GUIDELINES FORCLEANING AND SANITIZING FOOD HOSES
The cleaning and sanitizing suggestions set forth below are guidelinesonly.
It is necessarythat all applicable government regulations pertaining to the cleaning andsanitizing of the food hoses and food hoses assemblies be followed and adheredto and which governmental regulations supersede the guideline contained herein.
The life of thehose is affected by the cleaning and sanitizing process due to the mechanicaland chemical stresses which occur during the cleaning and sanitizing procedure.The service period of rubber hoses is dependent on their formulation and theenvironment of use which in turn is influenced by the product, processtemperature, cleaning and bactericidal compounds and time of exposure. Usersshould frequently monitor the physical condition of the rubber hose materialproduct contact surfaces. Such observations are necessary to determinate the actualsanitary service period of rubber hoses. It is further recommended that therubber hose be replaced before surface imperfections or sloughing occurs.Routine replacement schedules should be established and followed.
Food hose usersshould be guided by their own, if applicable, or specific industry cleaning andsanitizing procedures and standards. For example, the wine industry may havedifferent standards than the dairy industry and any standards applicable to aspecific industry supersede the guideline contained
The cleaning andsanitizing of food hoses and hose assemblies is intended to remove any foodparticles or residues including detergents or disinfectant that may be thesource of harmful bacteria microorganism or other sources of contamination. Theeffectiveness of the guidelines contained herein are dependent upon thepractices and care taken by the users.
FREQUENCY Thefrequency of the cleaning and sanitizing cycle needs to be done according tothe type of food or beverage being conveyed and the contamination risk level.In principle, the cleaning and sanitizing process should be conducted on afrequent basis.
WASHING Thoroughlywashing the hose with hot potable water is the first step in the cleaningprocess. Washing with hot potable water will facilitate the cleaning of thehose but does not eliminate the need to clean the hose with the appropriatedetergent followed by the disinfection of the hose. The temperature of the hotwater and duration of the washing/rinsing cycle will depend upon thecharacteristic of the material/products being conveyed.
The initialwashing/rinsing with hot potable water should be completed as soon as possibleafter the conveyance process is completed. All residual water and residue fromthe initial washing/rinsing cycle must be drained away completely.
CLEANING/DISINFECTING The selection of a specificdetergent and of a specific disinfectant will depend on the material/productsbeing conveyed. The recommendation of the manufacturer of the detergent and ofthe disinfectant should be strictly followed especially regarding concentrationlevels.
After the cleaningof the hose with detergent followed by the rinse of it with potable water, thehose must be sterilized either with steam or with chemical solution.
Steam isclassified as "Physical" disinfectants： its effectivenessin eliminating bacteria and other contaminants varies according to thematerial/products being conveyed and the procedure employed by the users.
Chemicaldisinfectant such as caustic soda, nitric acid, per-acetic acid, - phosphoricacid,
chloroacetic acidor other acids suitable for disinfecting food hoses must be carefully selectedto ensure optimal effectiveness while also assuring maximum safety and health.When selecting a particular disinfectant, it is necessary to pay strictattention to concentration levels, temperature, cycle time, etc. The type ofproduct/material being conveyed be taken into consideration when selecting aspecific disinfectant.
As soon as thedisinfecting treatment with chemical solutions is made, the hose must becarefully and for a sufficiently long time rinsed with potable water toeliminate any chemical residues from the disinfecting treatment.
U. PROCESS CONTROLS The result of the cleaningand sanitizing process must be regularly checked to ensure that allcontamination and residuals have been eliminated. Any non-conforming eventsneed to be addressed in a corrective action procedure.