Hanovia News - a Halma PR news blog

Control of microbial contamination is always a high priority in the meat and poultry industries. Driven by ever higher quality standards, many operators now use ultraviolet (UV) disinfection technology to help them meet these standards. UV is highly effective against virtually all microorganisms, including bacteria, yeasts, moulds and viruses. It is simple to operate and completely non-intrusive, using no chemicals of any sort and having no effect on the texture, taste or odour of the material being treated.

There are many requirements for Hanovia UV systems in the meat and poultry industries. One of the most important is the inactivation of Cryptosporidium and other harmful bacteria in mains water used for product make-up, rinse and chill. Cryptosporidium is resistant to chlorine disinfection, but recent independent tests have shown UV to be very efficient at destroying it (1). UV systems are also effective at disinfecting meat marinades and brines, potential breeding grounds for bacteria and moulds due to their high nutrient content.

Another UV requirement is the disinfection of water used for feed make-up in poultry houses and other livestock feeding areas. Contamination of the water can adversely affect growers’ feed conversion ratios, but installing a small UV unit is a simple and effective way of ensuring the water is pathogen-free.

Surface disinfection is another area where UV comes into its own. Simple UV tunnels can be installed on existing process lines to disinfect meat, poultry or eggs prior to packaging, or before they are transferred to High Care areas. Surface disinfection systems are also ideal for sterilising food handling utensils, conveyor belts and packaging materials.

UV is also extremely effective at removing airborne spoilage organisms and pathogens carried by air conditioning and ventilation systems. Compact and easy to install within existing ductwork, Hanovia air treatment systems are silent in operation and can treat up to 4m3/second of air per lamp. They are virtually maintenance-free, the only regular requirement being the replacement of the UV lamp twice a year, a simple operation that can be carried out by general maintenance staff.

Outside the processing and packaging environment, UV is now also finding increasing acceptance as an effective and economic way of disinfecting effluent and wastewater prior to discharge. It even allows wastewater to be recycled and re-used as process water, with obvious cost savings for operators.

1. Clancy et al, 2000. ‘Using UV to inactivate Cryptosporidium’. Journal AWWA, 92(9), 97-104.

Since opening in 1998, the Cotgrave Leisure Centre near Nottingham has used UV to treat the water in its indoor pool. The technology has been so successful that the centre’s assistant operations manager contacted Hanovia to tell the company how pleased he was.

“I’m really happy the centre decided to install UV right from the start,” said Neil Gallagher. “We use it for primary disinfection, with 1ppm chlorine added for residual disinfection. We could probably go lower than this, but we prefer to keep it at 1ppm, especially at busy times, as part of our ‘belt and braces’ approach to hygiene.”

Continuing, Neil said, “With UV, the pool water is much clearer than if we were using chlorine on its own. Also, because UV destroys any chloramines (combined chlorines) produced by the residual chlorination, the atmosphere around the pool is better, with none of the unwelcome smells or eye irritations normally associated with indoor pools. People often comment on it, and it has even become a bit of a selling point for the pool. I definitely think UV is the way forward.”

Further evidence of the advantages of UV is provided by a recent study in Belgium linking chloramines in indoor swimming pools with childhood asthma (1). The problem is potentially so serious that the researchers said pool operators should seriously consider reducing the amount of chlorine they use. While further research is needed, those operators with any doubts about the long-term health effects of chloramines may wish to consider UV as a viable, cost effective solution.

The unit installed at Cotgrave is a Hanovia medium pressure PSP UV system, which can treat up to 288 m3/hour, based on a UV dose of 60 mJ/cm2. An automatic wiper keeps the sleeve housing the UV lamp clean, so the only regular maintenance required is changing the lamp every six to nine months – a simple operation that is carried out by on-site staff. All Hanovia UV disinfection systems are compact and can usually be installed within existing pipework with minimal disruption.

Cotgrave’s main pool is 25 by eight meters, with a sizeable shallow side pool and beach area for children and families. There is also a 35m flume ride, which twists its way down to an aqua catch. The centre offers a mix of everything from casual public swimming to life saving and sub-aqua classes.

1. Bernard, A., Carbonnelle, S., Michel, O., Higuet, S., de Burbure, C., Buchet, J-P., Hermans, C., Dumont, X., and Doyle, I. (2003). Lung hyperpermeability and asthma prevalence in schoolchildren: unexpected associations with the attendance at indoor chlorinated swimming pools. Occupational & Environmental Medicine, 60, 385-394.

Microbial growth in beverages due to contaminated water supplies or sugar syrups can cause discolouration, off flavours and shortened shelf-life. The threat of contamination is further increased as manufacturers respond to consumer demands for less chemical additives and preservatives. Effective microbial disinfection of the whole manufacturing process is therefore essential.

A non-chemical method of disinfection which is gaining increasing acceptance is ultraviolet (UV) disinfection. Hanovia UV systems kill all known spoilage microorganisms, including bacteria, viruses, yeasts and moulds (and their spores). UV is a low maintenance, environmentally friendly technology which eliminates the need for chemical treatment while ensuring high levels of disinfection.

UV disinfection has many advantages over alternative methods. Unlike chemical treatment, UV does not introduce toxins or residues into process water and does not alter the chemical composition, taste, odour or pH of the fluid being disinfected. This feature is especially important in the beverage industry where the chemical dosing of incoming process water can cause off-flavours and alter the chemical properties of the product.

Hanovia UV systems can be used for primary water or sugar syrup disinfection or as a back-up for other purification methods such as carbon filtration, reverse osmosis or pasteurisation. As UV has no residual effect, the best position for a treatment system is immediately prior to the point of use. This ensures incoming microbiological contaminants are destroyed and there is a minimal chance of post-treatment contamination.

All Hanovia UV disinfection systems are easy to install, with minimum disruption to the plant. They need very little maintenance, the only requirement being replacement of the UV lamps every 12 months, depending on use. This is a simple operation that takes only a few minutes and can be carried out by general maintenance staff.