An effective sanitation solution to chemicals in food processing

effective sanitationIn times of economic volatility, the food industry is confronted by many challenges, including effective sanitation, in order to assure their brand security. Amid a sea of brands and new products, food companies need to be consistently innovative, as well as capable of delivering high levels of quality at economically affordable prices. While there are many factors including price, aesthetic appeal and wholesomeness that drive consumer-buying behaviour, quality remains the primary reason why customers remain loyal to a brand. The paradox is that in most cases it only takes one incident of inferior quality for the consumer to seek out another brand.

Why poor quality?

The key contributing factor to poor quality is spoilage and the unavoidable presence of micro-organisms within the processing environment. Whilst most processing plants have adopted strategies to tackle contamination, these mostly chemical interventions are not without their limitations. As a general rule, chemicals are not permitted to come into direct contact with food and ingredients due to their hazardous nature and the potential for residues on food which may affect the taste. Not only are chemicals hazardous in food environments, but in some cases have been shown to be increasingly ineffective in controlling microbial contaminants. Ongoing studies have shown that various bacteria react differently to different disinfectants. Micro-organisms continue to build up resistance to frequently used foodgrade disinfectants, much like many antibiotics in medical applications. While a diverse array of chemical regimes may currently be the norm, this is destined to change, as the food industry is exposed to alternative effective sanitation technologies.

What is the solution?

Electro-chemically Activated Water (ECA) is an effective sanitation technology that generates an unstable and elevated micro-electrical charge in water. As with all other living organisms, microbes require energy to survive and the ECA solutions destabilise the immediate energy environment within which the microbes are able to live, and in so doing eliminate them. Moreover, the micro-organisms have been shown to be unable to build up a tolerance to this charge-based technology. Radical Waters is able to deliver a proven natural sanitation and detergent solution to the food and beverage processor without any compromise on product quality, safety, plant and personnel. ECA eliminates harmful micro-organisms and has been proven to be effective in the shelf life extension of perishable food products. “As a single sanitation solution, the ECA technology offers savings in time, simplifies the process and minimises returns by optimising quality – which ultimately is more cost effective ECA is safe on all food,” says Alastair Stride, Radical Waters md. Food companies are now able to accomplish total hygiene management with a safe, fast and effective natural substitute for traditional chemicals.