Nanofiltration for the recovery of caustic cleaning-in-place solutions: robustness towards large variations of composition

In the dairy industry re-use and multi-use cleaning-in-place (CIP) systems are operated by circulating chemicals and water without taking the equipment apart. The solutions, which become polluted due to the removal of fouling compounds, are drained periodically when they are considered to be too polluted. This work shows the large variations in composition (pollution, surface tension, etc) of the industrial caustic solutions coming from milk standardization and pasteurization plant CIP throughout their life time (7 days) and from 1 week to another. The work is also intended to show how nanofiltration (1 kg mol(-1) molecular weight cut-off) was robust and performed well, with good recovery of caustic solutions, even when faced with large variations of solutions composition: high caustic yield, permeation flux (J) in the range 42-110 l h(-1) m(-2), average chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction equal to 0.58 and low surface tension change. Equations have been established for the prediction of J as a function of initial membrane hydraulic resistance (Rm) caustic concentration, volume reduction ratio (VRR) and initial soluble COD. When VRR increased, both J and pollution retention decreased despite the increase in irreversible fouling induced by the increase of soluble pollution concentration in retentate. The higher the initial soluble COD, the sharper the decrease in J vs. VRR. Since irreversible fouling was usually small (0.1-3.4 x 10(13) m(-1), that is to say of the same order of magnitude as Rm), the membrane cleaning could be efficiently performed by using single phase sodium hypochlorite alternately with a more expensive acid-base cleaning sequence. The obtained permeate was a clear regenerated cleaning solution with low soluble COD (0.2-3.5 g/l) and surface tension (56-30 mJ m(-2)) which could be successfully exploited owing to its cleaning potential.     

Formation of dairy fouling deposits on food contact surfaces

This study aimed to compare microbiological, biochemical and physical methods to quantify dairy fouling deposits. The influence of factors affecting dairy fouling formation is investigated by selected methods with respect to material type (polytetrafluoroethylene and stainless steel) and temperature (4 and 20 °C) for a defined time. The factors were investigated using nonmicrobiologically caused and microbiologically caused dairy deposits formed by UHT and pasteurised milk inoculated with Pseudomonas fragi. Both deposit types exhibited different adhesion behaviours. The highest positive correlation coefficient was found between biochemical and microbiological methods (0.932) obtained at both incubation temperatures after 24 and 48 h.     

An emission pattern of a thermophilic bacteria attached to or imbedded in porous supports

There are many problems with thermophilic bacteria contamination of milk in the dairy industry. This is, in part, a result of fouling by milk components on stainless steel surfaces, which provide good harboring facilities for these bacteria to attach, imbed and grow. The interactions between milk fouling and bacteria deposited in or on the fouling deposit therefore become important issues. There have been a number of previous studies on the biofilm development in dairy processing plants. Here, a different approach to investigate the bacteria emission from a porous layer has been taken. In this approach, various process fluids were flushed over the top of a model milk foulant layer that contains high percentages of milk proteins, fat and some bacteria cells, in order to investigate the behavior of the 'resident' microorganisms and how they are 'released' into the flushing liquids. Definitive results were obtained, which have created sufficient interest for a different approach taken later, where fabric layers were used as the support for the bacteria cells to explore the 'generic' behavior of the porous layer-bacteria system. This study has shown that Bacillus stearothermophilus could multiply on or within a porous layer and 'migrate' from the layer into the fluid during processing. This "migration" is somewhat peculiar in terms of its time-responses but these are reproducible in all the tests performed. The phenomena observed may have an impact on future microbial safety practice in food factories.     

Effect of whey protein concentration on the fouling and cleaning of a heat transfer surface

In the studies of fouling and cleaning of heat exchange surfaces in dairy plants, whey protein deposits and heat induced whey protein gels (HIWPG) are considered as suitable model material to simulate the proteinaceous based type “A” milk fouling. Protein concentration of the fouling solution may significantly influence the formation of milk deposits on heat exchange surfaces, hence affecting the cleaning efficiency. In this study, a laboratory produced heat induced whey protein gels (HIWPG) and a pilot plant heat exchanger fouling/cleaning were used to investigate the effect of protein concentration on formation and cleaning of dairy fouling. Here, HIWPGs made from different protein concentrations were formed in capsules and then dissolved in aqueous sodium hydroxide (0.5 wt%). The dissolution rate calculation based on the UV spectrophotometer analysis. In the pilot-scale plant study, whey protein fouling deposits were formed by recirculating whey protein solutions with different concentrations through the heat exchange section in different runs, respectively. The deposit layers were then removed by recirculating aqueous sodium hydroxide (0.5 wt%) and the cleaning efficiency was monitored in the form of the recovery of heat transfer coefficient while both fluid electric conductivity and turbidity were monitored as indications of cleaning completion. It was found that increasing the protein concentration of the HIWPG significantly increased the gel hardness and the dissolution time. In addition, increasing the protein concentration significantly increased both, the amount of the fouling on the pilot-scale plant and the time required to clean the fouling deposit.     

CIP system design and philosophy

CIP systems are now used in almost all sires and types of dairy plant. The history of this development is outlined and the major design influences are set out. The merits of the various types of CIP system in use currently are explained, as are the alternative component options now available. Consideration is given to the engineering principles and other factors that influence the cleaning efficiency of CIP systems. notably the commercial constraints which often determine design decisions. The influence of control equipment on CIP design has been significant and will continue to provide the main springboard for developments in the future.     

Short communication: Evaluation of a sol-gel–based stainless steel surface modification to reduce fouling and biofilm formation during pasteurization of milk

Milk fouling and biofilms are common problems in the dairy industry across many types of processing equipment. One way to reduce milk fouling and biofilms is to modify the characteristics of milk contact surfaces. This study examines the viability of using Thermolon (Porcelain Industries Inc., Dickson, TN), a sol-gel-based surface modification of stainless steel, during thermal processing of milk. We used stainless steel 316L (control) and sol-gel-modified coupons in this study to evaluate fouling behavior and bacterial adhesion. The surface roughness as measured by an optical profiler indicated that the control coupons had a slightly smoother finish. Contact angle measurements showed that the modified surface led to a higher water contact angle, suggesting a more hydrophobic surface. The modified surface also had a lower surface energy (32.4 ± 1.4 mN/m) than the control surface (41.36 ± 2.7 mN/m). We evaluated the susceptibility of control and modified stainless steel coupons to fouling in a benchtop plate heat exchanger. We observed a significant reduction in the amount of fouled layer on modified surfaces. We found an average fouling weight of 19.21 mg/cm² and 0.37 mg/cm² on the control and modified stainless steel coupons, respectively. We also examined the adhesion of Bacillus and biofilm formation, and observed that the modified stainless steel surface offered greater resistance to biofilm formation. Overall, the Thermolon-modified surface showed potential in the thermal processing of milk, offering significantly lower fouling and bacterial attachment than the control surface.     

A Critical Review of Milk Fouling in Heat Exchangers

Fouling of heat exchangers is a problem in the dairy industry and costs billions of dollars every year. It has been studied extensively by researchers around the world, and a large number of studies are reported in the literature. This review focuses on the mechanisms of milk fouling, investigating the role of protein denaturation and aggregation as well as mass transfer. We also endeavor to review the effect of a number of factors which have been classified into 5 categories: (1) milk quality, (2) operating conditions, (3) type and characteristics of heat exchangers, (4) presence of microorganisms, and (5) transfer of location where fouling takes place. Different aspects have been discussed with the view of possible industrial applications and future direction for research. It may not be possible to alter the properties of milk since they are dependent on the source, collection schedule, season, and many other factors. Lowering the surface temperature and increasing the flow velocity tend to reduce fouling. Reducing the heat transfer surface roughness and wettability is likely to lower the tendency of the proteins to adsorb onto the surface. The use of newer technologies like microwave heating and ohmic heating is gaining momentum because these result in lower fouling; however, further research is required to realize their full potential. The presence of microorganisms creates problem. The situation gets worse when the microorganisms get released into the process stream. The location where fouling takes place is of paramount importance because controlling fouling within the heat exchanger may yield little benefit in case fouling starts taking place elsewhere in the plant.     

乳品浓缩中板式蒸发器结垢的形成及其预防措施

介绍了板式蒸发器的主要结构及工作原理,通过对板式蒸发设备表面成垢机理及结垢特点的分析,明确了供料不足、蒸汽太大、进料温度过低是造成结垢的主要原因。提出了控制进料流量和速度,改变加热介质以及加强乳品蒸发过程的浓度控制等措施,以便预防板面结垢。     

A spinning disc study of fouling of cold heat transfer surfaces by gel formation from model food fat solutions

The formation of immobile gels on heat transfer surfaces (‘coring’) caused by cooling fat solutions below their cloud point was studied using a novel spinning disc apparatus (SDA). The SDA features a cooled, removable heat transfer surface with well defined heat and mass transfer characteristics. Measurements of heat flux were combined with computational fluid dynamics simulations to yield reliable estimates of the surface temperature and shear stress. Fouling studies were performed with model solutions of 5 wt.% tripalmitin in a paraffin oil operating in the ‘cold start’ mode, wherein the experiment starts with the surface colder than the steady state, simulating one mode of operating a standard ‘cold finger’ experiment. Local heat flux measurements allowed the thermal fouling resistance to be monitored: deposit mass coverage and composition were also measured. The cold surface promotes the rapid formation of an initial gel layer, followed by a period of linear fouling, and finally falling rate fouling behaviour. The linear fouling rate was relatively insensitive to temperature and shear rate, while the fouling rate in the falling rate regime was found to depend on the temperature driving force for crystallisation kinetics. The solids fraction within the deposit layer increased over the duration of a 12 h fouling test, indicating rapid ageing. The rheological properties of the deposits were highly sensitive to solids fraction.     

Towards sustainable Cleaning-in-Place (CIP) in dairy processing: Exploring enzyme-based approaches to cleaning in the Cheese industry

Cleaning-in-place (CIP) is the most commonly used cleaning and sanitation system for processing lines, equipment, and storage facilities such as milk silos in the global dairy processing industry. CIP employs thermal treatments and nonbiodegradable chemicals (acids and alkalis), requiring appropriate neutralization before disposal, resulting in sustainability challenges. In addition, biofilms are a major source of contamination and spoilage in dairy industries, and it is believed that current chemical CIP protocols do not entirely destroy biofilms. Use of enzymes as effective agents for CIP and as a more sustainable alternative to chemicals and thermal treatments is gaining interest. Enzymes offer several advantages when used for CIP, such as reduced water usage (less rinsing), lower operating temperatures resulting in energy savings, shorter cleaning times, and lower costs for wastewater treatment. Additionally, they are typically derived from natural sources, are easy to neutralize, and do not produce hazardous waste products. However, even with such advantages, enzymes for CIP within the dairy processing industry remain focused mainly on membrane cleaning. Greater adoption of enzyme-based CIP for cheese industries is projected pending a greater knowledge relating to cost, control of the process (inactivation kinetics), reusability of enzyme solutions, and the potential for residual activity, including possible effects on the subsequent product batches. Such studies are essential for the cheese industry to move toward more energy-efficient and sustainable cleaning solutions.     

Role of β-lactoglobulin in the fouling of stainless steel surfaces by heated milk

Fouling occurred in sudden expansion (SE) test pieces in holding tubes downstream of a direct steam injection (DSI) heater. The fouling deposit contained high levels of protein, mainly β-lactoglobulin, and fat. Fouling during a run was monitored using heat flux sensors to determine the local fouling rate. The overall fouling rate was determined after a run from the weight of deposit and the overall time that fouling occurred during a run. Local and overall fouling rates were correlated. Fouling was high in SEs close to the DSI heater and diminished in SEs placed further downstream. The fouling rate was correlated with the level of native β-lactoglobulin remaining at the position of the SE. It is proposed that the fouling was due to a reactive intermediate of β-lactoglobulin that interacted with deposits on the SE surface. The considerable variation in fouling rates between runs suggests other environmental factors are also important.     

The effect of temperature on adhesion forces between surfaces and model foods containing whey protein and sugar

The formation of fouling deposit from foods and food components is a severe problem in food processing and leads to frequent cleaning. The design of surfaces that resist fouling may decrease the need for cleaning and thus increase efficiency. Atomic force microscopy has been used to measure adhesion forces between stainless steel (SS) and fluoro-coated glass (FCG) microparticles and the model food deposits (i) whey protein (WPC), (ii) sweetened condensed milk, and (iii) caramel. Measurements were performed over a range of processing temperatures between 30 and 90 °C and at contact times up to 60 s. There is a significant increase in adhesion force of both types of microparticle to WPC at 90 °C for all contact times. For confectionary deposits adhesion to SS was similar. Adhesion of confectionary deposits to FCG at 30 °C revealed a decrease in adhesion compared to SS; at higher temperatures the adhesion forces were similar.     

Continuous ohmic heating unit under whey protein fouling

An evaluation of a continuous ohmic heating apparatus performance was carried out, using a whey protein solution. It was thereby shown that, as with conventional heat exchangers, ohmic processing of dairy product generates fouling on electrode surfaces. The presence of this motionless deposit causes an increase in electricity consumption and leads to an increase in the temperature of the electrode surfaces. During the observation of 4- and 6-h processes, three stages were noted: (i) at first, the deposit thickness was not significant for a short period and ohmic process was observed to operate satisfactorily (balance power, electrode temperature), (ii) then the deposit thickness was observed to gradually increase with processing time, provoking a corresponding simultaneous increase in both electricity comsuption and electrode temperature, (iii) finally, the electrode temperature reached boiling point, as did the deposit, leading to deposit adhesion and removal changes.     

Optimisation of Bacillus cereus biofilm removal in the dairy industry using an in vitro model of cleaning‐in‐place incorporating serine protease

This article addresses a major hygienic issue in the dairy industry, namely biofilm removal. Response surface methodology was deployed to optimise Bacillus cereus biofilm removal conditions using serine protease. The currently practiced alkali cleaning‐in‐place (CIP) method was also optimised, and while the optimised protease CIP resulted in complete removal of biofilm cells, the reference CIP (with alkali) resulted in a reduction of 4.08 log biofilm cells/cm² and the optimised alkali CIP resulted in a reduction of ～4.92 log biofilm cells/cm². Furthermore, the amount of the biofilm matrix removed in the optimised protease CIP was significantly higher than that of alkali CIP. It was concluded that the optimised protease CIP has better applicability.     

Milk fouling at direct ohmic heating

Direct ohmic heating (Joule’s heating) is a technology to warm up the food using an electric energy where electric current is passed through a material which gets heated by virtue of its electrical resistance. Advantages over conventional indirect heating methods are speed and uniformity of heating. On the other side, the direct ohmic heating of liquid foods has some problems, for example corrosion and deposits creation on electrodes (fouling). The present research on fouling concentrates upon the effects of material and surface properties of electrodes, and upon the effect of power frequency. This work evaluates influence of material (stainless steel, TiN and graphite electrodes), flow rate, electric current density (at constant frequency 50 Hz) and temperature (in a limited temperature range 65–75 °C), upon the fouling of skimmed milk. Results prove that the stainless steel electrodes are the worst while the graphite electrodes, where no fouling was observed, are the best, thus confirming the significant role of corrosion and electrochemical phenomena. The paper analyzes also another phenomenon typical for direct ohmic heating and it is an inner overheating of the formed fouling layer, representing a risk of overburning. Theoretical results show that the most intensive overheating occurs at relatively very thin deposit layers, depending upon the specific electrical conductivity of deposits.     

Calcium phosphate deposition from simulated milk ultrafiltrate on different stainless steel-based surfaces

In order to reduce the fouling caused by milk during heat treatment, it is important to know more about the precipitation process of calcium phosphate, the main mineral component of milk deposits. This work was mainly focused on the relationship between calcium phosphate fouling behaviour and the surface properties of the materials used as metallic substrata. The foulant solution used in this work was an aqueous solution that simulates the mineral composition of milk and the deposition of calcium phosphate was studied on several stainless steel-based surfaces with different surface energy properties, obtained by ion implantation (SiF₃+ and MoS₂), coating by plasma chemical vapor deposition (SiO_x) or autocatalytic coating (Ni-P-PTFE). The experiments were performed in a batch system, using a rotating disk apparatus. The calcium phosphate deposits formed were characterized according to the rate of formation, thickness and resistance to removal under increasing shear stresses. Based on the data presented in this work, it could be concluded that fouling caused by calcium phosphate is affected by the surface energy properties of the metal substrata since different surfaces develop different deposit structures which have, consequently, different resistance to removal.     

Effectiveness of Rinse Water during In‐Place Cleaning of Stainless Steel Pipe Lines

The 1st step of any Clean‐In‐Place (CIP) operation is a prerinse with water. The purpose of this step is to remove the bulk of food material remaining in the processing lines after production period has ended. It is known that this prerinse step can be a very water intensive process. The objective of this investigation was to measure the influence of CIP parameters (flow characteristics, water temperature, and contact time) on the effectiveness of prerinse water in removing dairy‐based deposits from stainless steel pipe surfaces and to compare the rinse effectiveness of unused to reused rinse water. A pilot‐scale CIP system was operated to rinse 304 stainless steel pipe sections of 3 different pipe diameters. The velocity of the rinse water was varied from 0.72 to 2.26 m/s. The rinse water temperatures were 22 °C, 45 °C, and 67 °C. The contact times between rinse water and deposited film were 20 and 60 s. Rinse effectiveness was expressed as the ratio of the amount of protein residue removed from the pipe surface during rinsing, as compared to the magnitude of the initial protein deposit. The rinse effectiveness varied from 73.1% to 94.9% for the range of the CIP parameters investigated. High velocities of rinse water provided a higher level of rinse effectiveness. Increasing the rinse water temperature from 23 °C to 45 °C improved rinse effectiveness significantly (P < 0.05). This impact was not significant when the water temperature was increased from 45 °C to 67 °C and at higher rinse water velocities. Similarly, longer contact time provided less improvement in rinse effectiveness at higher temperatures and velocities as compared to lower temperatures and velocities. There were no significant differences in rinse effectiveness when comparing reused and unused water (normal tap water) within the range of velocities evaluated.     

Effect of membrane length, membrane resistance, and filtration conditions on the fractionation of milk proteins by microfiltration

We investigated the fractionation of casein micelles and the whey protein β-lactoglobulin (β-LG) of skim milk by crossflow microfiltration (0.1 μm) for the first time by a novel approach as a function of membrane length and membrane resistance. A special module was constructed with 4 sections and used to assess the effects of membrane length by measuring flux and β-LG permeation (or transmission) as a function of transmembrane pressure and membrane length. Depending on the position, the membranes were partly controlled by a deposit layer. A maximum for β-LG mass flow through the various membrane sections was found, depending on the position along the membrane. To study the effect of convective flow toward the membrane, membranes with 4 different intrinsic permeation resistances were assessed in terms of the permeation and fouling effects along the flow channel. From these findings, we derived a ratio between transmembrane pressure and membrane resistance, which was useful in reducing the effect of deposit formation and, thus, to optimize the protein permeation. In addition, the fouling effect was investigated in terms of reversible and irreversible fouling and, in addition, by differentiation between pressure-induced fouling and adsorption-induced (pressure-independent) fouling, again as a function of membrane length.     

Characterization of cake layer in submerged membrane bioreactor

Cake layer formation on the membrane surface has been a major challenge in the operation of membrane bioreactors (MBRs). In this study, the cake layer formation mechanism in an MBR used for synthetic wastewater treatment was investigated. The major components of cake layer were systematically examined by particle size analyzer (PSA), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM), X-ray fluorescence (XRF), energy-diffusive X-ray analyzer (EDX), and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The results indicate that the small particles in sludge suspension had a strong deposit tendency on the membrane surface. The SEM and CLSM analysis exhibited that bacterial clusters and polysaccharides were significant contributors to membrane fouling. The main components of biopolymers were identified as proteins and polysaccharide materials by the FTIR. The examination by EDX and XRF demonstrated that Mg, Al, Ca, Si, and Fe were the major inorganic elements in fouling cake. Furthermore, the results suggest that bridging between deposited biopolymers and inorganic compounds could enhance the compactness of fouling layer. During the operation of MBRs, the biopolymers and inorganic elements in the bioreactor should be controlled to minimize membrane fouling.     

Thermal performance of a flat ohmic cell under non-fouling and whey protein fouling conditions

Temperature gradients, between electrode surfaces and bulk, in a continuous flat ohmic cell under whey protein fouling were studied. The temperature profiles in non-fouled cell were studied using two Newtonian fluids (water and an aqueous solution of sucrose at 55 g/100 g) and a pseudoplastic fluid (an aqueous solution of xanthan gum at 0.2 g/100 g). The temperature gradients were studied using two fouling fluids: an aqueous solution of β-lactoglobulin and an aqueous solution of β-lactoglobulin-xanthan gum mixture. Obtained result shows the existence of a temperature difference between electrode surfaces and the bulk when heating non-fouling fluids. The value and the shape of these gradients depend on the Reynolds number and the rheological behavior of the fluid. Under fouling conditions, the temperature gradient obtained at different Reynolds number exhibit a different trend. These differences could be explained by the effect of differential electrical conductivities between the bulk and the deposit, and the balance between heat generation by electrical power dissipation and thermal loss by convection (with the fluid) and conduction (with the electrode surfaces).

Significance for the science community and food industry

Food industry and in particularly the dairy industry, are faced with a severe problem due to equipment fouling during processing. Therefore, the development of alternative technologies for fouling limitation is of scientist and industrial relevance. Ohmic heating is one of these technologies, where the theoretical volume heating aspect should provide a considerable advantage to limit fouling phenomena. The present study evaluates the capability of a rectangular ohmic unit to provide a homogenous heat treatment of complexes dairy fluid (fluid rheology, flow rate and fouling presence).