Dry steam sanitizing is a widely used cleaning method for a wide range of food and beverage applications. Commercial steam cleaning for food processing equipment is versatile and efficient, offering many benefits for companies across the food supply chain.
Here we’ll look at food safety challenges and how dry steam sanitizing can help meet them.
Challenges of Meeting Food Safety Standards
The 2011 Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) sets requirements for sanitization and food safety best practices in food processing and related facilities. While cleanliness and response to foodborne illness outbreaks have always been emphasized, prevention of foodborne illness is the major priority of this legislation.
As a result, food growers, manufacturers, producers, packagers, and transporters must do all they can to protect their products from pathogens. This is in addition to keeping equipment and facilities clean from oils and grease, food residues, insects, and allergens to avoid contamination.
Food processing and manufacturing facilities, such as confectionaries, bakeries, commercial kitchens, beverage producers, and canneries, must maintain clean, sanitary equipment which is traditionally time-consuming and risks damage to equipment and injury to workers. Cleaning and sanitizing is often a multi-step process that may involve taking equipment offline, disassembling conveyors and machinery, and using intensive washing, scraping, brushing, and vacuuming techniques. Then, components must be dried and reassembled before production resumes.
How Dry Steam Mitigates Those Challenges
To keep up with the strict requirements of the FSMA, many facilities turn to dry steam sanitization. Unlike water or wet steam, such as the steam produced during cooking, dry steam is slightly superheated so that it contains less than 10% moisture content.
A dry steam generator produces hot-dry steam, which is sprayed at high pressures and temperatures on and into equipment to clean and sanitize it quickly without chemicals, or in some cases, disassembly. As the steam evaporates, it leaves little to no moisture behind so that surfaces are clean, dry, and ready to be used again, much faster than traditional methods.
Dry steam can be used for applications like:
Degreasing oils and fats
Sanitizing multiple surfaces, floors, conveyor belts, and food equipment
Killing pathogens including listeria and E.coli
Killing molds
Cleaning and removing residues and traces of ingredients
There are many benefits of steam sanitization. It is especially useful in settings where equipment, ingredients, and products must stay dry like bakeries, dry and powdered ingredient processing facilities, and packaging operations. Steam reaches areas inside and around equipment that are difficult to clean with other methods. Dry steam cleaning also reduces the time for drying and reassembling equipment so it can be brought back online quickly.
Our Steam Generators for Food Processing Cleaning
At Electro-Steam, we manufacture multiple types of steam sanitization systems for use across the food and beverage industry. Options include:
Safety relief valve with ASME V mark (built by an ASME-certified manufacturer)
A steam gun/20-foot hose combo and a 52-tool accessories kit are included with every unit
Steam Master Series by Menikini
The Steam Master by Menikini series is European Conformity (EC) compliant and has an operating pressure of 145 psi. Additional features are:
Automatic pressure control
Low level cut-off (LLCO) with alarm
Solution/detergent tank
Adjustable temperature regulator
12 Bbr (174 psi) safety relief valve
A steam gun/20-foot hose combo and a 52-tool accessories kit are included with every Steam Master
Conveyor Belt Cleaning Systems
Electro-Steam’s fully automated or robotic conveyor belt cleaning systems simplify the process of cleaning and sanitizing conveyor belts without chemicals and without dismantling the belt systems. These systems use FDA-approved materials that can clean vinyl, mesh, and plastic conveyor belts to meet the highest industry standards. They also utilize much less water than traditional cleaning methods, saving facilities between 95%-99% of their normal water allocation for conveyor belt sanitizing.
Learn More About Steam Sanitization for Food Processing
Steam sanitization is an efficient, trusted method for cleaning and sanitizing equipment while ensuring food safety. Using the right equipment from Electro-Steam for your operations saves time, money, and labor while complying with industry regulations.
Our expert team can help you select the ideal solution for your facility and application. Contact us today to learn more about our dry steam solutions.
All food production facilities must maintain stringent sanitation protocols, but dry food processing facilities face additional challenges. Because moisture would ruin a package of crackers, a bag of flour, or a powdered drink mix, traditional cleaning methods aren’t an option. Many companies resort to the slow, painstaking process of removing conveyor belts to wash them or performing a tedious process of scraping, wiping, and vacuuming.
Fortunately, there’s another way. Dry steam sanitation is faster, safer, environmentally friendly, and cost-effective. More and more facilities use it to meet sanitation requirements without putting their products at risk.
This process relies on high-temperature, low-moisture steam, which not only kills mold, bacteria, and other microorganisms, but also removes grease, dirt, and other grime. Because the dry steam evaporates quickly, floors, countertops, conveyor belts, and more are left clean, dry, and ready to use.
Main Advantages of Steam Cleaning in Food Processing Environments
In food processing facilities, dry steam cleaning has several advantages over traditional wash-down or chemical cleaning:
Clean-In-Place (CIP) Technology
Instead of removing a conveyor belt to wash it down and let it dry outside the production room, commercial steam sanitation systems allow you to safely clean it in place. This saves time and labor, and it provides a more thorough cleaning since the hot steam can get into all the cracks and crevices in the equipment that may be hard to reach manually. The steam dries quickly, so you don’t run the risk of contaminating your food products with moisture.
Chemical-Free Cleaning
Traditional harsh chemical cleaners are a common choice for sanitizing food and beverage processing equipment, but they pose a number of risks, including:
Toxic Ingredients: The concentrated chemical cleaners used in food processing environments can potentially harm facility sanitation workers. Using these cleaners typically requires special protective gear, including protective clothing, eye protection, and even respirators.
Contamination: Residue from these harsh chemical cleaning agents can remain on conveyors and other equipment, contaminating food and packaging when processing resumes after cleaning. This can potentially impact product quality and consumer health and safety.
Improper Use: Chemical cleaners typically require users to follow a detailed set of instructions for proper use. Sanitation workers in food and beverage processing facilities must be well-trained in the suggested preparation and application of these cleaners for the safest results. If applied improperly, these cleaners can be hazardous.
Regulatory Compliance:OSHA guidelines specify “permissible exposure limits (PELs) to protect workers against the health effects of exposure to hazardous substances, including limits on the airborne concentrations of hazardous chemicals in the air.” Using chemical cleaners could result in violations of these guidelines.
Bacterial Resistance: Just as bacteria and other microorganisms have evolved to survive various antibiotics, they can also adapt to survive against chemical cleaners. For example, many cleaning chemicals contain oxidizers that must be allowed sufficient dwell time to work effectively against bacterial pathogens. However, cleaning routines or personnel may not allow enough time, causing pathogens to develop resistance over time. As a result, facilities may require increasingly harsher substances and concentrations to achieve sanitary conditions.
Environmental Hazards: Chemical cleaners must be rinsed safely away from equipment, and the facility’s effluent must be treated and disposed of properly to prevent clogging drains and releasing harmful chemicals into the surrounding community. This is a complex process that, if not done responsibly, can harm the environment.
Dry steam cleaning offers a very safe, powerful, and cost-effective solution for cleaning equipment surfaces of contaminants such as:
Oils and fats, including animal-based substances
Protein soils
Lubricating grease and oil
Plant matter
Residual debris
Drastic Reduction in Water Consumption
Traditional chemical-based cleaning and sanitizing methods consume a remarkable volume of water, with typical industrial water hoses spraying up to 10-12 gallons each minute. A single hose could use over 170,000 gallons of water in just one 8-hour shift.
Dry steam vapor provides the same or better results using just a few ounces of water per minute, and virtually none of it goes down the drain. This significant reduction in water consumption and wastewater generation can lead to substantial reductions in costs and environmental impacts, enhancing sustainability while maintaining excellent hygiene and safety.
Increased Cleaning Efficiency
Traditional cleaning methods are time- and labor-intensive, requiring careful equipment preparation and protection, manual cleaning, and clean up afterward. Dry steam cleaning, on the other hand, makes the entire process faster and easier, minimizing downtime and freeing employees and resources for other activities. In terms of efficiency, dry steam cleaning benefits food processing facilities in a variety of ways:
No need to cover electrical components, as dry steam vapor will not affect them
No special safety gear needed for employees
No extended training needed
No need to dismantle equipment for cleaning access
No brushes or accessories to install or maintain
No messy cleanup
No extensive manual labor with hands-free, automated cleaning
No rinsing and virtually no drying time
No additional wastewater processing needed
Higher Levels of Sanitation
Foodborne health risks from pathogens and other cross-contaminants are a top priority in food processing, so improved levels of sanitation are more important than ever. Traditional cleaning approaches typically require substantial manual labor and inspection to ensure thorough cleaning. These methods rely on a combination of proper techniques, adequate time and effort, appropriate cleaner application, and other factors during every cleaning cycle.
Dry steam cleaning eliminates bacteria by destroying microorganisms’ biofilms with heated steam at temperatures from 212 °F to 340 °F (100 °C to 170 °C). The steam can reach every surface, crack, and crevice, leaving behind bacterial debris that can be easily removed with built-in vacuum systems or even by hand with a microfiber cloth.
Dry steam cleaning offers higher sanitation levels than traditional cleaning methods, thereby minimizing liability and maintaining company reputation. Making the switch to dry steam can help your company save money, reduce your carbon footprint, and increase production—all while maintaining the fully sanitized facilities demanded by the industry.
Electro-Steam’s Commercial Steam Cleaning Equipment for Food Processing Facilities
At Electro-Steam, we have years of experience working with clients in the food processing industry, and we have a variety of solutions to meet your needs. These systems come in different sizes with features designed to suit a number of applications while upholding safety standards:
Eagle Series: Built in accordance with UL 353, the Eagle Series features dual pressure controls, a high-pressure safety reset, low-level cut-off (LLCO), and a 200 psi safety valve, complete with the ASME V mark.
Steam Master by Menikini Series: An adjustable temperature regulator allows for greater safety and adaptability, and it has a 174 psi safety relief valve with automatic pressure controls set at 145 psi. The tank and low-level cut-off system features an alarm to ensure you’re aware of low solution levels. This series is European Conformity (CE) compliant. Options include a steam gun with a 20-foot hose and an accessories kit.
Conveyor Belt Systems: Avoid equipment shutdowns and downtime with hands-free, chemical-free cleaning. The FDA-approved materials in our steam cleaning systems can be used on plastic, vinyl, and mesh conveyor belts. You’ll meet industry standards for cleanliness, reduce labor costs, and use up to 99% less water than what you would have to use for traditional conveyor belt cleaning.
Learn More About Steam Cleaning
Dry steam cleaning is cost-effective, time-saving, and environmentally friendly. To learn more benefits of using steam to clean conveyor belts in food processing facilities, download our eBook, “The Benefits of Steam for Conveyor Belt Cleaning in Food Processing.” If you have any questions about our catalog and customization capabilities, please contact us. We’re happy to help you find the right steam cleaning solution for your facility.
Proudly Manufactured in the USA 
Food processing and manufacturing facilities, such as confectionaries, bakeries, commercial kitchens, beverage producers, and canneries, must maintain clean, sanitary equipment which is traditionally time-consuming and risks damage to equipment and injury to workers. Cleaning and sanitizing is often a multi-step process that may involve taking equipment offline, disassembling conveyors and machinery, and using intensive washing, scraping, brushing, and vacuuming techniques. Then, components must be dried and reassembled before production resumes.
Our Eagle Series Dry Steam Cleaners are portable and have an operating pressure of 5 to 160 psi. All models include:
The Steam Master by Menikini series is European Conformity (EC) compliant and has an operating pressure of 145 psi. Additional features are:
