Dry steam, an ace up the sleeve for the cleaning of food machineries

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The use of “dry steam” makes it possible to increase your sanitisation capacity. This is why the technology produced by Steam Italy is particularly suitable for food production lines.

“Anyone who works in the food industry knows it: the cleanliness of machines and surfaces is (and has always been) one of the key points. This is all the more true today, in times of pandemic. Cleaning is no longer enough: sanitising is essential. And it is from this perspective that steam cleaning can offer significant advantages over the use of chemicals.

“These are the words of Stefano Fornoni, sales manager of Steam Italy, a leading manufacturer of steam cleaning machines. As Fornoni explains, however, the main tool is not steam tout court (which is wet and contains water), but rather “dry steam”, produced at temperatures well above 140˚C, which reduces the percentage of water to less than 5%, also increasing sanitisation capabilities. The machines produced by Steam Italy work with this type of steam.

X STEAM steam cleaning machine

But what are the possible advantages of steam cleaning in the food industry?

Stefano Fornoni explains this by mentioning a concrete example, that of company Deeside Cereals, an English company which produces cereals and bars: “The cereal bars contain toffee, glucose and honey, ingredients that can stick to the production line belt thus leading to hygiene problems and delays.

The removal of dirt residues before starting a new batch is therefore essential, also to eliminate potential allergens. Moisture residues must not remain on the belts as this would encourage the proliferation of mould and yeast. Our automated belt cleaners are designed to meet precisely these requirements thanks to the properties of dry steam.

Belt Cleaning System In The Food Industry

How does the Belt Cleaning System (BCS) work?  

As Stefano Fornoni explains, the standard configuration of the BCS dry steam cleaning unit consists of two chambers; the first applies a jet of dry steam to the belt surface to loosen and saponify the dirt. The second chamber removes the loose dirt through a vacuum system. The system is tested to achieve a surface decontamination with 99.9% reduction of E.coli, Listeria and Salmonella.

Any residues of allergenic products fall below the required threshold value of 5 ppm and no longer require a declaration. Huge advantages that add up to other benefits. In terms of time, first and foremost, thanks to the elimination of rinsing and drying. The reduction in water consumption and the elimination of chemicals save both money and the environment.

A further point in favour of dry steam, given the need – shared by many companies – to embrace new green production methods. “It’s no coincidence,” says Fornoni, “that the company I mentioned earlier is working to bring its production into line with the environmental objectives of the Food & Drink Federation. And in this respect, too, our machine is helping them to achieve many of their goals”.