condition. Those discussed here are used
only as guidelines and should be adapted to
the actual cleaning application.
Facilitating Effective Cleaning
The following practices are recommended
to aid in cleaning:
- Reduce burn-on through careful, con-
trolled heating of vessels. - Promptly rinse and wash equipment
after use to reduce drying of soil. - Replace facility gaskets and seals to
reduce leakage and splatter. - Handle food products and ingredients
carefully to reduce spillage. - Work in an orderly manner to keep
areas tidy throughout the operating
period. - During a breakdown, rinse equipment
and cool to 35°C or lower to arrest
microbial growth. - During brief shutdowns, keep washers,
dewatering screens, blanchers, and sim-
ilar equipment running and cooled to
35 °C or below.
Preparation Steps for Effective Cleaning
To facilitate effective cleaning, it is neces-
sary to prepare equipment and the area for
cleaning:
- Remove all large debris in the area to
be cleaned. - Dismantle equipment to be cleaned as
much as possible. - Cover all electrical connections with a
plastic film. - Disconnect lines or open cutouts to
avoid washing debris onto other equip-
ment that has been cleaned. - Remove large waste particles from
equipment by use of an air hose, broom,
shovel, or other appropriate tool.
Processing Areas
FREQUENCYDaily.
PROCEDURE- Prerinse all soiled surfaces with 55°C
water to remove extraneous matter
from the ceilings and walls to the floor
drains. Avoid direct hosing of motors,
outlets, and electrical cables. - Apply a strongly acidic cleaner through
portable or centralized foam cleaning
equipment. A centralized system is more
appropriate for large plants. Portable
equipment is more practical for smaller
plants. For heavily soiled areas, cleaning
compounds are more effective if applied
by portable or centralized high-pressure
cleaning equipment. If metal other than
stainless steel is present, the acid clean-
ing compound should be replaced with a
heavy-duty alkaline cleaning com-
pound. Hand brushing may be neces-
sary to remove tenacious soil deposits
left from foam cleaning. The cleaning
compound should reach all framework,
table undersides, and other difficult-to-
reach areas. Soak time for the cleaning
compound should be 10 to 20 minutes. - Rinse surfaces within 20 minutes after
application of the cleaner to remove
residues. The same rinse pattern as with
prerinse and cleaning compound appli-
cation should be followed by the appli-
cation of 50 to 55°C water. - Thoroughly inspect all surfaces and
conduct any necessary touch-ups. - Apply a chlorine compound sanitizer to
clean equipment with centralized or
portable sanitizing equipment. The san-
itizer should be sprayed as a 100 ppm of
chlorine solution. Water pipes used for
re-circulating wash water and for pump-
ing peas, corn, and other vegetables, as
well as brines and syrup, should be san-
itized by the same method. Frequently
Fruit and Vegetable Processing Plant Sanitation 345