The global COVID-19 pandemic is having an impact on us all. To ensure the continued provision of key products and services at this time, governments around the world have identified ‘key workers’ whose activities are critical to the COVID-19 response. These included those involved in food production, food processing, and food distribution, sale and delivery. It also includes those providing products and services essential to the maintenance of good hygiene in the food industry.
By now everyone knows what Covid-19 is, a disease associated to a new strain of coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, and how fast it can spread.
A recent study1 has shown that SARS-CoV-2 (specifically) can remain viable on cardboard for up to 24 hours, and for 2-3 days on plastic and stainless-steel surfaces. However, copper surfaces inactivate the virus in about four hours. Survival on clothing and hair it is not yet known. Virus viability on surfaces will depend on several factors, including the type of surface; the presence of organic material (biological fluids, biofilm, food debris); temperature; relative humidity; and the specific strain of the virus.
Viruses are tiny (up to 50 times smaller than bacteria), non-living particles that need a host (living cell) to reproduce. Their small size aids their transfer to and harborage on surfaces, and the presence of organic matter, e.g., food and biological fluids, is likely to offer the virus some protection from disinfectants and surface antimicrobials (as it does for bacteria).
Fortunately, viruses are effectively removed from surfaces through good cleaning practices.
In food processing, sanitation is a key element in protecting the public from germs, pathogens and harmful bacteria that can lead to serious illness.
The food industry uses strong cleaning and sanitizing lines and programs to eliminate each kind of bacteria and virus.
Traditional sanitizing is a two-stage process:
First - the initial cleaning with water and detergents;
Second - disinfecting with the aid of harsh chemicals such as chlorine, iodine, quaternary ammonium salts, acid and formaldehyde-based substances.
Traditional cleaning methods, based on above procedure, in time may not be very effective because, microorganisms, pests, mites and fungi, they auto-immunize themselves.
Adopting an effective cleaning and sanitizing program is crucial to eliminating pathogens from surfaces and equipment.
With Menikini industrial steam machines this type of processing becomes faster and easier as dry steam reduces system and line down times increase productivity and saves chemical costs.
With Menikini machines it is possible to achieve total sanitizing and killing of microorganisms by Thermal Shock
But what is Steam and Saturated Dry Steam.
In lame words, Steam is water in a gas state; Saturated Dry Steam, is a steam generated from water brought to over its boiling point, between 140ᴼC to 185ᴼC, at a pressure between 4 to 10 bars.
Furthermore, the reduced percentage of humidity of the Saturated Dry Steam (~ 5%) allows the use of steam even in environments where humidity must be kept under control.
When dealing with problems regarding sanitizing and cleaning of simple and complex surfaces, saturated dry steam represents a powerful instrument, since it combines the following natural powers:
- Temperature
- Humidity
- Pressure
Temperature: High temperature breaks the links between the dirt and the treated surface, killing microorganisms, pests, fungi and mites, by means of a thermal shock. Moreover high temperature makes chemical reactions easier by drastically reducing detergents quantity and action time.
Humidity: Water is called the universal solvent. Even mountains are melted by water. “Dry Steam” contains micro drops of water, which detach the dirt from the treated surfaces, keep it in suspension and avoid letting it into the air.
Pressure: Although, in this case, pressure does not play a primary role in the cleaning function, it plays a synergic role with the other two factors.
With reference to efficacy, the cleaning cycle of the Saturated Dry Steam compared with the traditional cleaning method, enables:
- Thermal Shock: An efficient sanitizing that annihilates any microorganisms, pests, mites and fungi that gets in contact with it; moreover microorganisms, pests, mites and fungi will have no time to auto-immunize themselves, this can happen with the frequent use of chemical agents.
- Ideal for complex surfaces: A more efficient cleaning of complex surfaces due to the possibility to intervene in difficult areas which could not be reached with the traditional cleaning method.
- Cleaning of electric components: The possibility to clean electric panels, electric connections, engine blocks, refrigerators or electronic parts due to the limited presence of micro drops of water in saturated dry steam and to the rapid drying of the surface by means of heat. NB: Electric panels and machineries must NOT be connected to the mains supply while cleaning operations are carried out. It is suggested to use compressed air before connecting to the mains supply in order to remove any trace of humidity.
- No damage to surfaces: The surfaces treated with saturated dry steam will not be damaged by the high temperature. Saturated Dry Steam is the only technology capable of penetrating the micro pores on Stainless Steel surfaces.
- Save water: A limited consumption of water: about 1 liter/h for every kW, versus 1,500 – 2,000 liters/h of water when using water jet machines2.
- Environment friendly: A more economical and environmentally friendly technology, in fact the use of detergent is required in only 20% of the cases versus the 100% requirement of the traditional cleaning method.
- No contamination risk: A safe method for the operator who does not risk contamination as with traditional cleaning methods, or with low and high pressure bolts of water.
References:
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– https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2004973
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– Menikini data
