Screening for residual chemicals in CIP pipes
Any advice for simple screening for residual chemicals in CIP pipes post cleaning? Finding from FDA audit, could be possible cross contamination risk since the pipes are close to balance tank of pasteurizer.
It will depend on the type of chemicals you use in your CIP system, but it is simple to test for traces of caustic by simply taking a sample of the rinse water and adding a drop of phenolpthalein dye. If the water turns pink then all the caustic solution hasn't been rinsed out and is a cross contamination risk. The test must be done outside of the production area however as phenol itself is also a chemical contaminant.
Acid traces can be checked by using a pH meter/litmus paper
Paracetic acid traces by using test strips.
Hope this helps.
If its a caustic wash your doing, check final rinse water with phenolphthalein
Cazx
it depends on the level of detection to be achieved. In general rinsing to neutral can be checked by pH-control (indicator paper or pH-meter) or conductivity. For other special indicators and sticks are available. These methods are suitable to follow rinsing. If we are talking about low conc than a specific and sensitive method and cleaning validation is necessary. The removal of e.g. QAVs is not simple.
Rgds
moskito