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Green Cleaning And Disinfection Strategies For Pneumatic Conveyor Lines In Food Processing In Brazil

Pneumatic conveyors are indispensable in the production of dry pet food, as they facilitate the daily transportation of vast quantities of raw materials and finished kibble. Given their crucial role, maintaining their cleanliness is as vital as any other food-handling equipment.

However, cleaning and sanitizing pneumatic conveyor piping poses several challenges:

  • Disassembling the pipes for cleaning disrupts the manufacturing process significantly.
  • The internal surfaces requiring treatment are inaccessible using standard cleaning methods.
  • The pipes are often installed in hard-to-reach areas.
  • Debris tends to accumulate at pipe joints.

Fortunately, advanced methods have been devised that enable manufacturers to halt their operations briefly, conduct in-place cleaning, and swiftly resume production. The cleaning process must eliminate any debris that could support microbial growth. For lines feeding into extruders, this reduction in bacteria and contaminants ensures that, even if they come into contact with ingredients, the high extrusion temperatures will neutralize them.

Three primary cleaning methods are employed:

  1. Pigging‌: This involves sending specialized projectiles, or “pigs,” through the pipeline to scrape off debris. Each pig should match the pipe’s interior diameter to clean the entire wall as it progresses. The flow path’s dimensions must remain consistent; otherwise, the pig may get stuck or fail to clean the entire interior.

  2. Dry Ice Cleaning‌: Dry ice, which is carbon dioxide frozen to -78.5°C (-109.3°F), is used to freeze debris, making it brittle and easier to remove. The pellet shape scrubs the pipe interior, and the evaporated dry ice leaves no residue, venting with the conveying gas.

  3. Scouring Material‌: This method uses high-velocity contact with pipe walls to remove debris. The scouring material may include off-spec kibble, dried corn, salt, or any abrasive food material that would be acceptable in the line if traces remain after cleaning.

Post-cleaning, sanitation may be necessary, particularly in post-extrusion lines, to prevent microbial contamination of the final product. The goal of sanitation is to eliminate pathogens.

Three common sanitization methods include:

  1. Ozone Gas‌: As an oxidizing agent, ozone can destroy the cell walls of microbial contaminants. Injecting ozone into the line, monitoring its concentration, and maintaining adequate levels ensures complete sanitation, as ozone gas expands to cover the entire internal surface.

  2. Liquid Sanitizer‌: Liquid sanitizers can be sprayed directly into pipes through a hose or injection point or infused into a sponge-type pig. However, there is no guaranteed way to ensure adequate surface coverage, and they may be difficult to remove.

  3. High Heat‌: High heat is often used to kill pathogenic microbes, but the type of heat is crucial. Moist heat is more effective than dry heat in killing microbes, as pathogens naturally seek moisture and are scalded by it.

Determining the most suitable cleaning and sanitation methods requires considering various factors, including the plant’s environment, ingredients handled, equipment specifics, and cost. Each pet food plant’s needs are unique, and thus, the “right” method will vary accordingly.

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