[Cleaning & Sanitation] New Technologies Focus on Green

As consumer demand for green, sustainable production processes continues to rise, industry suppliers are answering the call with new technologies. One area in which this trend is being seen is in chemical-free systems for cleaning and sanitation. Some of those which have recently come to the forefront include:

Adapting NASA Technology

The Technology. The technology that forms the basis of the AiroCide PPT air purifying system was devel-oped by NASA scientists to enable astroculture experiments requiring air free of mold spores and ethylene gas to be conducted in the space station. The AiroCide technology is a photocatylytic air sanitation system that does not use or generate ozone or other chemical by-product. The organic-compliant system mineralizes airborne microbes and removes up to 99 percent of ethylene gas. Ethylene, which is emitted by some produce, can cross contaminate and spoil other perishables. "NASA created a chemical-free way to destroy ethylene gas," said Vice President of Sales and Marketing Jimmy Lee. "It is also able to completely destroy any other organic matter in the air."

The Uses. Adapted for use in food
processing plants, the integrated technology destroys airborne microbes and dismantles volatile organic compounds. It is used in the perishable food and beverage industries including retail, distribution and food and bever-age and analytical laboratories.

The Benefits. The AiroCide system is unique because all killing takes place in the reactor bed, Lee said. "It draws the air through the system and as it exits, it purifies the air." As a photo-

catyltic system, it produces no ozone and is not a filter. In addition, the sys-tem is very low maintenance and provides refrigeration energy savings and a health benefit for industry personnel.

AiroCide is manufactured and marketed by KesAir Technologies in Kennesaw, Ga. For more information, visit www.airocide.com.

Oxidizing Pathogens

The Technology. The technology of  Pacific Ozone is based on the tri-atomic form of oxygen (O3). As a powerful oxidizer, it destroys common pathogenic organisms through the natural processes of oxidation, disinfection and decomposition to divalent oxygen (O2). It is the third oxygen molecule that makes the technology effective, said Bob Smith-McCollum, vice president of marketing. "That third oxygen mole-cule is held very weakly. It’s happy to be transferred to any oxidizable mole-cule." The transfer creates energy, with the release of energy degrading the exterior membrane of the microbe, he said. "Once it releases the third oxygen, it simply reverts back to O2, so there is no residual taste or smell and it doesn’t create hazardous by-product."

The Uses. A primary use of the ozone system is preservation of fruits and vegetables in cold storage, both to preserve produce and for food safety. It’s also used for surface sanitation; can be applied directly on a food product (e.g., ready-to-eat meat) as it is being pack-aged; and can be used as a sanitizer in clean-in-place systems. In addition, time, energy and water is saved, as the system can be rinsed and sanitized in a single step at room temperature, at which it is most stable and effective.

The Benefits. Pacific Ozone has been recognized for expanding the use of ozone technology through its ozone reactor cell. Replacing chlorine, hot water and steam in many sanitization applications, it reduces consumption of chemicals, water and the energy need-ed to produce hot water and steam.  EPA-listed as a sustainable technology, ozone is cost-effective, facilitates water reuse, minimizes water consumed for cleaning and improves low-quality source waters.

Pacific Ozone is located in Benicia, Calif. Visit www.pacificozone.com.

Harnessing the Power of Vapor

The Technology. It started with a bartender in Italy. Unable to remove lipstick from the rim of a glass, he had the brainstorm to hold it under the cappuccino maker. Using vapor to clean and sanitize has advanced significantly since that day, but as Amerivap belt cleaners are proving, harnessing the power of vapor makes for a very effective cleaning and sanitation system. In belt-cleaning applications, the vapor is expelled at 220oF which provides an instant thermoshock and kills 99.9 percent of bacteria instantly. "People are very unaware that heating water to 365oF turns it to a vapor," said Sales Manager Gabriel Perez. "The heat does the work. There is no better way to be able to control bacteria than heat."

The Uses. With attachments for cleaning other equipment, a recent technological advance is that of the system’s in-place conveyor belt cleaning. In the past, wire belts had to be dismantled and soaked in chemical; mesh belts were often discarded and replaced; and vinyl belts stopped during production due to shifting caused by prod-uct build-up or spills, Perez said, comparing those to Amerivap’s vapor system. "It is designed to clean belts in situ, so they don’t have to be removed." And because no chemical is used, the belts can be cleaned during production runs.

The Benefits. Organic, sustainable and chemical-free, the system can clean and sanitize a 120-foot conveyor belt in seven minutes, using less than five ounces of water. At the temperatures used in the system, allergens and biofilm are eliminated.
Amerivap is located in Atlanta, Ga. For more information, visit www.amerivap.com.

Cleansing the Ambient Environment

The Technology. The technology behind Ingersoll Rand’s Environment Management System (EMS) was developed in Chile, then brought to the U.S. in the last five years, becoming available to the cold-chain industry in the last six months, said Wayne Benson, director of EMS Sales and Marketing. EMS is a surface and air sanitation technology that uses oxygen ions to cleanse the ambient environment, killing bacteria, viruses and molds. A mix of ozone and hydrogen perox-ide is generated, so efficacy is achieved without putting high levels of ozone into the air. The system operates continuously in a two-stage process: Stage 1 neutralizes airborne impurities. As air passes through the EMS non-thermal reaction chamber, airborne impurities are destroyed at a molecular level. Stage 2 sanitizes surface areas without chemical cleaners. As the transformed oxygen in the air settles, it cleans surfaces and air.

The Uses. EMS is used by meat processors, Benson said, because it can be used in coolers and meat packing areas to eliminate airborne contaminants. It is also effective when sprayed directly into bags of bread to increase shelf life, used as an air curtain to neutralize odors, and in air treatments to prevent cross contamination. With offerings first focused on growers and packers, Ingersoll Rand is gradually expanding to liquids, meats and sandwich commodities, from which it will branch into dry goods.

The Benefits. The technology sanitizes the air and surfaces of food and food-handling or processing equipment, while remaining harmless to humans, animals and the environment. Running 24/7, the system provides

continual sanitation; and being chemical-free it can be used in organ-ic facilities. The sanitizing system is USDA-tested and FDA-compliant and has been scientifically validated.

Ingersoll Rand EMS is based in Minneapolis, Minn. For more information, visit www.ems.ingersollrand.com.

Breaking the Bonds of DNA

The Technology. In Advanced Electron Beams (AEB) technology, the beams are a source of ionizing energy to initiate chemical reactions or break down complex chemical structures in a form that is less expensive and more compact than traditional systems. "It breaks apart the bonds in the DNA so any type of bacteria, mold or spore won’t be able to reproduce," said Dave Icke, vice president of marketing. "It is effective on all types of bio-burden." The technology has been around for many years, but traditional systems required vacuum pumping equipment, large high-voltage power supplies and complex shielding. Compact and low-voltage, AEB’s application components fit into existing equipment. The company works with equipment man-ufacturers to design in the technology, focusing primarily on in-line surface sterilization. "Our business model is similar to the light bulb," Icke said. "It goes into equipment that moves."

The Uses. The key focus of electronic beam sterilization is for critical equipment surfaces and packaging, with the technology showing potential for shelf-life extension of food. "It is used real time in the manufacturing process to make sure packaging materials are clean at the point of use," Icke said.

The Benefits. Electron beam sterilization eliminates the use of water and chemicals; has a high kill rate and small footprint; and can reduce operating costs by more than 50 percent. With today’s advances, it is cost effective and can be integrated into in-line systems for aseptic packaging.

Advanced Electron Beams (AEB) is based in Wilmington, Mass.. For more information, visit www.aeb.com.

Eliminating Contaminant "Hiding" Places

Technology. Engineered with 70 percent open area and CIP sanitation, Wire Belt’s CompactGrid conveyor belt is hygienically designed to protect products from allergens and pathogens such as Salmonella — by ensuring there is no place for them to "hide." Constructed of stainless steel, the grid’s open-surface area allows maximum flow through for convection and optimal performance in processes involving product coating, drainage, and liquid or air circulation.

The Uses. CompactGrid can take the heat of a product mov-ing out of an oven onto a cooling line, so is ideal for convey-orized fryers or ovens. Its open design also allows for cooling of freshly baked or fried products in high-volume, high-throughput processes, reducing the time required to heat or cool a product, thus reducing energy costs.

The Benefits. In a recent test, CompactGrid had five times greater flow through than the average plastic modular belt. Its stainless steel design doesn’t sweat, slip, droop, sag or catch fire; can be retro-fitted into most conveyor systems; and is in-place cleanable with standard equipment — saving time, money and energy. Wire Belt’s line of Flat-Flex belt-ing products and CompactGrid are accepted by USDA NSF/ANSI/3-A hygiene standards.

Wire Belt Company of America is located in Londonderry, N.H. For more information, visit www.wirebelt.com.