Abstract:
The use of enzyme-based products for the cleaning of UHT (ultra high temperature) milk storage silos is an effective practice for the removal of organic residues, which serve as a foundation for the development of undesirable bacteria, including biofilm-forming ones. In addition to being a more sustainable and environmentally friendly approach due to the biodegradability of the enzymes, we evaluated the use of a new line of enzymatic products: CIP MAX ABC Line (CMAL) from ABC de Itaperuna Ind. de Detergente Ltda for efficiency testing in microbial control in a pre-packaging UHT milk storage silo at a dairy plant in Brazil. The CMAL consists of three products: i) ENZYMAX ABC, a Lipase and Protease-based product; ii) ALCALIMAX ABC, an alkaline descaler and enzymatic activator; and iii) ADITIVIMAX, a microfoam generator and for breaking the water's surface tension. Following the manufacturer's guidelines, the cleaning was performed using a CIP (cleaning in place) system with traditional products, ABC 54 alkaline descaler based on sodium hydroxide, ABC 36 acid descaler based on nitric acid, and Sanity 100 ABC, a sanitizer based on peracetic acid, followed by CIP with CMAL. Microbiological samples using QuickSwab 3M/Neogen swabs (QS) for surface and ATP detection were collected before and after CMAL+CIP. The results from the LM1 system by 3M/Neogen indicated an increase from 10 to 12 RLU (Relative Light Units) within the silo and a reduction from 63 to 12 RLU at the outlet nozzle. Our results from commercially sterile samples of UHT milk showed positive progression, with improvements in product compliance percentages during the two months of testing and the subsequent two months (33.0%, 53.0%, 76.0%, and 96.0%). Based on the observed results, we can conclude that the use of CMAL offered significant removal of microbial biofilm, improving the cleaning system of the UHT milk storage silo. There was an improvement in the CFU count on the surface, with a reduction in total bacteria and total coliforms after the fourth enzymatic cleaning, promoting greater safety and quality of UHT milk.
Audience take away notes?
1. New approaches for hygiene in the food industry using enzymatic products;
2. Microbial biofilm control; and
3. Enhanced safety of UHT milk - microbial control.
