Investigation of the potential of dry ice blasting for cleaning and disinfection in the food production environment

Cleaning with solid CO2 (dry ice blasting) is an environmental friendly, fast and residue-free method applied in many industrial areas. In this study the disinfection potential of dry ice blasting and parameters influencing cleaning efficacy was investigated. The method removes bacterial cells to a similar extent from several surfaces and components of dairy production equipment, occasionally with a slight abrasive effect. Efficacy is affected by the quantity of dry ice and pressure applied but neither by the pellet size nor the initial quantity of bacterial cells on the surface. Since the bacteria removal rate is less than five log(10) units, dry ice blasting cannot be recommended as a disinfection method, but it demonstrates efficient cleaning comparable to other conventional methods. In practice, dry ice blasting of food production equipment is recommended outside the production area because there is a high risk of recontamination due to spread of the bacteria. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.