while and have proven to be extremely beneficial for sanitizing interior surfaces of equipment, such as tanks and pipes, which cannot be easily reached for cleaning. Even ground beef processing facilities now include modern CIP systems for sanitizing internal raw meat piping and holding equipment prior to packaging.

CIP continues to evolve across the food production industry, with a range of chemical cleaning and no-rinse sanitizing chemicals now available to support these systems.

The latest CIP systems allow chemical concentrations to be adjusted along with water temperature and flow rates inside the closed CIP system. Accurate and real-time monitoring of chemical cleaning conditions inside an operational CIP system makes it easy to validate and record each step in the process for audit purposes.

Newer CIP systems feature improved access and maintenance, and include rugged, chemically compatible metal alloys, gaskets, and seals.

However, no CIP system should ever be considered maintenance-free. For optimal function and food safety planning, establish a regular preventive maintenance program. Keeping the CIP system parts and electronics in proper working order will help ensure proper cleaning operations.

7. Boot scrubbing stations 2.0. Worker boots and shoes can be major sources of contamination, which is why many highly sensitive food facilities utilize a captive footwear policy to ensure workers are outfitted with top-quality, clean footwear.

Some plants previously used automatic boot scrubbers to maintain boot sanitation, but automatic stations proved difficult to clean and maintain. And the motorized scrubbers often were not effective or practical in day-to-day operations due to maintenance issues.