In the field of food production, the frequent washing after disinfection gives many enterprises a headache - in order to remove residues, a huge amount of washing water is often required, which not only increases the production cost, but also runs counter to the current environmental protection concept of water conservation and emission reduction.

So, how to scientifically optimize the washing procedure and realize water saving and emission reduction on the premise of ensuring food safety? This has become an urgent technical and management issue for food production enterprises.

Understanding the residual characteristics of chlorine dioxide is the premise of optimization

As a commonly used disinfectant in food factories, chlorine dioxide may also be reduced to chlorite, chlorate and other by-products after acting on microorganisms. If these residues are not removed, they may affect food flavor and even pose potential health risks. Therefore, the fundamental purpose of flushing is to reduce these residues below the limit.

The traditional flushing method often relies on the principle of "excessive flushing", that is, a large amount of water is used for long-term flushing. Although this method is simple, it is neither economical nor environmental friendly. In fact, through scientific methods, we can greatly reduce water consumption on the premise of ensuring safety.

Four strategies for optimizing flushing procedures

1、 Accurate monitoring replaces empirical judgment

Core idea: use data to guide flushing and avoid "blind flushing".

1. introduce real-time monitoring system: install online chlorine dioxide concentration monitor at the end of flushing pipeline to monitor residual concentration in real time. When the concentration drops to the safety threshold (such as below 0.1ppm), the flushing will be stopped automatically to avoid unnecessary excessive flushing.

2. establish the residual concentration curve: through experiments, establish the relationship curve between the residual chlorine dioxide on the equipment surface and the washing time under different concentrations and different action times. Set scientific initial flushing parameters according to the curve.

2、 Optimize flushing mode and improve unit water efficiency

Core idea: make every drop of water bring into full play.

1. pulse flushing: change continuous water flow to intermittent pulse flushing. The research shows that the shear force generated by pulsed water flow is stronger, which can peel off the surface residue more effectively. Compared with continuous flushing, it can save 20%-30% water.

2. control the water flow dynamics: optimize the angle and pressure of the spray ball to ensure that the water flow is fully covered and there is no dead angle. Properly increasing the flow velocity (rather than the flow) can enhance the scouring effect, but it should be noted that too high pressure may produce aerosols.

3. segmented flushing method: first, use a small amount of water for preliminary flushing to remove most of the residues, and then use more fine flushing to complete all cleaning. This method is especially suitable for pipeline systems, which can achieve significant water saving.

3、 Improve equipment and process design

Core idea: reduce residues from the source and reduce the difficulty of washing.

1. optimization of surface materials: smooth and low adhesion materials such as stainless steel are selected to reduce the adsorption residue of chlorine dioxide on the equipment surface.

2. avoid dead corners in equipment design: consider the flushing demand at the equipment design stage to eliminate the dead corners that are difficult to flush.

3. optimization of disinfection process parameters: on the premise of meeting the sterilization requirements, determine the minimum effective disinfection concentration and action time through experiments. The lower the concentration and the shorter the time, the smaller the subsequent flushing burden.

4、 Innovative water circulation and treatment technology

Core idea: let the water circulate and reduce the consumption of fresh water.

1. establish a cascade utilization system of flushing water: collect the low residue flushing water in the final stage for the initial flushing after the next round of disinfection. Establish a strict water quality monitoring system to ensure safety.

2. neutralization pretreatment: at the initial stage of washing, a small amount of food grade reducing agent (such as sodium thiosulfate) can be used for neutralization to accelerate the decomposition of residual chlorine dioxide, thus shortening the washing time. However, the dosage of neutralizer should be carefully controlled to avoid introducing new pollution.

3. membrane filtration reuse technology: ultrafiltration or reverse osmosis treatment is carried out on the collected flushing water to remove residual disinfectants and impurities and realize partial reuse. Although the initial investment is high, the long-term water-saving benefit is remarkable.

For food enterprises, optimizing the washing procedure after chlorine dioxide disinfection is not only an issue of reducing the cost of water, but also an important measure to fulfill environmental responsibilities and achieve sustainable development. The reduction of each flushing water volume is the treasure of precious water resources; Every ton of waste water with emission reduction is a contribution to the ecological environment.

More importantly, this optimization has promoted the transformation of the enterprise from extensive management to fine and scientific management, and improved the overall quality management level. When water conservation and emission reduction form a virtuous circle with food safety and production efficiency, enterprises will gain multiple wins in economic, social and environmental benefits.