Unsurprisingly, sites that handle dry ingredients and produce dry products tend to be those that carry out dry cleans”
that is the correct size and angled to fit the relevant space is key. Before making any decisions, why not consult the hygiene team to find out what tasks are typically slowing them down.
Dry cleaning benefits
Dry cleaning can help to reduce bakery downtimes. Instead of waiting for a wet environment or piece of equipment to dry the production line can be up and running much more quickly after cleaning. Dry cleaning is also well suited to environments which contain lots of electrical equipment, unless instrumentation has an IP67 or IP68 rating, and is therefore waterproof.
products such as a damp cleaning cloths or food-safe disinfectant wipes. Although both these items are technically moist, many sites would still consider this a dry clean.
Sites that carry out dry cleans should have designated washdown areas in a separate part of the building. This is where cleaning utensils and production equipment will be taken so that stubborn residues can be power washed away. However, built-in, heavy, or electrical machines such as mixers, cutting machines, and dicers will need to be cleaned in situ and this requires a selection of specialist equipment – suited to the specific demands of an effective dry clean. Without relying on powerful water hoses and strong cleaning chemicals, the hygiene team will have challenges to overcome when carrying out an effective dry clean, but for every problem, there is a product to provide a solution – from a 7mm bottle brush that can reach inside tight spaces through to a stiff-bristled sweeper that can agitate the dirt on the factory floor. Finding the right equipment will help raise standards, while also making life easier for hygiene operatives. Without the correct equipment, it will be impossible for the hygiene team to do their job, so suitable utensils need to be made available to allow cleaning to take place even in hard-to-reach areas. Whether underneath a production belt or behind a machine, durable yet flexible equipment
bakeryproduction.co.uk
A dry clean could also help bakeries meet your sustainability targets. Some sites view dry cleaning as an opportunity to preserve water and cleaning products. Instead of a foamy wash, dry cleans tend to be more targeted. A dry clean could also help improve standards of hygiene and safety because microorganisms thrive in wet environments. Eliminating the presence of moisture will make it harder for microorganisms to reproduce. For this reason dry cleaning could be the answer to eliminating resistant strains of bacteria. Some sites rotate their cleaning methods – cycling through different products and techniques to stop the bacteria developing a defence against the products it is being exposed to.
Validating cleans
The process for validating a dry clean is the same as the process for validating a wet clean. Even so, this can be another pain point, with a lot of teams relying on visual checks rather than accurate testing. This poses a serious risk to audit compliance. A good solution is A3 monitoring. A
step-up from traditional ATP tests, an A3 meter can detect adenosine molecules in all three forms – ATP, ADP, and AMP. Unlike an ATP test, it eliminates the risk of false negative readings and detects organic residue even after common bakery processes such as heating and cleaning. ATP (adenosine triphosphate) is a molecule found in all living cells which is why it is often used to determine the overall hygiene levels of a surface and the overall efficiency of a clean. A positive ATP test shows that organic residue is still present on a surface. It is a common misconception that a negative ATP test proves the inverse, indeed even with a negative result, adenosine molecules could still be present. A reading of 0 on an ATP meter could also mean a swab has been exposed to high concentration of chemical detergent. Another explanation is that there is a problem with the enzyme in the swab or the swab itself is faulty. An incorrect swabbing procedure can also generate false negative results. In contrast, A3 meters and swabs have been designed in a way that means they will always produce a reading (normally between 1-8), even if it is extremely low. A reading of 0 on an A3 meter will indicate a potential fault that requires further investigation.
A Klipspringer Industry Forum revealed that one of the major pain points associated with dry cleaning is a lack of understanding from staff, which can result in inefficient and inconsistent cleans. To ensure this doesn’t happen it is important to ensure ongoing and regular training of hygiene teams, and support of any key messages with eye-catching visual management and detailed and graphic cleaning instruction cards.
Kennedy’s Bakery Production August/September 2024 25
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28
