Future-proofing food production cleaning

Biocidal products, while necessary for the control of organisms harmful to crops and livestock, can pose a considerable risk to humans and animals if they are allowed to enter food products. EU regulation 528/2012 strictly controls the use of biocides, outlawing the sale of products which have been made with ingredients treated with banned biocides. Food manufacturers are diligent in auditing their supply chains to ensure unapproved biocides are not used at any stage, but many are unaware that the same restricted chemicals are frequently used in the cleaning products used in their factories. 

As new pesticides are regularly developed, food manufacturers need to stay on top of frequent changes to EU regulation 528/2012. At present, disinfectant formulas based on Quaternary Ammonium Compounds (also known as quats) which effectively kill many micro-organisms have become the subject of debate and are widely expected to be included in a 2015 update to the regulation.

Over the last 18 months, the presence of quats within the food chain has been reviewed due to several cases in Central Europe, where unacceptably high levels of these compounds were found in products destined for human consumption. A potential cause of skin and respiratory irritation in mild cases and caustic burns to skin and the gastro-intestinal lining in severe instances, and particularly dangerous to babies and pregnant women if consumed, quats have already fallen into disuse in the agricultural sector in Germany, Austria and Finland. While no decision has yet been taken at a European level, it is clear that the dangers of quats are being taken seriously in the food chain – yet they remain a common active ingredient in many cleaning products including impregnated wipes and sanitisers.

Another commonly used disinfectant formula currently under review is biguanide, also known as polyhexamethylene biguanide or PHMB. Commonly used as an antimalarial diabetes drug, other forms of biguanide are used in disinfectant compounds. Future regulatory changes mean that biguanides will be classified as a class 2 carcinogen from 2015 in concentrations above 1 per cent. 

While both quats and biguanides are safe for food processing in low concentrations, some cleaning products have been found to contain worryingly high concentrations of up to 2.5 per cent, posing a risk to the food products which will come into contact with surfaces cleaned with biguanide preparations. It is clearly important that food manufacturers give close consideration not only to the chemical compounds used in the production of the ingredients they use, particularly crops, but also the biocides and formulas used in cleaning products. 

As legislation changes, manufacturers of cleaning products face the challenge of developing effective formulations which fulfil hygiene requirements without the use of restricted compounds. In order to conform with both current and upcoming amendments to EU biocide regulation, ‘future-proof’ non-quat and biguanide-free disinfectant formulations are already entering the market, many of which offer additional benefits over traditional solutions.

The high salt content of quats has been shown to leave white residue on food production equipment which is difficult to remove and heightens the risk of dangerous chemicals entering foodstuffs. The salts are also corrosive, which can damage stainless steel and conveyors, while the latest non-oxidising formulations are low-residue and low-corrosive in comparison. They are also alcohol-free, cutting out another ingredient which is potentially toxic to humans, and is therefore also halal-compliant – a key consideration for many manufacturers today. 

These newly-developed formulations also perform more effectively at low temperatures than quat or biguanide products, killing bacteria in environments as cool as 5-10°C, providing clear benefits to food manufacturers who are likely to use chillers at several stages of production. 

Food manufacturers should look for disinfectants with proven efficacy and kill rate for both gram positive bacteria, for example staphylococcus, a genus which includes MRSA, and gram negative organisms, which may include e.coli, salmonella, legionella and helicobacter.

Careful selection of cleaning products for all stages of production is essential in complying with the minefield of legislation concerning food safety and hygiene. With regulations undergoing frequent revisions, specialist janitorial suppliers are ideally placed to advise and, in many cases, are developing and stocking new solutions in advance of legislation changes, helping food manufacturers to stay ahead of the game and demonstrate commitment to food safety.