Bacteriological Control of Food Equipment Surfaces by Cleaning Systems. III. Complementary Cleaning

Area of Science:

• Food safety and hygiene
• Microbiology
• Surface science

Background:

• Soak cleaning systems are crucial for maintaining hygiene in food processing.
• The effectiveness of combined alkaline and acidic detergents in soak cleaning requires further investigation.
• Understanding soil accumulation and bacterial control on different surfaces is essential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of complementary alkaline and acidic detergents in a soak cleaning system.
• To assess the impact of different cleaning systems on soil accumulation and bacterial numbers.
• To determine the primary factors influencing bacterial control in cleaning processes.

Main Methods:

• A cleaning simulator was employed to mimic 28 soiling and washing cycles.
• Stainless steel and rubber surfaces were subjected to milk-soiled with Streptococcus faecalis and Escherichia coli.
• Four cleaning systems were tested, varying in detergent type (alkaline, acidic, chlorinated) and sanitizer (iodophor) application.

Main Results:

• The complementary use of alkaline and acidic detergents aggravated soil accumulation.
• Acidic detergents were found to be ineffective and worsened soil buildup in soak cleaning.
• Sanitizer performance, not detergency, was the key factor in bacterial control.
• Substrate type significantly influenced soil deposition and subsequent bacterial numbers.
• Neither tested bacteria grew during the intercycle period under the experimental conditions.

Conclusions:

• Complementary use of alkaline and acidic detergents is detrimental to soak cleaning efficiency.
• Sanitizers play a critical role in bacterial control, independent of detergency.
• Surface material properties significantly impact cleaning outcomes.
• Further research into optimized cleaning protocols considering substrate and sanitizer interaction is warranted.