The importance of cleaning food and beverage production equipment cannot be understated. Without proper safety protocol including regular equipment cleaning, dangerous bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, and Salmonella enterica can all colonize and grow within solids and liquids.
Failure to follow these protocol can be devastating. For example, a single Salmonella outbreak at Central Valley Meat in 2019 resulted in one death and nine hospitalizations. In addition to that, the outbreak also necessitated the disposal of 17 tons of ground beef.
Several chemicals, including those which are used to kill bacteria, are also unsafe for human consumption. If such chemicals make contact with food processing equipment, they can leave behind trace residues which may sicken consumers.
In 2011 eleven people died in Sangzhu, China after consuming vinegar which had been produced in tanks that had formerly contained antifreeze. Had the tanks been properly cleaned while they were being repurposed, this tragedy would have been averted.
What Goes into Food & Beverage Equipment Cleaning
Unfortunately for food and beverage production companies, proper cleaning protocol is immensely time-consuming. Massive tanks, curved pipes, high walls and bladed machinery are all awkward surfaces to scrub and rinse off. Cleaning such equipment can also be unsafe, as factory workers who fail to handle chemicals correctly risk suffering a wide range of injuries.
Training, personal protective equipment, cleaning chemicals and labor do not comprise the sole cost of cleaning, however. There is also matter of shutting down equipment, which greatly impacts a plant’s profitability.
The Solution: Dry Ice Blasting
The solution to all of these problems is simple: dry ice blasting, a process which cleans food and beverage production facilities and their equipment thoroughly, safely, and quickly.
Dry ice blasting is extremely effective at reducing bacteria counts and destroying biofilms. These can form on steel, plastic and tile. Although dry ice blasting is not 100% effective as a method of disinfection, it is highly effective for scouring a great variety of surfaces. Ice Age Clean’s Cold Jet process simply annihilates caked-on grease, clinging oil, food residues, and other substances. All of these substances can create a risk of contamination, slow down production, and cause inspection failures.
Dry ice blasting is completely safe. The Cold Jet process utilizes food-grade dry ice particles made of carbon dioxide, which is essentially the same substance that people exhale. Our dry ice cannot contaminate food processing equipment, and it is incapable of leaving behind toxic residues. Frozen carbon dioxide can’t become gas which may contribute to global warming.
Perhaps best of all, dry ice blasting is time-efficient. It requires no preparation, cool-down or subsequent cleanup phases. It doesn’t even require water. Our process is approximately 80 percent faster than other comparably effective cleaning methods. If you run a factory, you will appreciate how our fast cleaning permits your machines to run at full capacity during more hours of the week. In short, dry ice blasting means your food or beverage production facility can become more profitable. We have never encountered a client who takes issue with that!
Optimize your Production Facility
Optimizing your production facility doesn’t just mean investing in state-of-the-industry equipment and best practices. It also means modernizing the way you clean it. As the Midwest’s preeminent dry ice cleaning specialist, Ice Age Clean’s expert team is poised to help any food and beverage production facility offer safer products and a safer workplace – with significantly less downtime.
Please contact us today to learn more about the unique benefits dry ice blasting delivers!