Case Studies

Food & Beverage

Case Studies:

Super Kleen Gel with CP-405

OPPORTUNITY:

The customer is a leading producer of pies. They utilize nine pie ovens at their facility to bake a variety of pies. Their most difficult line to clean is their 90 foot (27 meter) conveyor belt and oven used to bake pecan pies, due to the pecan nut oils and high sugar content. If the line is not cleaned thoroughly, not only is there significant risk of food contamination and microbial growth, but the components are likely to experience shorter lifespans and require increased energy to operate.
The customer was utilizing a competitor’s high caustic gel and caustic CIP product in their cleaning process. They employed a 30 gallon foamer to apply the blend, then used a hot water pressure rinse to remove the soil. This process was sufficient for the other lines but struggled to remove the heavy carbonized soils from the pecan pies. Workers were often left to scrape off the remaining soils by hand. Not only did this compromise the plant’s sanitation, but it also created safety concerns and limited optimization, in that the caustic blend was so irritating to workers’ eyes and throats that cleaning could not occur during production. These deficiencies allowed the DuBois technical team several opportunities to introduce a preferable alternative.

THE DUBOIS SOLUTION:

DuBois partnered with the producer to implement Super Kleen Gel in conjunction with CP-405. Super Kleen Gel is a high viscosity, high hydroxide liquid, formulated specifically to remove hard carbonized soils in fryers and ovens, whereas CP-405 is a heavy-duty alkaline detergent for use in foam cleaning operations. The combination of these two products creates a po
werful blend of surfactants and wetting agents, capable of clinging to the equipment’s vertical and upside-down surfaces and eliminating the most difficult carbonized soils. Utilizing the customer’s 30 gallon foamer, the DuBois technical team recommended a mix of 10 gallons water, 15 gallons Super Kleen Gel, and 5 gallons CP-405 to clean the pecan pie conveyor and oven.

RESULTS AND BENEFITS:

Upon implementation, the team found that this mixture, when applied to the line’s walls and ceilings, was able to cling for over 35 minutes. After allowing the cleaner to dwell, the customer was excited to find that the carbon soils were able to be rinsed away with just a water hose, rather than the hot water pressure rinse previously required. Not only this, but unlike the competitor’s blend that emitted heavy fumes, this solution did not require the production floor to be vacated. The customer has been very impressed by the results of the solution and continues to report improved cleaning and sanitation and safer conditions.