Dairy Processing - May/June 2024 - 64

FOOD SAFETY
Downer said a capital investment comes with purchasing
and installing equipment, especially with CIP systems - he
noted COP systems generally require smaller investments.
" Many automated COP washers are designed to be set in
most any location with very little installation cost aside from
supplying it with water and power, " Downer said.
Determining the best fit, he added, is often a function
of the return on investment in operation savings
or improvements.
SEEKING OUT INNOVATIONS
As the modernization of sanitation practices keeps evolving,
Reinhart remarked that cleaning and sanitizing chemicals for
CIP and COP solutions continue to be innovative.
Davis said one such product is Best Sanitizers' Alpet D2
Quat-Free Surface Sanitizer. He said the ready-to-use, alcoholbased,
no-rinse surface sanitizer has become increasingly
prevalent in the dairy market.
Top: Sani-Matic, Inc.'s three-tank CIP system.
Bottom: Sani-Matic, Inc.'s RW06 COP is a COP parts
washer that replaces manual cleaning.
on the best fit for their facilities.
Bushard noted that COP practices can be labor intensive,
and even COP systems that reduce the amount of labor
needed to clean still require the disassembling of equipment.
" Time, money and space would all impact a processor's
decision, " Bushard said. " Compliance would also be a driving
factor. At the end of the day, the process needs to be safe and
clean to maintain the product integrity. "
Davis also suggested that between the prevailing
sentiment within the dairy sector in favor of CIP solutions and
the fact that CIP is the accepted standard for many scenarios,
the use of COP is hindered overall.
Ultimately, processors that choose not to incorporate CIP
or COP automation, Downer shared, most often cite space
constraint, infrastructure limitations and capital expenses.
" CIP and COP systems require floor space, which is often
at a premium in facilities that are in operation, " Downer said,
adding that automation requires training employees to operate
and maintain the systems, identifying that as a challenge in
the current labor market.
64 MAY-JUN 2024 | DAIRYPROCESSING.COM
" Since it is free of quaternary ammonia, you do not run
the risk of damaging your cultures and/or your waste water,
which is vital in the dairy industry, " Davis explained. " This
product can be used in all aspects of dairy production, from
footwear sanitizing, food contact/non-food contact surfaces,
CIP and COP cleaning, and sanitization, since it also has
cleaning claims along with the sanitizing claims. "
He also shared that the chemical manufacturer's Alpet PAA
antimicrobial solutions have been used more frequently in the
dairy industry as an alternative cleaner/sanitizer/disinfectant.
What's more, Reinhart pointed to " smarter " CIP and COP
centers and automation as a key trend for the industry.
" They monitor various operating parameters to determine
how much chemicals, temperatures and time is needed
to clean the equipment, " he said. " This allows the plant
to reduce operating costs and put the equipment back in
operation sooner. "
Downer distinguished each of the following as recent
momentous innovations: the introduction of 3-A SSI
authorized cabinet washing equipment (Sani-Matic's SaniCab
washer is authorized to carry the 3-A symbol), cloudconnected
real-time monitoring and data collection, and OEE
monitoring of cleaning processes.
" I find the OEE monitoring very interesting, as all equipment
tends to operate differently over time, " Downer shared. " Often
we don't notice small changes in the function of the cleaning
system, which can gradually affect efficiency and effectiveness.
The OEE monitoring allows for processors to have a real-time
dashboard of the health of the system and track it against the
ideal performance. So as the system begins to slowly perform
differently, it can be identified and rectified more quickly and
easily and stay at top efficiency. "
Sani-Matic, Inc.
http://www.DAIRYPROCESSING.COM
Dairy Processing - May/June 2024

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