Yearbook 2013/2014 - ehedg

European Hygienic Engineering & Design Group
Environmentally friendly water based surface
disinfectants
Markets fluctuate. Requirements change. And this is especially true in the highly sensitive areas
of cleaning and hygiene in the production and preparation arms of the food industry. Demand is
for innovative solutions and cost-saving methods that conserve resources, are environmentally
friendly, do not cause undue side effects to humans and are as safe as possible for the users.
Stephan Mätzschke, Dipl.- Oecotrophologist (FH), Member of the Management Board at BIRFOOD GmbH & Co. KG
E-mail: s. maetzschke@birfood.de, Tel.: + 49 421 489 960 17
The cleaning and disinfection of production plants in the
meat handling industry are two intrinsically linked processes
required to guarantee the proper hygienic production of food
in line with regulations. At a time when ultimate consumption
date periods are getting longer and the requirements from
legislators, trade and consumers are continually increasing,
producers are forced to take the hygiene measures that
accompany their production processes to a new level.1
It is standard practice in the meat handling industry today that
after thorough cleaning the production plant is chemically
disinfected using either a foam or a spray. Currently a whole
range of chemical disinfectants is available to the food
industry, but despite the choice of products available, this
article will highlight the difference between two disinfection
methods: the inhibitive methods and the destructive methods.
Some active agents like quaternary ammonium compounds
or aldehydes, for example, have an inhibitive effect on
bacterial cells. This means that these substances do not
destroy the bacterial cells; instead, they prevent their
reproduction by disrupting the cellular metabolism. Such
substances are generally suitable for use on most surfaces
and are user friendly; however, there are gaps in their
effectiveness. Certain groups of germs are less susceptible
to them and if the agents are used incorrectly, particularly if
the wrong concentration is used over a long period of time,
there is a risk that the bacteria will build up a resistance to
them.
The alternative group of active agents have a destructive
effect; specifically, these agents destroy the bacterial cells.
Active agents like peracetic acid, hydrogen peroxide and
sodium hypochlorite belong to this group. This group of
active agents has a broad spectrum of effectiveness and
there is no danger of resistance if the products are used
incorrectly. However, these agents are highly corrosive
and are therefore dangerous to use on material (especially
aluminium and non-ferrous metals) as well as for the user.
A further disadvantage is their relative instability in the
presence of organic matter.
Non-hazardous water based surface
disinfectants
In contrast to the meat handling industry, the disinfection of
drinking water and the drinking water supply network has
been carried out for years using electrochemical activation
(ECA) technology as an alternative to chemical disinfection.
ECA technology frequently is used successfully in countries
with precarious water supplies and in very warm climates, as
well as in buildings with irregular water consumption where
the water in the pipes must be held for longer periods (e.g.,
hotels) as a reliable way of protecting against Legionella
and other germs. The idea of using this technology as an
environmentally or user-friendly alternative to the chemical
disinfection of surfaces in the meat handling industry is
relatively new.
How ECA technology works
The ECA technology is based on the treatment of drinking
water by electrolysis. During the electrolysis process redox
potential is generated by applying an electric voltage
(Figure 1). This redox potential imparts the resulting flow of
microbiocidal properties.
Figure 1. Electrolysis process.
During a redox reaction (effectively a reduction oxidation reaction)
an electron from one reactant is transferred to the other. As one
reactant is reduced, the other oxidises. The redox potential (in this
case, 1200 mV) serves as an indicator of the extent to which such
an electron transfer between reactants can take place. In doing so,
it also demonstrates to a certain extent the level of the solution’s
microbiocidal activity. When apparatus that has been treated with
the solution produced with ECA technology comes into contact with
bacterial cells, electrons will be transferred. The bacterial cell will
oxidise and die.
The ECA solution works in the same way as peracetic
acid, hydrogen peroxide or sodium hypochlorite: that is,
destructively. It oxidises the bacterial cell and with that, it
dies. The advantage of ECA technology over these other
solutions is that it is neither a corrosive nor an irritant for
material or users. It complies with the German Drinking Water
Directive because it does not contain anything dangerous.