Food Safety Magazine, February/March 2012

FOOD SAFETY INSIDERIntegrated Plant ApproachProvides SustainableImprovementswww.ecolab.comToday’s food and beverage processors face increasing operationalchallenges. Conserving water and energy and improving efficiencywhile protecting food safety and quality are major priorities formany processors.To succeed, you need totake a proactive approachand scrutinize your entireplant operations. A partnerthat understands your operationand can tailor solutionsto take advantage ofhidden opportunities betweeninterconnected systemsis the key to achievingmeasurable results thattranslate to a significant,sustainable business value.Do not underestimatethe impact of taking a comprehensive,systematic approachto improving plantoperations. One global foodand beverage processor ison track to save an estimated29 million gallons ofwater annually—the equivalentof 3.8 billion glasses of drinking water—as a result of its partnershipwith Ecolab and Nalco, an Ecolab company. Nalco (the world’s largestsustainability services company focused on industrial water, energy andair applications) recently merged with Ecolab (a global leader in cleaning,sanitizing, food safety and infection prevention products and services) tocreate a global company that leads the way in water, hygiene and energysolutions.Measurable Results in Sanitation ProgramTo optimize clean-in-place (CIP) system water usage, Advantis ® 330, ahot CIP program for beverage processing, helped reduce CIP water usageby 45 percent while reducing CIP labor cost by 48 percent. The innovative,three-step system eliminates two water-intensive CIP steps to reducethe amount of water and energy needed for cleaning and rinsing.The processor also used several other Ecolab sanitation solutions toachieve measurable improvements, including Surpass ® 100, an EPA-registeredproduct that provides bacteria and fungi control in bottle and canwarmers so warmer water does not have to be dumped daily. The antimicrobialadditive provides water, time and utility savings while reducingmicroorganism risk. The DryExx ® Conveyor Management System saved 3million gallons of water annually for a five-line plant location; it also eliminatedexcess water and foam on plantfloors, thereby creating a safer workplace.Exelerate ® HS liquid pretreatment reducedcleaning time and saved water infryer boil-out cleaning while helping protectworkers through lower operatingtemperatures.Cooling Water ManagementAs is common in beverage plants, themanufacturer uses two evaporative condensersfor cooling and HVAC. By implementingthe innovative 3D TRASAR ®cooling water automation, Nalco enabledthe systems to operate at a lower blowdownrate, thereby conserving 24 milliongallons of water per year.Water Treatment ProcessesThe manufacturer’s water pretreatmentsystem was plagued by a numberof issues, including oxidized membranes,poor reverse osmosis (RO), excessivewater consumption and high operatingcosts. 3D TRASAR ® Technology for Membranesprovided superior dosing control,which reduced chemical use and decreasedRO reject water by 27 percent.The company saved 2 million gallons peryear while reducing its energy consumption(by significantly lowering operatingpump pressure).After Nalco conducted an extensiveaudit of the wastewater treatmentprocesses, the manufacturer was able toreduce its sludge hauling by 90 percent,saving more than 1,000 million metricBritish thermal units of energy and avoiding100 tons of carbon dioxide emissionsper year. The plant’s initial aeration tankflow was re-engineered and a belt presschemical approach and feed system wastailored to increase production of profitableanimal feed sludge.Proactive PartnershipFor companies looking to achievemeasurable results and optimize operations,it pays to take a proactive approachand examine all plant processes. Byworking with the combined Ecolab-Nalcoteam, you can have confidence that everypart of your operation is protected. Ourunique Total Plant Assurance approachhelps ensure you meet your goals in foodsafety and quality, sustainability and operationalefficiency, while providing consistencyacross your operations.32 F O O D S A F E T Y M A G A Z I N E