Ultraviolet Disinfection in the Food and Beverage Industries
In an increasingly regulated and safety-conscious market, the food and beverage industries have to meet ever more stringent standards of quality. Microbial growth due to contaminated water or ingredients can cause discolouration, off flavours and shortened shelf-life. The threat of contamination is further increased as manufacturers respond to demands for less chemical additives and preservatives. Effective microbial disinfection of the whole process is therefore essential.
A non-chemical disinfection method which is gaining increasing acceptance is ultraviolet (UV) disinfection. UV kills all known spoilage microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, yeasts and moulds (and their spores). It is a low maintenance, environmentally friendly technology which eliminates the need for chemical treatment while ensuring high levels of disinfection.
Benefits of Ultraviolet Disinfection
Ultraviolet disinfection has many advantages over alternative methods. Unlike chemical treatment, ultraviolet does not introduce toxins or residues into process water and does not alter the chemical composition, taste, odour or pH of the fluid being disinfected.
Ultraviolet disinfection treatment can be used for primary water disinfection or as a back-up for other water purification methods such as carbon filtration, reverse osmosis or pasteurisation. As ultraviolet disinfection has no residual effect, the best position for a treatment system is immediately prior to the point of use. This ensures incoming microbiological contaminants are destroyed and there is a minimal chance of post-treatment contamination.
Ultraviolet disinfection applications in the food and beverage industries
Direct contact water
Although municipal water supplies are normally free from harmful or pathogenic microorganisms, this should not be assumed. In addition, water from private sources such as natural springs or boreholes could also be contaminated. Any water used as an ingredient in food or beverage products, or coming in direct contact with the product, can therefore be a source of contamination. Ultravioelt disinfects this water without chemicals or pasteurisation. It also allows the re-use of process water, saving money and improving productivity without risking the quality of the product.
CIP (Clean-in-Place) rinse water
It is essential that the CIP final rinse water used to flush out foreign matter and disinfecting solutions is microbiologically safe. Fully automated ultraviolet disinfection systems can be integrated with CIP rinse cycles to ensure final rinse water does not reintroduce microbiological contaminants. Because of their mechanical strength, MP lamps are not affected by any sudden changes in the temperature of the CIP water.
Filter disinfection
Stored reverse osmosis (RO) and granular activated carbon (GAC) filtrate is often used to filter process water, but can be a breeding ground for bacteria. Ultraviolet disinfection is an effective way of disinfecting both stored RO and GAC filtered water and has been used in the process industries for many years.
Dechlorination
GAC filters are also often used to dechlorinate process water, removing the ‘off’ flavours often associated with chlorine disinfection, meaning the flavour of the final product remains untainted and free from unwanted flavours or odours. Placing ultraviolet disinfection systems ahead of GAC filters used for dechlorination improves the performance of the filters and results in longer carbon runs, so decreasing operating costs.
Sugar syrups
Sugar syrups can be a prime breeding ground for microorganisms. Although syrups with a very high sugar content do not support microbial growth, any dormant spores may become active after the syrup has been diluted. Treating the syrup and dilution water with ultraviolet prior to use will ensure any dormant microorganisms are deactivated.
Tank head space disinfection
Ultraviolet disinfectionsystems can be used to disinfect displacement air for pressuring tanks or pipelines holding perishable fluids. Storage tanks are particularly susceptible to bacterial colonisation and contamination by air-borne spores. To prevent this, immersible ultraviolet disinfection treatment systems have been designed to fit in the tank head air space and disinfect the air present.
Waste water
Effluent from beverage manufacturing facilities can be treated without the use of environmentally hazardous chemicals. This ensures all discharges meet with local environmental regulations. As already mentioned, because process water can be treated and re-used with ultraviolet disinfection, this also leads to a significant reduction in the amount of waste water produced.
Read the complete article and to subscribe to the Hanovia RSS News Feed by visiting the Hanovia News Blog at http://halmapr.com/news/hanovia/
News
