Whitepaper - Cleaning Proccess
Whitepaper - Cleaning Proccess
Whitepaper - Cleaning Proccess
WHITE PAPER
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Contents
1 2 Reasons for Cleaning & Disinfecting Cleaning 2.1 Soil 2.2 Substrate 2.3 Cleaning energies 2.4 Chemical and physical reactions of cleaning 2.5 Detergents 3 Disinfection 3.1 Principles of disinfection 3.2 Biocidal effect 3.3 Disinfectants design and choice 4 Hygiene Equipment and Application Methods 4.1 Manual cleaning 4.2 Foam cleaning 4.3 Spray 4.4 Fogging 4.5 Machine Washing 5 6 Cleaning in Place (CIP) Cleaning Procedures 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 6 6 6 6 7 7 7 8 8 8 8 9
Summary
Those responsible for the management of cleaning and disinfection in a food processing operation often do not fully understand the reasons for plant hygiene or the scientific principles and technology behind effective cleaning. This is essential in order to comply with legal and technical standards and ensure food hazards are controlled. This whitepaper deals with the essential knowledge required for effective cleaning programs within a food processing operation including reasons for cleaning, the chemistry, principles of disinfection, equipment and methods, GFSI requirements and monitoring of hygiene.
Contents
7 8 9 Validation of Cleaning Procedures Monitoring of Hygiene GFSI Requirements for Cleaning and Disinfection Reference Safefood 360 Products 11 11 13
At the most basic level, the visual appearance of a food factory is an indication of the standards and culture of the company. It has a strong impact on the perception of an auditor or visitor and can influence the overall outcome of audits and securing new business. For this reason the visual cleanliness of a company is as important as detailed HACCP plans. Cleaning costs money. It is often perceived as a necessary evil which does not add value to a product directly. The cost of cleaning and indeed the cost of not cleaning are seldom measured routinely by food companies. The typical cost elements of a cleaning programme include: Labor and supervision Water supply, treatment and purchase Water heating Cleaning equipment Chemicals
Of these, labor is normally the biggest factor accounting for over 60% of the total cleaning budget whether resourced under contract or in-house. When cost pressures come to bare usually labor is normally cut back. While this may save money in the short term, over time it will lead to a number of indirect costs including a reduction in shelf life, increase in product complaints, recalls, regulatory restriction and a loss of business. The viability of the business will ultimately be impacted. The next most significant costs are water and chemicals which can vary on the source and supplier. In this paper we will cover some of the factors impacting on cleaning and associated costs.
2 Cleaning
Cleaning is a physio-chemical process involving a number of factors.
2.1 Soil
In food processing operations soils and deposits originate from the ingredients used in the preparation of the product. These soils include the following:
Soil Fats, oils & greases Description These are triglycerides of fatty acids and vary from waxy solids to liquids. They are insoluble in water and can change when exposed to air and may oxidise and polymerise to become harder and more closely bonded to the surface. Exposure to high temperature may cause fats to carbonise. Fatty deposits can be recognised by their greasy feel and repellent properties. These are complex large molecules that are normally too large to dissolve in water. They have a specific shape that may change when exposed to high temperatures, a process known as denaturation usually making them harder and more insoluble. This property is important in the temperature of water used to remove protein deposits. Aged protein deposits can be difficult to remove. Many allergens are proteins. These are large molecules which may be insoluble especially after exposure to heat. They are usually derived from plants. Carbohydrate deposits can vary from soft powdery to quite hard. From water drips and leaks or in hot water tanks, cookers etc From fork lift trucks Found on metals such as steel, zinc, aluminium, brass From label application processes From ink jet coders and packaging processes Found in moist areas especially where high levels of condensation are present Found in moist areas especially near chills and freezers and silicon sealants
Proteins
Carbohydrates and starches Lime scale Rubber marks Corrosion deposits Adhesives Inks & dyes Algae Fungi
Not all the deposits mentioned pose a serious risk, however all create a poor visual appearance. Some act as an excellent substrate for absorbing other soils and micro-organisms. The key point is that each is chemically different and requires different cleaning methods. Therefore it is important to identify the typical soils present and design your program accordingly.
2.2 Substrate
The substrate is the materials of construction found in food processing plants. The standard of materials can vary their ease of cleaning and resistance to corrosion to chemicals. The ideal material standard is smooth, non-porous, abrasion resistant and inert.
Description A high grade is best. In cheaper forms there is a tendency to pitting corrosion in the presence of chlorine. Used as a coating on steel both can often be found in food plants and may cause problems as they are easily attached by strong alkalis and acids. Problems encountered include corrosion, brittleness and poor surfaces for cleaning. May become porous and cracked and easily attached by acids. This material will rust in many food environments and should be avoided This includes various coatings and can vary in their level of resistance to chemicals and pressure washers. Flaking can present a risk of product contamination. Can vary in their resistance to chemicals and products. They can become brittle on contact with heat, light and chlorine. They can act as a host to moulds and fungi.
When selecting surface materials, you should ensure they are compatible with the chemical and physical production environment. Prevention of product contamination risks should always be considered when reviewing the specification of materials.
Thermal energy
Time
Cleaning Process
Mech enery
Chemical energy
Description o This is usually in the form of hot water or steam. In general terms an increase in 10 C in a detergent solution doubles the rate of the chemical reactions involved in cleaning. This can come in the form of brushes, water jets, and turbulent flow in pipes (CIP). A flow rate of about 2 meters/second is needed to create a turbulent flow. Depends on the nature and concentration of the detergents used in the cleaning process. The time required for cleaning can vary depending on the method applied. Soaking can take hours while operations such as machine washing can take seconds.
It is the interaction of the above factors that determine the effectiveness and rate of the cleaning method. Often the aim is to obtain a balance consistent with cost, efficacy and food safety. This is where a knowledgeable chemical supplier can assist in the development of effective cleaning regimes.
Description This is the displacement of one fluid from a solid surface by another. The displaced fluid may be air or some liquid or semi-liquid such as grease. In the case of cleaning, the fluid displacing it is usually water or a detergent solution. Water is seldom enough for wetting particularly on water resistant or hydrophobic materials. A lack of wetting prevents effective cleaning. Surfactants are normally used for wetting. These are organic molecules with a different charge at each end. One end is hydrophobic and attracts water while the other end attracts oils. Wetting of hydrophobic surfaces: Water Detergent solution
Wat er Hydrophobic Surface Penetration Emulsification This is the action which follows wetting where the other agents in the detergent can get to work. Emulsions are suspensions of small droplets of one fluid in another. Milk is an emulsion of oil (milk fats) in water stabilised by other molecules in the milk. Fats, oils and greases will not naturally disperse in water. First the oil needs to be released from the surface it is resting on. Wetting is the first stage as the detergent undermines the oil-surface attraction and starts displacing the oil into droplets. The process is accelerated at higher temperatures. The droplets will combine together and eventually redeposit. To prevent this surfactants are employed to coat the droplet surface and stabilise the emulsion.
Hard Surface
Dispersion Solubilisation
Similar to emulsification except it involves the breaking up and suspension of solid particles rather than fluid droplets. This is taking up of soil components into a true solution (rather than emulsification or dispersion) This may relate to water soluble soils.
Saponification
Chelation
Oxidation
2.5 Detergents
The nature and complexity of the detergent employed depends on the variation of soils, water hardness, temperature of the method, plant surfaces and safety. Detergent suppliers normally have a range of detergents to be employed in varying and specific circumstances. The range of products will include: Alkalis: caustic soda, caustic potash, coronate, silicate, phosphate Acids: Phosphoric, nitric, citric, glycolic Chelates: EDTA, NTA, gluconate, glucoheptonate, citrate, polymeric Solvents: Isopropanol, propylene, butyl diglycol, ethers Surfactants: Anionic, cationic, non-ionic, amphoteric Inhibitors: Organic, inorganic Enzymes: protease, lipase, amylase Oxidising agents: hypochlorite, isocyanurates Stabilisers Viscosity modifiers
A detergent solution may contain between 2 and 15 components, blended carefully to specification. It is important to work with a good supplier to correctly identify the correct detergent for your operation. This will save money in the long term as cleaning will be more effective. The failure of a product to work is usually not due to a poor quality product but rather the wrong one. Application and use are also important factors and a good supplier will usually provide training in the correct use of the product. A detergent is designed to remove soils. Another term used is sanitizer and is often used to describe similar products. However a sanitizer is usually used to refer to a product containing both a detergent and disinfectant. A disinfectant is a product which kills microbes without employin g a soil removal action.
3 Disinfection
3.1 Principles of Disinfection
Soil deposits can harbour potentially harmful (pathogenic) microorganisms which if left to grow can present a serious risk to the health of the consumer. In order to control this risk the soil must first be removed using an effective cleaning method normally including a detergent as previously discussed. Typically the reduction achieved 2 6 2 2 3 by cleaning is in the order of 3-4 logs per cm . If the initial loading was 10 cm there will remain counts of 10 -10 2 cm after cleaning. It is normally necessary to reduce the levels further to a few hundred and this is where the process of disinfection is used. It should be noted that sterilization, which is the elimination of all microorganisms is neither practical nor necessary in the disinfection of food plants.
Non oxidising disinfectants are typically based on quaternary ammonium compounds which are a class of cationic surfactant, amphoterics, alcohols and aldehydes. They are usually heat stable, less corrosive and a residual biocidal or biostatic effect.
Foam is a carrier for the detergent. The foam should be applied is an even layer. Coverage rates are quick and chemical usage is economical. Your chemical supplier will advise on the most appropriate chemicals and equipment for your operation. The equipment itself may be mobile, centralised or satellite.
4.3 Spray
Spray cleaning uses a lance on a pressure washer with chemical induction by venturi. This method can be wasteful of chemical and can be slow to produce a foam. It should be used where foaming properties are not essential for the cleaning action.
4.4 Fogging
Aerial fogging uses compressed air or other equipment to generate a fine mist of disinfectant solution which hangs in the air long enough to disinfect airborne organisms. It will also settle on surfaces to produce a bactericidal effect. The system can come in a small portable device or built in automatic central systems. Fogging should never be used as a primary sanitising method. It should be used in conjunction with other methods. It is also important to ensure that coverage and saturation is sufficient and the mist is fine to allow proper action.
CIP involves a programed cycle including timed pre-rinse, cleaning and rinsing stages and can be fully automatic or semi-automatic with a system of valves, pumps and detergent tanks controlled by a microprocessor. There are a number of parameters that need to be specified and controlled for effective CIP.
Parameter Flow velocity Spray pressure and pattern Description In all parts of the system it should be sufficient to cause turbulent flow. This is around 1.5-2 meters per second. Below this laminar flow will occur which will not yield effective cleaning. Where spray balls and rotating jets are used in large tanks sufficient pressure should be used for full coverage. Typical pressures are 1-3 bar for low pressure systems and 6 bar for high pressure. Flow rates of about 2 times the vessels volume per hour should be used. o This impacts on the rate of chemical reaction. Typical temperatures can be around 85 C This is normally achieved through a conductivity meter and control system linked to an automatic dosing system.
Recycling
Required to manage costs and environmental impact. Solution recovery and reuse is ideal but must be controlled to avoid overloading of the solution and contamination risks.
6 Cleaning Procedures
Cleaning is a complex process. To ensure it is conducted correctly a defined and systematic approach is required that takes into account a number of factors previously covered. This approach takes the form of a Procedure and this is usually a legal requirement in addition to a fundamental requirement of global food standards. A collection of these cleaning procedures forms a Cleaning Plan or Program which is plant specific. A typical cleaning procedure includes the following: Cleaning method Standards Frequency Chemicals used Equipment used Time and temperature specifications
These procedures may be collected into a cleaning manual which should be available to those responsible for cleaning. The cleaning plan may also be summarised in a table and records should be maintained of all completed cleaning activities. As previously discussed cleaning is a significant cost for food businesses. This may contribute to cleaners and managers combining or omitting individual steps in cleaning procedures. This should be avoided. Training of staff and commitment by management are essential to prevent this. The correct sequence of a general cleaning procedure for surfaces in a food plant is: Gross Clean/Preparation
Pre-rinsing
Detergent Application
Post Rinsing
Disinfection
Terminal Rinsing
A poor gross clean is the single biggest reason for poor or inconsistent bacterial counts on surfaces and for high bacterial contamination in aerosols caused by rinsing. A well designed cleaning procedure will provide for the removal of all food pieces greater than a fingernail before applying detergent. Ideally this should be done dry by hand, scrapping or other physical method. The collected material should be placed in waste receptacles and removed from the area. All ingredients, food and packaging materials should also be removed from the area prior to gross cleaning. The purpose of this step is to remove deposits which cannot be easily removed by picking, scrapping or other manual form of gross cleaning. Excess water should be removed following pre-rinsing to avoid dilution of the detergent in the following step. The purpose of the detergent is to remove the layers of proteins, greases and other food deposits that remain on surfaces. Detergents are not designed to remove large pieces of food deposits or thick layers of fat. It is in these layers that bacteria can survive and grow and make the use of a disinfectant pointless. Foam should be conducted carefully and methodically and there should be a check to ensure that all surfaces have been covered. Detergents should be made up and used according to the suppliers instructions and appropriate time should be allowed for the detergent to work. The purpose of post rinsing is to remove the remaining food deposits. Care should be taken to minimise the amount of splash and aerosol formed which may re-contaminate surfaces. After post rinsing the surface should be free of all visible deposits, layers of soiling and residues of detergent. Any residues of detergent may neutralise the action of any subsequent disinfectant. Any pools or accumulations of water should be removed following post rinse. Disinfection should only be carried out on a visually clean, well rinsed surface, with minimal amounts of water. Direct food contact surfaces should be disinfected at least daily with other surfaces disinfected on a regular basis. Disinfectants should be used safely according to the suppliers instructions. Most disinfectants are safe to leave on non-food contact surfaces without final rinsing. In some sections of the food industry there is a requirement to rinse food contact surfaces with water after disinfection. The standard of the water is important to ensure that the disinfected surface is not re-contaminated.
Identify the monitoring program e.g. visual, ATP, chemical testing etc. This will include the standard to be achieved and specific sampling points based on an assessment of risk. Conduct the cleaning program as documented a number of times and follow up with the monitoring checks. Confirm that the procedure as documented is capable of meeting the monitoring criteria. If the procedure is not capable, modify the cleaning method or correct the issue. Repeat the above process until the documented cleaning procedure is confirmed as capable of meeting standard (verified) and approve the procedure. Conduct training of employees against the procedure and implement the monitoring program. Retain full records of the above data and process including your conclusions.
Your HACCP system will reveal specific areas in the operation which require control to ensure safe food production. A risk assessment of these areas will normally indicate that while they are not Critical Control Points (CCPs) they still require control and this is where the monitoring program is important. Once identified , you will need to develop a standard for cleaning which can then be measured and assessed. This will be based on the hazard that needs to be controlled. Hazards may include:
Hazards Physical Biological Allergens Chemicals Description Contamination from food deposits not removed due to poor cleaning. It may include accumulated chemical deposits such as water hardness. Contamination from bacteria and other microorganisms which may survive and grow following poor cleaning and disinfection. Usually protein in nature and may cross-contaminate products due to poor product change over procedures. Particularly important for products with a free from declaration. Contamination from residual cleaning chemicals remaining from poor rinse steps.
Microbiological Testing
Rapid Testing
This includes ATP bioluminescence and allows for real time assessment of cleaning standards and is valuable for Go/No Go regimes. It can be used to optimise cleaning methods and validation of procedures. This can be conducted using rapid testing which can be either general or specific. External laboratory testing may also be used This may be checked using titration, test kits or conductivity meters. This may be checked by titration, pH and conductivity.
Results should be reported to management and fed back to cleaning teams for remedial action. Data collected from monitoring programs should be trended to identify any emerging trends.
Picture: Sample Trending Report
Training of all operators and managers involved in plant cleaning is critically important. It helps develop and maintain a high level of consciousness and understanding of cleaning importance. Training should be planned and focus on the reasons for cleaning, how to clean, cleaning chemicals and refresher training. Records of training should be maintained. Supervision is also essential. Standards of cleaning conducted by staff should be supervised to identify any drift in standards early on.
Documentation Requirements Cleaning schedules and records should be available in place Chemicals used should be appropriate for the purpose intended Hygiene inspections should be carried out and recorded
Cleaning Record
References
H. L. M. Lelieveld - Hygiene in Food Processing: Principles and Practices Huub L. M. Lelieveld, M. A. Mostert, John T.. Holah - Handbook of Hygiene Control in the Food Industry C&C Guidance G55 - Cleaning and Disinfection of Food Factories
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