Enzymatic detergents can guarantee better Food Safety removing allergens on food surfaces
Currently one of the main problems of food industries is to achieve the correct elimination of allergens on working surfaces. Within allergen management procedures, cleaning protocols have an important weight, being considered a pre-requisite of the food safety management system. It should be considered that the practices used for the elimination of microorganisms may not be useful to remove food allergens. It is for this reason that ALERZYME has been specifically formulated to eliminate allergens in food industries.
Traces of allergens in food products negatively affect consumer’s perception of food quality and safety. In this regard, the food industry faces the need of having effective processes to remove food allergens from working surfaces in order to minimize the risk of unwanted contamination during food preparation and preservation processes.
Allergens can reach the food product unintentionally, either by the presence of non-indicated allergens in the raw materials and ingredients, either by the wrong formulation or changes in the formulation, by cross-contamination in any of the stages of food production, or by poor hygiene of food surfaces. The best measure to avoid cross-contamination is to have separated production lines for manufacturing allergen-containing foods. However, most of the time it’s not possible to have different lines, so other measures need to be taken, such as the use of detergents capable of removing allergens from work surfaces.
Alerzyme, eliminates the 6 main food allergens with proven efficacy
The allergen elimination process that is currently carried out is based on the use of non-specific chemical products and not tested or validated for the removal of allergens. To avoid the contamination of allergens in other food products, it is necessary for industries to have effective products to ensure their elimination from work surfaces. For this reason, ALERZYME emerges as a result of a CDTI project, carried out in collaboration with the Institute for Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA). Alerzyme allows the effective elimination of 6 of the main food allergens: Gluten, eggs, crustaceans, peanuts, milk and soya.
Itram Higiene launches two enzyme-based products for the elimination of 6 of the main allergens:
- ALERZYME FOAM is a foaming detergent formulated to remove allergens present on open surfaces in the food industry.
- ALERZYME CIP is a controlled foam detergent, formulated to remove food allergens in CIP systems of the food industry.
Benefits of allergen removal products
- Enzymatic products that help to degrade the proteins that cause the most common food allergies.
- This product contains surfactants with a strong cleaning capacity removing fat and protein residues
- Acts at neutral pH. Does not corrode surface materials.
- Low exposure risk of the operator.
- Readily biodegradable composition.
- Positive contribution to the environment. Chlorine-free. Phosphate-free.
- Proven efficacy against gluten, eggs, peanuts, crustacean, milk proteins and soya by the Institute of Agrifood Research and Technology (IRTA).
- Higher allergen removal efficacy than alkaline detergents.
- According to current regulations, it’s not considered hazardous to the environment.
Allergen removal procedures. How to use
ALERZYME FOAM ON OPEN SURFACES
- Apply ALERZYME FOAM at a 3% concentration in water.
- Apply by means of a foam projection equipment using water at 45 – 55°C.
- Keep a contact time on surfaces of 15-30 minutes.
- Rinse with abundant water.
- Continue with a disinfection phase preferably using an oxidising disinfectant, such as Itram’s BACTITRAM OXY 5 or OXYJET.
- Finally, rinse with abundant water.
Recommendations:
Validate allergens removal by using commercial allergen detection kits regularly.
ALERZYME CIP ON CIP SYSTEMS
Can be applied in closed circuits such as CIP systems (pipes, tanks, circuits) or by immersion/soaking.
By immersion or soaking:
- Prepare a solution of ALERZYME CIP at 3 % with water.
- Use water at 45 – 55 °C.
- Submerge parts and accessories to be cleaned in the prepared solution and keep for 15 – 30 minutes.
- Rinse with abundant water
- Following, apply a disinfection phase, preferably with an oxidising disinfectant, such as Itram Higiene’s BACTITRAM OXY 5 or OXYCIP.
- Finally, rinse with abundant water.
In CIP systems
- Prepare a solution of ALERZYME CIP at 3 % concentration.
- Apply at 45 – 55 °C.
- Allow the solution to circulate in the CIP system for 30 – 120 minutes.
- Rinse thoroughly with water.
- Following, a disinfectant phase, preferably with an oxidising disinfectant, such as Itram Higiene’s BACTITRAM OXY 5 or OXYCIP.
- Finally, rinse with abundant water.
Recommendations:
- Prepare the dilution of the product in hot water to avoid foam formation.
- Validate allergens removal by using commercial allergen detection kits regularly.