A major key Initiative has been the significant innovations developed in tray-washing process efficacy.
Bioshields’ Ambient Wash Retrofit (AWR) essentially updates existing tray-wash equipment and legacy technology via the introduction of new technologies to achieve low temperature tray-washing and improved levels of unit sanitisation and food safety.
The historical use of caustic chemicals have been replaced by the introduction of innovative new natural chemicals which are not only EN1276 certified but non-caustic, non-toxic, food and animal safe, taint-free, Halal approved and operator and environmentally friendly.
Importantly the efficacy continues to provide food safe surface protection long after treatment.
During a recent AWR installation on behalf of an EU based client, wash operating temperatures were reduced from 75°C to 35°C and rinse temperatures from 85°C to ambient, removing all heat from this section altogether.
This client projected anticipated energy and cost savings equating to in excess of £1million per annum with a corresponding saving of almost 80,000 tonnes of carbon over the next five years. Elsewhere entire rinse sections have been disabled reducing water consumption by over 90% from 1000 litres per hour to less than 100 litres per hour.
AWR process kills and preventa re-colonisation bacteria
Natural, food-safe, non-toxic, non-caustic and environmentally friendly
For over twenty-five years the design and performance of tray washing machines has been heavily reliant on high temperatures and appropriate wash cycle times together with caustic/toxic chemicals to achieve cleaning performance and thermal sanitisation. Tray washing operations are potentially very costly with high utilities usage and machine gas burners requiring a high degree of maintenance. Cost reductions tend to follow a predictable pattern – increased throughput to increase economic output and reduced temperatures to lower operating costs.
However, these changes often ignore the realities of effective sanitisation. If a machine was originally manufactured to handle a throughput of X with an operating temperature of Y in order to achieve effective hygiene standards, then changes should be carefully considered. Effective sanitisation relies heavily on a precise balance between wash cycle dwell times (throughput) and accurate operating temperatures. Anything less may produce commercial benefits but will also provide an ineffective washing process.
By combining significant bio-technological advancements and washing equipment technologies Bioshield have introduced processes which no longer depend on these high temperatures, caustic/toxic chemicals or wash cycle dwell times. Dependant on the legacy technology currently used by Retailers and Service Providers, including currently manufactured machines, food transit trays can now be washed at water temperatures from 30°C with improved cleaning and sanitisation standards.
Bioshields’ AWR process ensures high cleaning and sanitisation standards are achieved in any water temperature from 4°C upwards. Research has shown that certain machine variants are capable of creating acceptable operating temperatures of 35 > 40°C simply through the kinetic energy produced by the process itself.
There are extremely compelling reasons to seek new technologies, innovations and applications in a sector such as tray-washing which has seen little progress or development during the last twenty-five years. Therefore a food safe, non-caustic, non-toxic, environmentally friendly product which encapsulates new technology and provides both improved standards and food safe residual protection from microbiological contamination, offers major potential and considerable benefits.
It is well known that trays washed via conventional washing processes are subject to re-colonisation of bacteria on the surface of the trays immediately the trays become dry. The trays may be considered clean but they will not remain bacteria free. This is not helpful when trays may be stored for some days before shipment to growers or producers. Research shows that many trays are not free of contamination when presented for packing.
The residual protective barrier provided via Bioshield’s AWR process not only kills bacteria as part of the washing process but continues to prevent re-colonisation, killing bacteria and pathogens for many days after application.
In principle the AWR (Ambient Wash Retrofit) system can be retrofitted to all existing tray-wash machine variants. The AWR system essentially updates legacy equipment enabling the use of the new technology product. The retrofit enables considerable reductions in tray-wash water temperatures and provides options for improved efficiency of the machine in other areas.
The water sanitisation qualities of the Bioshield product also kills bacterial contaminants in wash water providing the potential of increasing periods between refreshing wash water. Gas consumption is dramatically reduced with a resultant impact on carbon emissions. Cost savings are equally considerable.
Currently machine gas burners are responsible for a high degree of maintenance and cost. The AWR process removes this emphasis almost totally. The considerable reductions in temperature alone provide an immediate benefit in reducing energy usage, carbon emissions and cost in similar proportions.
In addition to the significant savings in energy usage and carbon emissions the AWR system provides significant Health, Safety and Environmental benefits. Well documented concerns referencing the notable effects and dangers to employees from burns caused by caustic chemicals and high temperatures in UK and EU tray-wash facilities have been removed as the Bioshield product is natural, as well as food-safe, non-toxic, non-caustic and environmentally friendly offering no disposal risk.
A characteristic of the product enables the sanitisation of all contact surfaces including pipes and equipment. This not only eradicates the recurring issue of Biofilms but a ‘deodorising’ effect ensures washing equipment smells are eliminated as well as being free of pathogenic contamination.
Bioshield has now facilitated a number of AWR installations at a number of tray wash locations. One client has calculated a year on year saving of some 20 million KwHrs of gas usage. This client also requested Bioshield introduce a world-leading independent Hygienic Testing Protocol to support the superior bacterial cleanliness standard of their RTP trays. This tray-washing operation is now delivering the following benefits following introduction of AWR:-
The impact of Bioshield initiatives will permeate throughout many aspects of the Food Chain and beyond, providing many environmental, energy, carbon, water, food safety and cost saving advantages.
This key initiative illustrates the importance of research and development of innovative new methodologies. It is clear that the use of new technologies can achieve critical improvements in food safety and the environment while achieving reductions in energy usage, carbon emissions and operating costs.
We call that Win-Win – Click Here To Get Your Bioshield Solution
