Sanitary pumps are used in high-purity processes such as food and beverage, biotechnology and pharmaceutical processing applications. The pumps and process equipment used in these applications require a level of design that meets higher standards than other processing industries.
Ultraclean Processing Required in Many Industries
Pumps must be designed to transfer material efficiently while also meeting strict cleanability requirements mandated by numerous organizations that establish the standards and regulations for ultraclean processing. The end product in food and beverage, biotech, and pharmaceutical applications must be safe for human consumption. Facilities must exert strict control over all machinery and processing equipment to prevent contamination of products and ensure product integrity.
Proper conditions must be maintained by monitoring temperature, flow, and pressure to ensure safe and sanitary conditions during processing operations for the production of safe and healthy consumable products.
Regulatory Compliance for Hygienic Processing of Fluids
Manufacturers involved in the sanitary handling of fluids are faced with unique challenges related to meeting all standards and regulations applied to hygienic processing. Regulatory standards provide guidelines regarding the design, construction, maintenance, and cleanability of processing equipment with a focus on achieving and maintaining sanitary conditions. Process equipment and material handling systems must be designed and constructed to prevent the buildup of contaminants and to facilitate operations for cleaning and sanitizing.
Safety Regulations Apply to Food and Beverage Pumps
safety and regulatory standards applied to food and beverage pump safety include:
FDA CFR 21.177 – Code of Federal Regulations Title 21, contains standards that regulate the use of safe elastomeric material used in pump manufacturing and is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration, FDA.
3-A Sanitary Standards – 3-A Sanitary Standards Inc. is a not-for-profit collaboration committed to advancing food safety through the hygienic design of equipment and introduced the first standards applying to the dairy industry in the 1920s. These sanitary standards include practices applied to hygienic standards for food and beverage and pharmaceutical processing, including regulations applied to centrifugal and positive rotary pumps and reciprocating pumps.
Cleanability of Pumps and Process Equipment
The cleanability of pumps and process equipment is a critical consideration in meeting all safety regulations that apply to food and beverage processing and other sanitary applications. The first criterion when designing food and beverage equipment is often functionality, which must include cleaning and sanitizing procedures. Cleaning and sanitizing is not the last step in the process but rather the first step which must always be performed before processing. When designing and defining functional requirements, facilities must determine in advance equipment cleanability procedures.
Two options include Cleaned in Place (CIP) and Cleaned out of Place (COP)
CIP – cleaning in-place involves removing soil and residual products with an automated method of cleaning and sterilizing that pumps cleaning chemicals and water through the system during phases of cleaning. CIP methods utilize chemicals, water, and heat to thoroughly clean machinery and equipment, including filters, fittings, and pipes. CIP methods do not require the disassembly of all equipment for sterilization although some components often must be removed for COP or manual cleaning processes, such as access ports and gaskets on tanks and silos.
COP – cleaning out of place involves removing contaminants when the equipment is partially or completely disassembled. Equipment is clean with methods of circulating chemical solutions and rinsing with water and a wash tank which may include the use of circulating pumps.
Consult with a reputable pump and process equipment supplier to learn more about designing, installing, and operating a sanitary pump system.
Illinois Process Equipment, IPE, offers sanitary pump and process equipment solutions for the food and beverage industry and other sanitary pumping applications. We differ from other pump suppliers with our high level of technical knowledge and expertise in many market applications. Contact us to speak with an engineer about choosing the right pump and process equipment for your sanitary processing needs.
