CIP Cleaning in the Food Industry: The “Secrets” You Never Knew!

For food processing enterprises (including dairy, beverages, beer, meat products, etc.), the cleaning of processing equipment and pipelines is crucial during the product production process. After use, processing equipment and pipelines tend to accumulate impurities, dirt (such as fats, proteins, sugars, high-temperature carbonized substances, etc.) and bacteria. Professional cleaning agents must be used to ensure product quality and safety.

In the early days, most food enterprises chose to use industrial sodium hydroxide and nitric acid for equipment and pipeline cleaning. This method had poor cleaning efficacy, would cause heavy metal contamination, leave residual dirt and bacteria, and could even lead to secondary pollution.

Therefore, food processing enterprises must thoroughly clean and sanitize their equipment and pipelines using food-grade cleaning agents that meet QS requirements after production is completed. This prevents microbial proliferation and ensures product sanitation quality.

　　Comparison Table of Current Cleaning Practices in the Food Industry

Food additive acid-base agents: while safe for use, their lack of specificity results in inadequate cleaning efficacy and elevated operational costs.

Industrial acids and alkalis: relatively low cost, but poor cleaning effectiveness. Most importantly, they lead to excessive heavy metals, residual bacteria, and lack safety assurance.

Professional composite acid and alkali cleaning agents: comply with the QS requirements, highly efficient and safe, with a high cost-performance ratio. They offer high cleaning efficiency and save on usage while ensuring safety.

　The distinction between composite acid-base cleaning agents and single-component cleaning agents.

Klean Biotech has long been committed to developing and producing composite acid-alkali cleaning agents for food equipment. So what exactly are the differences between these composite acid-alkali cleaners and single-component cleaning agents?

　　01 Cleaning effect

Composite acid and alkali cleaning agents incorporate chelating agents, surfactants, and cleaning aids during processing, which ensures good cleaning effects and allows for the removal of residual dirt on equipment within a short period of time. In contrast, single-type cleaning agents (generally refers to a single sodium hydroxide and nitric acid) have poor cleaning efficiency, weak penetration power, and fail to provide thorough cleaning.

　　02 Security coefficient

Composite acid and alkali cleaning agents have more controllable content of active substances, and they are supplemented with other additives and corrosion inhibitors, which makes them relatively safer for humans and less corrosive to equipment and seals. Single-type cleaning agents (generally refers to a single sodium hydroxide and nitric acid) are highly corrosive, extremely unsafe for humans, and highly corrosive to equipment and seals.

　　03 Food safety

Composite acid and alkali cleaning agents are much easier to rinse. They not only have a high cleaning efficiency but also leave no residue. Single-type cleaning agents (usually referring to sodium hydroxide and nitric acid alone) have low cleaning efficiency, are not easy to rinse off, and can even cause secondary pollution.

　　04 Environmental protection aspect

Composite acid and alkali cleaning agents have a low wastewater treatment load. Single-type cleaning agents (usually referring to sodium hydroxide and nitric acid alone) have a high wastewater treatment load. Industrial acids and alkalis often contain excessive heavy metals, which increase the difficulty and load of wastewater treatment.