Chain Cleaning
Hi all,
What process / procedure / chemical would you use to clean chains?
The chains are used to transfer frozen PIZZAS (contains cheese / meats / etc).
I am having issues with micro fails.
Currently using a scrubbing brush and chemical to clean daily / and then weekly steam cleaning.
Chemicals on site:
Alcohol disinfectant
Chlorinated foam
Non-caustic foam (alkalinity)
Phosphoric Acid foam
non-ionic and cationic disinfectant (Twin biocides)
PAA disinfectant
Sodium Hypochlorite
TRIAMINE QAC free disinfectant
Thanks
Capture.PNG 595.92KB 0 downloads
Hi all,
What process / procedure / chemical would you use to clean chains?
The chains are used to transfer frozen PIZZAS (contains cheese / meats / etc).
I am having issues with micro fails.
Currently using a scrubbing brush and chemical to clean daily / and then weekly steam cleaning.
Chemicals on site:
Alcohol disinfectant
Chlorinated foam
Non-caustic foam (alkalinity)
Phosphoric Acid foam
non-ionic and cationic disinfectant (Twin biocides)
PAA disinfectant
Sodium Hypochlorite
TRIAMINE QAC free disinfectant
Thanks
Hi ssf,
Can you quantitatively expand what you mean by "micro fails " ?
What do you mean by "chains" ? stainless steel conveyor / plastic ?
Hi Charles,
- listeria mono
- innocua
- seeligeri
- welshimeri
The chains are steel (similar to a bike chain) I attached a photo to my original post.
Regards
Hi Charles,
- listeria mono
- innocua
- seeligeri
- welshimeri
The chains are steel (similar to a bike chain) I attached a photo to my original post.
Regards
Hi ssf,
Thks photo which I missed. Rather weird looking system IMEX.
Cleaning ideas will likely require some knowledge of the Process. (IMEX batterfried, alkalis, phosphoric, heat etc tends to remove most things). Perhaps heat not an option in yr case ?.
Do you know which items are most difficult to remove on chains ? Cheese residues ?
"Quantitative" may involve specific "numbers". eg 1 L.mono cfu/g may be a different consequence to 100.
Was the micro. "failure" numerically associated with the chain EMPG ? (eg cfu/cm2) or with the finished Product cfu/g ?
Hi ssf,
Apologies that I forgot to ask if the pizza is RTE.
If the product is uncooked and in direct contact with the transfer system surface then some detection of Listeria species, eg L.mono, may not be surprising even after cleaning/sanitising, and maybe not particularly significant if in low numbers.
However if fully cooked/RTE IIRC the UK product requirements are either undetected (L.mono) or <100cfu/gm at retail.
Additionally, if you have a "long" history of no Listeria micro. problems using current cleaning , a specific new source of contamination may have been generated such as in raw materials or environment.
As I am understanding it, it isn't a food contact surface, so anything that fell in or onto the chains, would be discarded...why are you swabbing therre?
The chain is going to be incredibly difficult to clean no matter what method you're using
Can you share concentration and contact time for the chemicals you're using as well as the daily process , step by step?
Because the chain has all of the deep pockets, my guess is your daily process isn't sufficient and steam cleaning isn't going to do a thing--------if I were going to perform extra on that weekly, it would be a deep acid clean
Hi ssf,
Apologies that I forgot to ask if the pizza is RTE.
If the product is uncooked and in direct contact with the transfer system surface then some detection of Listeria species, eg L.mono, may not be surprising even after cleaning/sanitising, and maybe not particularly significant if in low numbers.
However if fully cooked/RTE IIRC the UK product requirements are either undetected (L.mono) or <100cfu/gm at retail.
Additionally, if you have a "long" history of no Listeria micro. problems using current cleaning , a specific new source of contamination may have been generated such as in raw materials or environment.
Not RTE Charles
I'm curious why that area was chosen as a swab site?
As I am understanding it, it isn't a food contact surface, so anything that fell in or onto the chains, would be discarded...why are you swabbing therre?
Unfortunately, these chains come in contact with the food prior to packaging. (Not my call)
The chain is going to be incredibly difficult to clean no matter what method you're using
Can you share concentration and contact time for the chemicals you're using as well as the daily process , step by step?
Because the chain has all of the deep pockets, my guess is your daily process isn't sufficient and steam cleaning isn't going to do a thing--------if I were going to perform extra on that weekly, it would be a deep acid clean
Hi Scampi,
Alcohol disinfectant - neat / leave on prior to run
Chlorinated foam 5% / 20 mins
Non-caustic foam (alkalinity) 5% / 20 mins
Phosphoric Acid foam 5% / 20 mins
non-ionic and cationic disinfectant (Twin biocides) 2% / 15 mins
PAA disinfectant 2% / 15 mins
Sodium Hypochlorite - only used for floor / drain contact
TRIAMINE QAC free disinfectant 2% / 15 mins
Daily:
1) Air line all visible debris.
2) scrub chains with brush & detergent leave for 20 mins.
3) rinse away
4) Spray with disinfectant and leave on until start up.
Weekly:
1) Steam clean the chains
2) spray with disinfectant until start up
Thanks
Not RTE Charles
Sorry our test centre doesn't provide the number results for listeria. Only for TVC/ENTS. Listeria just show what type e.g., welshimeri, seeligeeri, innocua.
Sorry our test centre doesn't provide the number results for listeria. Only for TVC/ENTS. Listeria just show what type e.g., welshimeri, seeligeeri, innocua.
Hi ssf,
Thks feedback.
Assuming no thermal process step, I would imagine yr inputs deliver significant amounts of Listeria spp. to the process environment. I anticipate you monitor yr raw materials so you probably have a qualitative idea of this already.
Offhand, for NRTE, I would not regard detection of Listeria spp as a micro failure unless you were finding large amounts which not seen in inputs.
The micro. indicator data (and/or ATP for general use) should enable a reasonable assessment/trend of basic status of Cleaning/Sanitising of food contact surfaces, eg -
A couple of things I notice
PAA, or any sanitizer at a no rinse concentration should be left on to dry, 15 minutes of contact time isn't sufficient
Add a caustic step on the weekly steam cleaning sanitation process BEFORE steam cleaning the caustic will work to remove the protein that may have built up during the week
Assuming your using stiff bristle scrub brushes, and if just pads, purchase good quality stiff brushes for sanitation
Don't be afraid to play with the concentrations...............sanitation is a 4 pronged process, time temperature, mechanical action and concentration, too little of 1 of those 4 things, increase 1 or more of the remaining 3