Dry Ice Cleaning for Allergen-Free Food Production: Clean Doesn’t Begin to Cover It
Among the most demanding standards of clean in any industry is the cleaning required for food production and processing equipment and facilities.
Routine cleaning in this environment is tough enough, but when switching from products containing allergens to products that must be allergen-free, the margin for error is non-existent.
Food industry professionals know that among the dozen or so well-known allergens, including eggs, nuts, soy, and wheat, even trace amounts can create catastrophic health and business risks.
Food manufacturers and processors need cleaning processes that are thorough, consistent, able to pass clearance tests, and up to the task of allergen removal, without leaving behind water, contaminants or other debris. As a result, they often turn to dry ice blasting.
A precise, thorough, water and chemical-free process, dry ice cleaning ensures the removal of the smallest particulates of food, dust, debris and grease trapped in gears, guides, and other hard-to-reach places, while also is gentle enough to avoid damaging fragile components.
Food Manufacturers Turn to Dry Ice Cleaning for Effective Allergen Control
At Polar Clean, our food production and processing customers rely on dry ice cleaning and the expertise of our team to be certain that every surface is clean and allergen free, under processes approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture for food safety.
Dry ice cleaning is also effective at removing other contaminants, oils and greasy build-up that can harbor bacterial growth in addition to allergenic properties.
Our processes are designed to go where other processes can’t. For some food production applications, the only other option is hand-cleaning, a painstaking process that can still leave spots missed.
The Benefits of Dry Ice Cleaning for Allergen Removal
Dry ice is preferred over other methods of allergen cleaning for many reasons:
- Dry ice cleaning is water-free, minimizing the risk of mold, bacteria and fungus growth and equipment damage associated with water-based cleaning
- Dry ice cleaning can reach into hard-to-reach areas like gears and guides for thorough and consistent cleaning
- Dry ice cleaning can be applied gently enough to clean fragile components – including electrical equipment and computer boards
- Dry ice cleaning often requires no disassembly of equipment – reducing downtime
- Dry ice cleaning leaves production components allergen free as demonstrated by third-party swab testing
- Dry ice cleaning is thorough enough for food manufacturers and processors converting to an allergen-free facility, production line, storage silo, or packaging area
Product Transition Example
Polar Clean recently completed a substantial project for a repeat client who was transitioning their complex dry protein production line from a soy-based product to a pea-based product. Polar Clean used dry ice blasting to remove all traces of the soy-based product, verified by many allergen swab tests. The client was highly satisfied with the outcome.
Get Started with Dry Ice Blasting
At Polar Clean, our work for food production and processing clients includes effective practices for containment. We carefully assess the containment needs of your project and your facility to identify the most cost-effective means of containing any particulate generated.
Our solutions and processes are customized to the job, and built on decades of experience, collaboration, innovation and research.