Jump to content

  • Quick Navigation
Photo

Recirculating Wash Water in fresh produce processing?

Share this

  • You cannot start a new topic
  • Please log in to reply
6 replies to this topic
- - - - -

veruca

    Grade - MIFSQN

  • IFSQN Member
  • 54 posts
  • 5 thanks
11
Good

  • United States
    United States

Posted 19 March 2018 - 03:48 PM

Has anyone successfully recirculated wash water used in fresh produce processing? Currently the process is wash one batch (50-75#) and dump or we use continuous showers. Is there a way to reuse this for a certain amount of product/ time instead of dumping $$$ down the drain? When are you calling it as being too fouled? Considering it would be maintained as per usual in regards to exposure and ppm. Or is the risk too high? I'm looking into individual units per line vs a whole plant system. No allergens in use. Feedback? Things I'm not considering? It is an antimicrobial wash.

 

 



Scampi

    Fellow

  • IFSQN Fellow
  • 5,444 posts
  • 1507 thanks
1,524
Excellent

  • Canada
    Canada
  • Gender:Not Telling

Posted 19 March 2018 - 04:01 PM

you can, but you would have to repeatedly prove; (just double check with FDA on this, I know CFIA has provisions for water reuse)

A) water is still potable (no bacterial growth from reuse)

B) chemical titrationss are still sufficient to reduce/prevent bacterial growth

 

This will involve a lot of your time and sampling of the water.....also you will need to verify against your WORST possible incoming material.let's assume it's inoculate with ecoli 157 when it arrives. is there sufficient chlorine/paa etc to destroy the pathogen on the produce, but also enough free in the water to destroy it completely?  If the organics in the wash water get too high, the become food for bacteria

 

If all of your water sampling comes back negative, then you can proceed.

 

Good luck


Please stop referring to me as Sir/sirs


Scampi

    Fellow

  • IFSQN Fellow
  • 5,444 posts
  • 1507 thanks
1,524
Excellent

  • Canada
    Canada
  • Gender:Not Telling

Posted 19 March 2018 - 04:14 PM

here is a guidance document

www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/GuidanceDocumentsRegulatoryInformation/ProducePlantProducts/ucm064458.htm


Please stop referring to me as Sir/sirs


Thanked by 1 Member:

FurFarmandFork

    Food Safety Consultant, Production Supervisor

  • IFSQN Fellow
  • 1,264 posts
  • 590 thanks
206
Excellent

  • United States
    United States
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Oregon, USA

Posted 19 March 2018 - 10:12 PM

Maybe try an in-line filter on your recirculation as well? A lot of Harmsco filters are relatively inexpensive and if you use a large pore size (e.g. 50 microns) they will probably go through a whole days production and significantly reduce turbidity/fouling of your recirculated water.


Austin Bouck
Owner/Consultant at Fur, Farm, and Fork.
Consulting for companies needing effective, lean food safety systems and solutions.

Subscribe to the blog at furfarmandfork.com for food safety research, insights, and analysis.

Charles.C

    Grade - FIFSQN

  • IFSQN Moderator
  • 20,542 posts
  • 5662 thanks
1,544
Excellent

  • Earth
    Earth
  • Gender:Male
  • Interests:SF
    TV
    Movies

Posted 19 March 2018 - 11:48 PM

I predict you are going to have a significant problem maintaining control of the  concentration of antimicrobial level. (Depending on yr precise critical limits of course.)

The risk may also relate to the specific product / its incoming microbial characteristics / its objective, retail RTE ?


Kind Regards,

 

Charles.C


veruca

    Grade - MIFSQN

  • IFSQN Member
  • 54 posts
  • 5 thanks
11
Good

  • United States
    United States

Posted 20 March 2018 - 01:24 PM

In line filtering has been discussed for potential fouling issues. The idea would be looking into putting in a couple fairly small in place systems (thinking 500gal holding tank). Systems would be used based on produce characteristics and if it was an incoming wash or 2nd wash. All produce is RTE at the end of our processing. The guidance document above did help some. I think our chemical provider is my next step.



Charles.C

    Grade - FIFSQN

  • IFSQN Moderator
  • 20,542 posts
  • 5662 thanks
1,544
Excellent

  • Earth
    Earth
  • Gender:Male
  • Interests:SF
    TV
    Movies

Posted 21 March 2018 - 06:49 AM

In line filtering has been discussed for potential fouling issues. The idea would be looking into putting in a couple fairly small in place systems (thinking 500gal holding tank). Systems would be used based on produce characteristics and if it was an incoming wash or 2nd wash. All produce is RTE at the end of our processing. The guidance document above did help some. I think our chemical provider is my next step.

 

Hi veruca,

 

IIRC this setup typically involves "hydrocoolers". There are a few discusssions on such in this forum. Maybe try a search.


Kind Regards,

 

Charles.C




Share this

0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users