Hygienic and Sanitary Design for Improved Food Processing

When food processors commit to improved equipment hygiene, they mitigate the risk of product recalls, food waste, costly downtime, damaged reputation, and, most importantly, they mitigate the risk to consumer health.

What is your OEM doing to inhibit bacteria from forming and harboring in equipment? Let’s look at ways manufacturers can better prevent bacteria harborage.

The Importance of Food Processing Safety

A large food processor recently had a recall of nearly 9 million pounds of frozen, fully cooked product due to possible exposure to Listeria monocytogenes.  It’s more important than ever to make sure your food processing equipment is meeting stringent safety standards. Food safety cannot be achieved without equipment that puts sanitary design at the forefront.

Innovative, hygienic equipment from AFE can help prevent this type of disaster from happening. AFE’s unsurpassed hygienic and sanitary designs and equipment exceed standards for sanitization and dependability. 𝗔𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗙𝗘’𝘀 𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗲𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗮𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 and its collateral damage.

What Sanitary Enhancements Can Prevent Bacteria Harborage?

AFE recommends pasteurization as part of your sanitation practice.  AFE designs the system to bring the internal temperature of the insulated enclosure up to 160 F° (71 C°) and can maintain temperature for the desired time as per your GMP’s.

Our equipment has PurFlo, a UV-C air purifying system that irradiates microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses with shortwave UF light.

AFE can utilize an integrated Liquid Desiccant System as another means of killing bacteria, maintaining product quality throughout the freezing process, plus your extending run times.

Lastly, a comprehensive CIP system helps mitigate bacteria harborage.  This enables effective and efficient cleaning and sanitation over the life of the equipment. You can see our Clean In Place Systems in action here. Learn more: Why You Need CIP Systems for Spiral Freezers and IQF Tunnels.

Hygienic, Sanitary Food-Processing Equipment

In closing, at AFE, LLC our goal is to provide the most hygienic, energy-efficient, and reliable food processing equipment in the world.  AFE’s sanitary designs and construction practices provide the industry with the most hygienic solutions available. Our fully welded enclosures and fully welded penetrations better ensure the absence of voids and diminish potential points of harborage.  Our enclosures come with the industry’s only 10-year warranty.

Contact your AFE representative to discuss your next freezing application. www.afellc.com/contact-us/