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ARS Home » Pacific West Area » Albany, California » Western Regional Research Center » Bioproducts Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #109568
Title: COMBINED ELECTROFLOTATION AND DISINFECTION IN FOOD PROCESSING

Author
item Hernlem, Bradley - Brad
item Tsai, Lee
item Huxsoll, Charles
item Robertson, George

Submitted to: Annual Meeting of the Institute of Food Technologists
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/22/2000
Publication Date: 6/6/2000
Citation: Hernlem, B.J., Tsai, L.-S., Huxsoll, C., Robertson, G. 2000. Combined Electroflotation and Disinfection in Food Processing. Paper Number 74-12, presented at the 2000 Institute of Food Technologists Annual Meeting, June 10-14, 2000, Dallas, TX. Available: http://ift.confex.com/ift/2000/techprogram/paper_4502.htm.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The quality of food process water is vital to food safety. Techniques which decontaminate process water prolong its useful life and reduce cross-contamination. Electroflotation is a technology combining disinfection with removal of flotable substances. The objectives were to evaluate electroflotation for decontaminating poultry chiller water, investigate the mechanism of disinfection, and determine process control parameters. A 2 L electroflotation device was constructed with non-consumable electrodes in a bipolar stack. The device was evaluated for the disinfection of and removal of flotable materials from poultry chiller water. Experiments were performed to examine the mechanism of disinfection and to establish the relationships between process stream chloride content, current and conductivity on electrolytic gas generation and chlorine formation. The range of current and voltage were 0.1 to 2 A and 9 to 30 V. Poultry chiller water was efficiently disinfected (> 6 log reduction in coliform and total aerobic CFUs) by electroflotation and 80% removal of suspended solids was accomplished with as little power input as 1.2 kWh/m3. The presence of chloride in the process fluid was required for disinfection. The efficiency of chlorine generation, on the basis of current, was found to vary strongly with applied current and the concentration of chloride. Gas generation was proportional to current and moderately affected by chloride. Electroflotation is effective in decontaminating poultry chiller water. This research indicated that control of current and process flow rate controls chlorination separately from flotation.