Dry ice blasting successfully eliminates biofilm microbial spores

Dry Ice Blasting To Remove Biofilm Microbial Spores in The Milk Production Industry

Recently Optimum Dry Ice Blasting have produced, from the ground up, a solution to an ongoing problem with micro bacterial spores within the Milk Production Industry. The problem persists mainly in powdered milk lines, soya lines and whey production lines and the spore is unique to this process.

Biofilms are formed on production equipment, which contain the microbial contamination, and can cause recurring problems. Traditional cleaning methods are, largely, unsuccessful and the presence of these micro spores can cause major shutdowns.

Dry ice blasting, however, has been trialled with a positive outcome. Our solution and designed system eradicated the contaminant in its entirety. The process involves lots of controls, not only to eliminate cross contamination but also to reduce dew point and moisture build up.

Dry ice blasting not only removes the biofilm that coats the surface, but will also destroy the reservoirs where the spore regenerates from. The sheer cold of dry ice blasting actually sterilises the surface whilst the aggression of the blasting process dislodges the contaminant. The contaminant is then controlled by introducing capture points and negative/positive air ‘tents’ to control, not only airborne spores, but also dew points.

We are now perfecting a prototype tool and working hard to develop a robust dry ice blasting system that will go to market across the world’s food production industry. The process will, hopefully, become the ‘go to’ procedure in mould remediation, again, highlighting how Optimum Dry Ice Blasting are leading the way when problem solving for the removal of moulds, microbial biofilm and spores.

News travels fast in the milk production world and we have already had interest from as far afield as Brazil, Chile and New Zealand!

I will keep you updated on our progress.

By Ian Reynolds