The brief
In 2022 Hysysco were asked by a major UK manufacturer of liquid foods including cooking sauces, dips and ketchups, to review the factory’s existing CIP procedures in the light of increasing concerns about allergen cross-contamination.
Existing Cleaning In Place procedures in several of the factory’s batch preparation kitchens were based on a total-loss system; each batch kitchen was cleaned by “daisy chaining” a tank full of hot detergent around the various parts of the plant, followed by a batch flush of rinse water to remove the detergent.
Although the factory had not suffered any consumer issues from allergen cross-contamination, the client recognised that their existing Cleaning In Place methods needed to be more robust if problems were to be avoided in the future.
The solution
Having reviewed the existing “daisy chain” cleaning procedures, Hysysco recommended the move to fully automated CIP system where the CIP fluids were maintained and stored remote from the production plants. Each batch kitchen would be served by a separate CIP channel which would send out in turn; pre-rinse fluids, detergent fluids, water and sterilant solutions to discrete parts of the kitchen. Not only would this system ensure that there was no cross contamination between plants, but it would also allow different parts of each plant to be cleaned independently. This would improve production efficiency as well as cleaning efficiency by allowing, for instance, a blending tank to be cleaned whilst a cooking vessel was still full of product, or a holding tank to be cleaned whilst the product transfer line to the filler was still in use. The solution was agreed and the project was split into a number of discrete phases, each batch kitchen being a separate phase.
The result
The first phase of CIP improvements were implemented in 2023 and the first steps were to install and commission a new, two-channel, three-tank, fully automatic CIP unit adjacent to one of the batch cooking plants. The next step involved a short shutdown in production whilst the batch cooking plant was readied for the new automated CIP systems. This involved the installation of much new interconnecting pipe work, high-performance pumps, hygienic mixproof valves, new control panels and HMI screens along with modification and reconnection of all the mechanical and electrical services to the plant. As the new cleaning systems and revised production automation was brough back on line, an extensive period of staff training for Operators and Engineers was carried out for the client’s staff. Although not without some teething problems, the new system was deemed a major success, meeting the original brief to improve the effectiveness and effeciency of both CIP and production on the plant.
As the first phase was entirely successful, a second phase was implemented on a second batch plant the following year, using the second channel of the CIP set installed in the first phase.
The third phase of the project, involving the most widely used batch cooking plant was implemented early in 2025 and saw a second, two-channel CIP set being installed alongside the first unit. By this point, the commissioning and putting into use process had become second nature to the clients’ staff and the operation ran virtually seamlessly from day one.
Achievements
1.
Enhanced productivity
The new CIP system allowed for faster, more efficient cleaning which resulted in reduced downtime and increased production capacity.
2.
Improved hygiene standards
With the CIP system’s thorough cleaning, the client achieved superior hygiene standards, reducing the risk of contamination and improving product safety.
3.
Cost savings
The efficient use of water, energy, and cleaning agents in the CIP system led to notable cost savings for the food producer.
4.
Employee satisfaction
The new CIP system’s efficiency improved employee satisfaction by allowing operators to concentrate more on core tasks rather than labor-intensive cleaning activities.