Greenbacking for hygiene systems
It’s a detergent and a disinfectant. Its non-toxic, and perhaps one of the greenest, eco-friendly hygiene systems offered to the food and beverage industry. ECA (Electro-Chemical Activation) is a food grade de-contaminant that mimics the chemistry of the human body’s natural immune system with three ingredients: salt, water and electricity. Gauteng-based company ECA water company Radical Waters has hygiene management device installations worldwide. Many of its customers including abattoirs and grain milling industries have successfully embraced ECA so far as the alternative to chemical sanitation. Radical Waters report that it expects to double the number of current installations within the next 12 months. Nikki Frieslaar, marketing manager, says the greatest savings and benefits achieved by use of ECA hygiene systems are seen when ECA use is viewed holistically as opposed to a direct chemical cost comparison. A direct cost comparison with traditionally used chemicals tends to vary depending on the application and types of chemicals being replaced, yet the direct cost benefit is favourable towards ECA hygiene systems use. Cape Town-based Sea Harvest has installed a system to treat both its fresh and sea water. Engineering manager, Nico Van Houwelingen, says the efficiency of the plant is very good. Frieslaar adds, “It has by no means been an easy task to break through the entrenched chemical paradigm and prove that a real-time, natural alternative to sanitation not only exists but is highly effective and environmentally friendly. Staff safety, water costs, shortages and forced legislature resulting in penalties for effluent high in chemicals are powerful factors influencing demand as well as consumers demanding greener systems.”The Radical Waters objective is to provide customers with the many benefits associated with the use of ECA hygiene systems technology and continue to help customers find new implementations throughout the hygiene partnership.How does ECA work?The core of ECA technology is based on a Russian design. A brine (salt and water) solution is passed through a reactor unit where it is activated with an electrical charge. Through the Electro-chemical Activation (ECA) process, two distinct solutions are produced and are generically known as Anolyte and Catholyte. The Catholyte solutions have proven effective in the removal of product residues and organic soiling, whilst the disinfecting properties of Anolyte display high level efficacy against all bacteria, viruses, fungi, yeast and moulds. ECA is equally effective against dangerous human pathogens including: E. coli 0157, Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. Further studies on Bacillus spores, Clostridia, Vibrio cholera and Hepatitis viruses have achieved equivalent results.
Did you know?According to an article in the LA Times, EAU Technologies of Kennesaw, Georgia, caters to both ends of a dairy cow, with alkaline water to aid the animal’s digestion and acid water to clean up its manure. A New York poultry processor uses it to kill salmonella on chicken carcasses and Michigan jailers mop with electrolysed water to keep potentially lethal cleaners out of the hands of inmates. |