Reusing Old Water Coolers

The Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive has been in force for some time. This is intended to ensure that all electrical appliances such as watercoolers and TV monitors are dismantled and recycled at the  end of their useful life, rather than dumped into landfills.

The cost to the watercooler industry is estimated at between £8 million and £10 million. Invoices should show a recycling charge for all coolers bought or rented. This will help monitor compliance and be checked in distributors’ audits.

However, I am sure that we will see refurbishment and reuse of old product rather than just disposal. Innovative solutions will be created for using component parts of old coolers. Whereas the old material may not be reused for water contact in coolers (due to food-contact materials laws) the manufacturer may trade its recycled materials, similar to the trade in waste polycarbonate.

This initiative is to be applauded, but it raises questions of maintaining good hygiene in refurbished coolers. Surfaces which become worn or develop microcracks are more susceptible to growth of biofilm and  more difficult to clean and disinfect. It is essential, therefore, to have a very efficient cleaning and disinfecting regime.

UV or ozonation may not be completely effective in keeping refurbished coolers free of bacteria. It is important to rely on manual operations- for cleaning, descaling, using appropriate acids, and disinfecting with the best material for dealing with biofilm.

Peroxide, or peroxide synergised with silver, is excellent for destroying biofilm. Descaling is done most cost effectively with high-strength phosphoric acid. 

Because the high-strength materials are difficult to handle, I recommend the use of a dosing device which enables dilution and dispensing into the cooler tank without manual mixing or pouring.  

The issue of refurbishment is still under debate but I expect refurbishment schemes will be developed.

Hand Washing in the Bottling Plant

I cannot emphasize enough the importance of correct hand washing. The hand washing area should have a supply of anti-bacterial soap in a clean, hygienic dispenser. Soap should be non-perfumed, low-odour, mild to the skin and taint free.

The temperature and flow of water can have an effect on the success of hand washing. Water should have a decent flow and temperatures between 40-45 deg C. Taps should be knee operated or a hands-free design to avoid contact with taps and sinks.

Drying hands after washing is important because wet hands reduce the effectiveness of the alcohol disinfectant. The preferred method of drying is with good quality paper towels.

The correct method of washing hands is as follows: wet hands before applying liquid soap, rub hands together vigorously for about 10-15 seconds covering both sides of hands, fingers, thumbs, nails and wrists, rinse thoroughly with clean water and dry with a paper towel, apply alcoholic gel to hands and massage all surfaces, allow to air dry.

If gloves are worn, apply alcoholic gel to glove surfaces before work. Wedding rings can be a site for bacterial pockets and rings should always be lifted and turned when washing/disinfecting.

Insects in the Bottling Plant

Bottling plants should be insect free. The most efficient way of doing this is to install an electrocutor. However, careful thought should be given to the design of the equipment and the siting of the device.

When an insect flies into the electrocuter it literally causes the insect to explode. Unfortunately this creates a lot of debris which can easily fly out into the bottling plant. Look out for designs that minimise excessive spatter-back when the insect is killed.

The unit should not be in the vicinity of the filling section otherwise debris may cause contamination during filling. The design of electrocutors has not changed very much over the years but non-electric systems are available. These use glueboard technology and UV lamps. The insect literally sticks to the glueboard without exploding. 

Another aspect is the lifetime of the UV lamps. The power of the UV light is not constant during use and will tail off after several months becoming less effective. This is not noticeable to the human eye. Ensure that the elements are changed at the correct time and service from the supplier is undertaken regularly.

Flavoured Spring Water?

Consumers are being misled by the term “spring water” and further misled by the flavoured spring water drinks, according to a report in “The Food Magazine”. A survey by the Food Commission found that many such drinks use preservatives, colouring, artificial sweeteners and other additives, even though the name on the front implies a relatively pure drink.

Shoppers complained that what they thought was pure water with a drop of fruit flavouring was in fact a sweet soft drink with preservatives and additives, according to the report’s author. The descriptions on the front of the bottles are very misleading.

Tesco’s Spring Water Drink with a hint of grape and blackberry juice for example, or Boot’s Mandarin Still Spring Water with the flavour of mandarin both contain artificial sweeteners, preservatives and acidifiers. Sainsbury’s Crystal Spa made with spring water and natural tangerine flavour has more added sugar than Coca Cola, while Ribena’s Spring has an incredible 13 sugar lumps in a single serving.

Unlike mineral water, which is tightly defined by law, spring water is less rigorously defined and if a flavouring   agent is added then the product is defined as a soft drink, not bottled water, and all the colouring ingredients, preservatives and sweetening agents used in soft drinks can be added.

When Perrier added “a twist of lemon” to their water they started a trend which other companies have been quick to exploit. Shoppers are paying a lot per glassful - these are soft drinks charged at Perrier prices.

Of course, the Australians have gone one stage further and are selling a sparkling “Alcoholic Spring Water” with flavourings and vodka.

"Bisphenol-A Free"?

There has been much debate in the past about the potential dangers of bisphenol-A leaching from polycarbonate bottles.  A lot of research has been done and the European Food Standards Authority has indicated that there is no evidence of any danger from the use of polycarbonate bottles in the bottled water industry.

However, some countries have advised against the use of polycarbonate bottles in baby feeders where high sterilisation temperatures are often used.  As the debate and research go on, new bottles have appeared on the market in 19L, 11L and other smaller refillable bottles with the statement "bisphenol-A free".

To my knowledge, polycarbonate cannot be made without the use of bisphenol-A, so the new bottles are not made from polycarbonate but rather PET with special additives.  The additives are designed, among other things, to improve high temperature stability while maintaining the clarity of the bottle.  This enables high-temperature washing without shrinkage.

However, the chemistry of the additives is fairly complex and more long-term work would be needed to ensure that recyclability is not compromised when re-worked with standard PET or that leaching of undesirable components is no longer an issue.  I am sure that much work has been done already, but it may take some more years' of research before we can dispel completely all fears about unwanted chemicals entering the food chain.

Foam Cleaning

Foam cleaning can be an ideal way of ensuring good hygiene in the bottling plant. The advantages of foam are numerous: increased contact time maximises active ingredients’ effectiveness; the foam is a visual marker for the operator; the expanded foam reduces water and chemical usage; cleaning of large or awkward surfaces is made easier and quicker and therefore downtime for cleaning may be reduced.

Two pieces of equipment are described here which seem ideally suited to the bottling  plant environment. Neither of them requires compressed air and one of them does not need a water line. 

The first is a pump-up foam unit. The dual tube technology draws the chemical and compressed air from the tank into separate tubes creating thick foam when mixed at the trigger foam wand. Flow in the air tube is controlled by a needle valve giving the user the ability to control the consistency of the foam.

The second unit is a spray and foam dispenser which is wall mounted. This enables the operator to generate a cleaning foam, followed by a water rinse and finally a terminal disinfection, all from one piece of equipment.  The only requirement is a water line.

 A single control knob determines water flow and chemical selection, giving accurate dilutions. A built in foam wand hanger prevents foam wand loss or damage.

The ideal foaming chemical is a chlorinated foamer useful for general disinfection and removing mould growth.  An acidic foaming product is ideal for descaling or brightening stainless steel. Recommended disinfectants for spray application are peracetic acid (for water contact surfaces) and quaternary ammonium solutions for floors and walls.

COSHH and Risk Assessments

The COSHH Regulations are designed to prevent people at work being exposed to hazardous substances. The Risk Assessment is a key part of this. The whole process is usually covered by 5 stages: identification; assessment; prevention/control; training and monitoring.

All chemicals must be itemised which are used on the premises along with a list of current work activities. Labels should be checked on containers to determine type of chemical, method of use and precautions. If the  assessment sheet shows there is no likelihood of risk to health from the substance concerned, no further action is required.

A decision is required for each substance and every time the use of the substance, the method of work, its frequency of use, etc is changed, there will be need for a new assessment.

Identification and assessment of the risk will give you an insight into the control and prevention measures necessary to comply with the COSHH Regulations.

The requirement for risk assessments applies not only for chemicals used in the bottling plant, but also for chemicals taken into customers' premises during water cooler servicing.