Some time ago, I wrote about antimicrobial coatings in the Food Industry ("Antimicrobial Surfaces in the Food Industry", New Food, 2, 52-56, 2006). Applications in the bottling plant and for treatment of water coolers are now a cost-effective reality. Applied by spray, these treatments provide constant protection against bacterial growth on many types of surfaces within the bottling plant, particularly those areas susceptible to mould growth.
In addition, treatment of door handles or plastic curtains will prevent growth and transfer of bacteria from these surfaces. The spray should be applied onto a clean, dry surface and allowed to dry. The product will continue to suppress bacterial growth and mould growth for an extended period. Areas within the bottling plant where the product may be used are on ceilings and in corners where mould growth usually occurs, on the cap chute and in the machine above the filler head.
Consider treatment of taps or buttons on watercoolers and also drip trays and cup holders. An obvious application is in toilets for treatment of door handles and taps. A version of the product is available with detergent included, for easy sanitisation of smaller surfaces, such as cooler casings and fountains.
This technology was originally devised for a hospital environment, but application into the food and beverage industries soon followed. Application in bottling plants and for water coolers is a logical next step. One word of caution, application of this product does not mean that you can forget all other cleaning and disinfection in the bottling plant or the water cooler clean room. It should always be considered as a second line of defence to complement other hygiene measures in your due diligence regime.
Thursday, 27 September 2012
Wednesday, 26 September 2012
Measuring Concentration of Bottle Wash Detergent
Still doing titrations? Many bottlers have switched to using conductivity meters to measure the concentration of bottle wash product in the tank. With advances in technology, conductivity meters have become smaller and easier to use. The price also has fallen considerably.
Using conductivity meters could not be simpler, just take a sample from the wash tank and dip in the meter. When the reading stabilises, look up the reading on a calibration chart and this will give you the concentration.
The pocket conductivity meters are temperature compensating, available in basic form for measuring just conductivity, or more sophisticated systems will also measure TDS, temperature and are self-calibrating. They are waterproof and also float should you accidently drop them into the wash tank.
If you operate a high throughput machine, then conductivity probes may be used in the machine linked to automatic dosing pumps which maintain a fixed concentration of the product throughout the day. The concentration of the product in the wash tank will reduce over the day caused by drag-out from the bottle movement and it is necessary to compensate for this loss
Using conductivity meters could not be simpler, just take a sample from the wash tank and dip in the meter. When the reading stabilises, look up the reading on a calibration chart and this will give you the concentration.
If you operate a high throughput machine, then conductivity probes may be used in the machine linked to automatic dosing pumps which maintain a fixed concentration of the product throughout the day. The concentration of the product in the wash tank will reduce over the day caused by drag-out from the bottle movement and it is necessary to compensate for this loss
Tuesday, 25 September 2012
Detecting Biofilm and Mould in the Bottling Plant and Water Coolers
How do you detect contamination in your bottling plant or water cooler? There is a wide variety of diagnostic techniques available these days to help. Identifying the presence of biofilm or mould can be done in the old fashioned way by feel or using the experienced eye, but it is best to rely on additional help from diagnostic tools.
If you want an immediate answer to the possible presence of biofilm or mould, a simple swabbing test will give you an answer in 10 minutes, based on a colour reaction. If you want a more quantitative measure of contamination then the use of an ATP meter is required. These are available in pocket meter format.
If you would like to identify specific bacteria then several techniques are available, some based on pre-made plates with identification charts of the bacterial growth. You will need a small incubator to use these plating techniques, however the savings on external lab costs will soon pay for the outlay.
A wide range of diagnostic kits is available, including Colilert, Pseudalert, dip slides, SIM plates and Petri plates as well as associated equipment.
If you want an immediate answer to the possible presence of biofilm or mould, a simple swabbing test will give you an answer in 10 minutes, based on a colour reaction. If you want a more quantitative measure of contamination then the use of an ATP meter is required. These are available in pocket meter format.
If you would like to identify specific bacteria then several techniques are available, some based on pre-made plates with identification charts of the bacterial growth. You will need a small incubator to use these plating techniques, however the savings on external lab costs will soon pay for the outlay.
A wide range of diagnostic kits is available, including Colilert, Pseudalert, dip slides, SIM plates and Petri plates as well as associated equipment.
Monday, 24 September 2012
Descaling and Disinfecting Water Coolers
Water coolers are prone to scale up if the spring or mineral water is heavily mineralised. The procedure for descaling is not standardised and different techniques are used by different clients. For rapid descaling, the acid is used in concentrated form, although this may cause safety issues in handling. Simple dispensing devices are available for this task which avoid manual operations.
The most important operation is disinfecting the water cooler. Biofilm can easily form during the 3 months between services and this must be removed to prevent further build up. Biofilm is notoriously resistant to several disinfectants including hypochlorites. The ideal disinfectant for this purpose is hydogen peroxide. It will penetrate and remove biofilm without leaving any taint. Decomposition products are simply water and oxygen. Stabilised products are required to maintain an adequate shelf life and the stabilisers must be food grade materials.
Treatment of taps, air filter, waterguard and spigot are easily accomplished using a peroxide spray while the main reservoir and internal pipework are best treated with a solution of peroxide.
New sprays are available for cleaning and disinfecting the body of the cooler, drip tray and cup holder which have a long-lasting anti-microbial effect
The most important operation is disinfecting the water cooler. Biofilm can easily form during the 3 months between services and this must be removed to prevent further build up. Biofilm is notoriously resistant to several disinfectants including hypochlorites. The ideal disinfectant for this purpose is hydogen peroxide. It will penetrate and remove biofilm without leaving any taint. Decomposition products are simply water and oxygen. Stabilised products are required to maintain an adequate shelf life and the stabilisers must be food grade materials.
Treatment of taps, air filter, waterguard and spigot are easily accomplished using a peroxide spray while the main reservoir and internal pipework are best treated with a solution of peroxide.
New sprays are available for cleaning and disinfecting the body of the cooler, drip tray and cup holder which have a long-lasting anti-microbial effect
Thursday, 20 September 2012
Best Products for Washing Polycarbonate Bottles
I am often asked about bottle wash products and the difference between those on the market. There is a difference between the products offered and it is valuable to know what these differences are.
Many bottle wash products sold in the UK are alkaline. Alkaline products are particularly good at removing particulate soil. Ideally the product should also contain a water softening component which enables a good clean to be obtained even in water with high mineral content. Even better, if the product contains a biodegradable detergent, this will enhance cleaning and help draining. It is essential, of course, that the detergent is low foaming at normal wash temperatures, i.e., above 60 deg C. If you do not see any foam in your bottle washer, this important component is not in your bottle wash product.
Remember, most of the soiling is on the outside of the bottle, particularly the base, where soil is picked up from wherever the bottle has been standing. Too much caustic or, indeed, too much acid is undesirable and it is a mistake to take products which are normally sold into the dairy industry; these are fine for cleaning steel piping, but not polycarbonate bottles.
However, occasionally there are limitations to the use of alkaline products. If your bottle washer does not possess a heater and you have to carry out a cold wash, you need something in addition to ensure good bacteria kill. In this case, use an alkaline cleaner which contains a disinfectant component, such as hypochlorite, but be sure to rinse thoroughly afterwards, otherwise you may get taint problems.
Many bottle wash products sold in the UK are alkaline. Alkaline products are particularly good at removing particulate soil. Ideally the product should also contain a water softening component which enables a good clean to be obtained even in water with high mineral content. Even better, if the product contains a biodegradable detergent, this will enhance cleaning and help draining. It is essential, of course, that the detergent is low foaming at normal wash temperatures, i.e., above 60 deg C. If you do not see any foam in your bottle washer, this important component is not in your bottle wash product.
Remember, most of the soiling is on the outside of the bottle, particularly the base, where soil is picked up from wherever the bottle has been standing. Too much caustic or, indeed, too much acid is undesirable and it is a mistake to take products which are normally sold into the dairy industry; these are fine for cleaning steel piping, but not polycarbonate bottles.
However, occasionally there are limitations to the use of alkaline products. If your bottle washer does not possess a heater and you have to carry out a cold wash, you need something in addition to ensure good bacteria kill. In this case, use an alkaline cleaner which contains a disinfectant component, such as hypochlorite, but be sure to rinse thoroughly afterwards, otherwise you may get taint problems.
Tuesday, 18 September 2012
Contamination on Footwear in the Bottling Plant
Apart from airborne infiltration, the second most common entry of microorganisms into your bottling plant, or cooler servicing room, is on the soles of boots or shoes. This is particularly the case when the bottling plant is located on farm land.
Our colleagues in the food industry solve this problem by allowing only rubber boots as footwear and creating a foot-dip area at the entrance to the plant, or to use plastic overshoes which are discarded after use.
We all know that in the bottling plant these facilities often are not available and therefore it is essential to keep the floor as clean as possible during the shift. Entry into the bottling plant or cooler servicing room should be restricted to essential personnel and preferably the plant should be sealed off to limit access. Of course, if a bottle jam occurs this has to be rectified quickly, but an awareness of foot contamination needs to be reinforced with anyone allowed access to the plant.
Preferably use a sanitiser or terminal disinfectant that has residual properties so that the bacteria kill will continue throughout the shift. The best ones are based on mixed disinfecting components using, for example, quaternaries and biguanides. These will provide a powerful and long-lasting deterrent to foot-borne microorganisms.
Our colleagues in the food industry solve this problem by allowing only rubber boots as footwear and creating a foot-dip area at the entrance to the plant, or to use plastic overshoes which are discarded after use.
We all know that in the bottling plant these facilities often are not available and therefore it is essential to keep the floor as clean as possible during the shift. Entry into the bottling plant or cooler servicing room should be restricted to essential personnel and preferably the plant should be sealed off to limit access. Of course, if a bottle jam occurs this has to be rectified quickly, but an awareness of foot contamination needs to be reinforced with anyone allowed access to the plant.
Preferably use a sanitiser or terminal disinfectant that has residual properties so that the bacteria kill will continue throughout the shift. The best ones are based on mixed disinfecting components using, for example, quaternaries and biguanides. These will provide a powerful and long-lasting deterrent to foot-borne microorganisms.
Monday, 17 September 2012
Bottling Plant Disinfection Before Start-Up
Overnight, during shutdown, your bottling plant accumulates bacteria and algal spores. They float in through the doors as people leave or become dislodged from roof areas by draughts. By the morning the washer/filler is contaminated.
Rather than start up with a contaminated washer, it is becoming good practice to disinfect the machine before operations begin. Ideal for this purpose is treatment with a fine spray of hydrogen peroxide. There is no need to rinse afterwards and there will be no problems with taint. It is important to wear a face mask and face shield during this operation, to protect eyes and avoid inhalation of the fine spray.
Hydrogen peroxide at ready-to-use concentration is available or a more concentrated product is available in 25L containers for use with a venturi spray system.
An alternative approach is to use sachets of chlorine dioxide-generating materials. The sachets are placed in water and the chlorine dioxide gas evolved disinfects the washer/filler and surrounding area.
Yet another option is to use peracetic acid. This is normally delivered at 5% concentration and requires dilution down to a use concentration of 0.5% of the 5% product (about 250ppm). In each case, the disinfectant should be allowed to work for a period of 10-15 minutes before start up.
It is good practice to rinse the pipe line from the holding tank to the filler with disinfectant solution before start up (make sure to rinse).
For general disinfection of floors and walls use a mixed quaternary product because this has a residual effect which continues to work overnight.
Rather than start up with a contaminated washer, it is becoming good practice to disinfect the machine before operations begin. Ideal for this purpose is treatment with a fine spray of hydrogen peroxide. There is no need to rinse afterwards and there will be no problems with taint. It is important to wear a face mask and face shield during this operation, to protect eyes and avoid inhalation of the fine spray.
Hydrogen peroxide at ready-to-use concentration is available or a more concentrated product is available in 25L containers for use with a venturi spray system.
An alternative approach is to use sachets of chlorine dioxide-generating materials. The sachets are placed in water and the chlorine dioxide gas evolved disinfects the washer/filler and surrounding area.
Yet another option is to use peracetic acid. This is normally delivered at 5% concentration and requires dilution down to a use concentration of 0.5% of the 5% product (about 250ppm). In each case, the disinfectant should be allowed to work for a period of 10-15 minutes before start up.
It is good practice to rinse the pipe line from the holding tank to the filler with disinfectant solution before start up (make sure to rinse).
For general disinfection of floors and walls use a mixed quaternary product because this has a residual effect which continues to work overnight.
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