11 October 2023

Effective cleaning and disinfection of milk processing equipment is vital to prevent contamination of milk and to make sure that farm profitability is as efficient as possible. This cleaning regime often uses chlorine-based products, however, the presence of chlorate residues in dairy products has become a concern in recent years, leading to a growing move towards non-chlorine based cleaning protocols. 

An alternative to chlorine-based cleaning involves the use of powerful alkaline and sequestrant agents to ensure that cleaning is still highly effective. 

The use of hot water will improve the effectiveness of both chlorine and non-chlorine based protocols but is not always necessary if the correct product at the right dilution is used.

There are a number of ways that chemical products can be combined to devise an effective cleaning protocol with all solutions requiring a final rinse with clean potable water.  Where this is not available peracetic acid can be added to the final rinse. 

We have developed a range of non-chlorine based products including Evans CIP LIQUID, a concentrated, highly alkaline, low foaming circulation cleaner; Evans COLDWASH, a highly caustic detergent powder; Evans MULTI-ACID, a blend of nitric and phosphoric acid for rapid and effective scale removal and Evans PERADOX, an acidic terminal disinfectant.  

Used in combination, these products can provide an effective alternative to traditional chlorine-based cleaning. 

Depending on the type of product and application required, there are multiple options to achieve excellent results:

• Use of alkaline powder such as COLDWASH for cleaning with an additional rinse of peracetic acid. Typically, powder products contain higher levels of caustic compared to liquid products, which means that they can be used in both cold and hot water solutions if designed for this application. 
• Use of alkaline liquid (CIP LIQUID) for cleaning with an additional rinse of peracetic acid (PERADOX). The initial cleaning should use hot water solutions. The additional rinse can be a cold water solution. 
• Alternating alkaline liquid or powder (CIP LIQUID or COLD WASH) and an acid (MULTI-ACID) for effective cleaning. The two products should be used in alternate washes, at the recommended concentration in both hot and cold water.