Monitoring Residual Amounts of Cleaning and Disinfecting Agents on Equipment, Utensils, and Containers After Sanitary Treatment in Food Industry Enterprises

Alexander Sergeevich Zaitsev, Delta-CT LLC

Sanitary treatment is an integral part of the technological process in food production. Technological instructions for sanitary treatment include requirements for monitoring the rinsing of residual amounts of cleaning and disinfecting agents from equipment, utensils, and container surfaces, as these substances can pose health risks to consumers if they enter food products, causing poisoning, allergic reactions, and other health issues. Many countries have regulatory requirements that set maximum permissible concentrations of harmful substances in various food products. Additionally, residual amounts of cleaning and disinfecting agents can negatively affect the organoleptic properties of food-taste, smell, and appearance.

Delta-CT LLC has developed a line of indicator strips for determining residual amounts of cleaning and disinfecting agents in rinse water and on surfaces. The indicator strips, marketed under the brand name “DELTA-CT,” are simple and quick to use, provide high research accuracy, are relatively low-cost, do not require expensive instruments, special equipment, or highly qualified personnel. They are made as polymer strips with indicator zones attached. Each indicator zone consists of a matrix containing sorbents (or solid extractants), chromogens, buffers, stabilizers, wetting agents, and masking agents. The test strips come with an instruction manual and a color scale indicating the concentrations of the detected substances.

The selection of indicator test strips for monitoring the rinsability of residual detergents and disinfectants depends on the composition of the cleaning agents used. The table below lists the main components of disinfectants and the recommended methods for monitoring their rinsability.

Component of the detergent (disinfectant)	Measured parameter	Monitoring method
Nitric acid	Residual acidity	“Residual Acidity” test strips
Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)	Residual alkalinity	“Residual Alkalinity” test strips
Potassium hydroxide (caustic potash)	Residual alkalinity	“Residual Alkalinity” test strips
Calcium hydroxide	Residual alkalinity	“Residual Alkalinity” test strips
Sodium hydroxide (caustic soda)	Residual alkalinity	“Residual Alkalinity” test strips
Sodium hypochlorite	Residual active chlorine	“Chlorine-10 mg” test strips
Sodium hypochlorite	Residual alkalinity	“Residual Alkalinity” test strips
Dichlorantin (1,3-dichloro-5,5-dimethylhydantoin)	Residual active chlorine	“Chlorine-10 mg” test strips
Sodium dichloroisocyanurate	Residual active chlorine	“Chlorine-10 mg” test strips
Sodium carbonate (soda ash)	Residual alkalinity	“Residual Alkalinity” test strips
Citric acid	Residual acidity	“Residual Acidity” test strips
Peracetic acid	Residual peracetic acid	“PAA-100 mg” test strips
Phosphoric acid	Residual acidity	“Residual Acidity” test strips
Hydrogen peroxide	Residual hydrogen peroxide	“Peroxide-25 mg” test strips
Sulfuric acid	Residual acidity	“Residual Acidity” test strips
Hydrochloric acid	Residual acidity	“Residual Acidity” test strips
Sulfamic acid	Residual acidity	“Residual Acidity” test strips
Acetic acid	Residual acidity	“Residual Acidity” test strips
Chloramine B (sodium benzenesulfonchloramide)	Residual active chlorine	“Chlorine-10 mg” test strips
Chloramine T (sodium tosylchloramide)	Residual active chlorine	“Chlorine-10 mg” test strips
Chlorinated lime	Residual active chlorine	“Chlorine-10 mg” test strips
Chlorinated lime	Residual alkalinity	“Residual Alkalinity” test strips
Quaternary ammonium compounds (N,N-didecyldimethylammonium chloride, N,N-dioctyldimethylammonium chloride, benzalkonium chloride, etc.)	Residual quaternary ammonium compounds	“QAC-100 mg” test strips

Using indicator test strips for production monitoring allows for tracking multiple parameters in the HACCP system, minimizing financial and labor costs, and virtually eliminating the risk of distributing products that are hazardous to consumer health and safety.