10 - Cleaning in place (CIP) in food processing

Abstract

To clean process equipment cost effectively without the need for any disassembly and reassembly, cleaning in place (CIP) is commonly applied in the food industry. Owing to the high degree of automation, CIP systems provide consistent and reproducible cleaning and allow full traceability of the cleaning operations. This chapter provides food manufacturers with the information needed to understand and improve the in-place cleaning of their food processing equipment. An overview is given of the detergents and disinfectants available, the most optimal conditions (temperature, detergent concentration, flow rate and water quality) for cleaning, and the most optimal CIP system designs allowing cleaning without contamination of food products. To optimize the cleaning of tanks that are commonly found in many food processing lines, guidance is given on the hygienic design and drainability of these tanks, the properties of the tank cleaning devices available, their necessary number and most optimal location, and the amount of cleaning solution required.