Read the complete article – Chemical-free cleaning-in-place technology – April 2011 – Develop Technology
OVERVIEW: As broader-scale environmental issues become more prominent and the supply of good quality source water becomes more unreliable, SA food and beverage manufacturers are likely to seek out alternative products and technologies which can reduce their environmental footprint through water and energy savings, as well as improve their operating efficiencies. Most food and beverage processing environments rely on water as a fundamental ingredient and its quality therefore needs to be of the highest possible standard. Under typical conditions, process or ingredient water is treated repeatedly by filtration before being used. While this procedure is relatively effective, other possible sources of microbial contamination do exist, and if left unchecked, will inevitably result in product contamination and spoilage.
Dr Robin Kirkpatrick, MD of Radical Waters Intellectual Property (RWIP), says: “The issue, until recently, has been that plants have had limited choices other than chemicals to treat source water. The use of traditional chemicals during cleaning-in-place (CIP) applications not only contradicts the current ‘green school of thought’, but is also in many instances an ineffective way in which to consistently ensure low microbial counts and subsequent water quality. Furthermore, under the existing chemical regime, beverage processors need to endure lengthier CIP cycles due to the number of rinse steps necessary to purge out any remaining chemical residues.”
Kirkpatrick says that electro chemical activation (ECA) technology is a natural substitute (for chemicals) as it uses a combination of water, salt and electricity (activation) to clean and disinfect food and beverage manufacturing plants. Carla Fiford, MD of Radical Waters (Pty) Ltd, explains that although ECA as a hygiene technology is still relatively new in the commercial environment, it was developed in Russia during the 1970s for use in the mining industry. “After more than a decade of extensive research and development to ensure that the technology does not affect the taste, colour or appearance of treated products, Radical Waters introduced a series of novel and patented ECA-based food and beverage applications into the market in early 2004. Since then we have manufactured, produced and installed ECA hygiene management systems for food and beverage plants in 21 countries on six continents. ECA technology is ideal for plants implementing HACCP, where the elimination and constant control of microbial contamination is vital.”…
Read the complete article – Chemical-free cleaning-in-place technology – April 2011 – Develop Technology