larly suitable for use in the food industry and
trade. After all, moisture is problematic in these
hygiene-sensitive industries because it promotes
the growth of germs, while temperature fluc-tuations
have a negative impact on the quality
and shelf life of fresh products.
UV-C radiation also scores in terms of ener-gy
efficiency: “Based on our many years of
know-how, we select the individually required
radiation dose for each application - no more
and no less,“ explains Karl-Heinz Schröcker,
Managing Director of Sterilsystems. While most
simple bacteria and viruses, for example, can
be inactivated at 10 to 20 mJ/cm², ten times
this dose may be necessary for molds. In this
way, the hygiene professionals ensure that the
necessary disinfection effect is maintained, but
without incurring unnecessary energy costs.
Uncomplicated UV-C irradiation
“Meat and sausage production in particular
places high demands on hygiene management,“
says Schröcker. “In order to make routine
disinfection as uncomplicated as possible, we
have specially developed our UV-C continuous
disinfection systems with split belt.“ In addition,
the Austrian meat products manufacturer uses
a UV-C belt disinfection system from Sterilsys-tems
on its cutting belt. This is installed under
the conveyor and cutting belts and irradiates the
transport surface with each rotation. In this way,
the belt is cleaned immediately even if it comes
into contact with germ-contaminated goods,
and the transfer of microorganisms to other
products is prevented. The use of both con-
tinuous and belt disinfection systems - com-pletely
without the use of chemicals that are
harmful to the environment and health - serves
to permanently increase the quality of the
finished sausage and ham specialties.
Clean room air
“To ensure an all-around hygienic production
atmosphere, we at Berger Schinken also use
Die Banddesinfektion (Bild li.) ist unter dem Band montiert. Die Durchlauf-
desinfektion (re.) erleichtert mit einem Split-Band die Entkeimung. /
The belt disinfector (left pic.) is mounted under the belt. The continuous
disinfection (r.) facilitates disinfection with a split belt.
UV-C disinfection systems for air purification in
addition to the continuous and belt disinfection
systems that are seamlessly integrated into the
lines,“ adds Maderner. Since 2016, for example,
an evaporator disinfection system has prevented
biofilms from forming on the fins of the air-
conditioning units in the storage rooms. This is
because these not only impair transmission per-formance
and necessitate an increased cleaning
interval, but can also additionally recontaminate
the room air with germs and mold spores. In
addition, four of the company‘s ventilation sys-tems
are equipped with TR systems. “These are
emitters that - like all the UV-C lamps installed -
are dustproof and waterproof and can be easily
installed in the walls of ventilation housings and
ducts,“ Schröcker explains. With the help of
these measures, the spread of microorganisms
via the air or ventilation systems is prevented.
UV-C circulating air disinfection units, which
were purchased because of the Corona pande-
mic in 2020 and clean the air in the production
rooms 24 hours a day, also ensure a general im-provement
in air quality. They can be easily ret-rofitted
at any time, as they are simply mounted
under the ceiling. The units, called ULE2000,
have an integrated fan that precisely adjusts the
volume of air flow to the output of the installed
radiators. Specially designed for the disinfection
of rooms where people are present and for
demanding hygienic conditions, the units sup-port,
on the one hand, the health protection of
employees and, on the other hand, the quality
assurance of meat and sausage products.
Highest hygiene standards
The UV-C systems used for surface disinfection
are specially designed for food processing
industries in a waterproof hygienic design. They
have smooth surfaces made of high-quality
stainless steel and can be pulled out or folded
out for cleaning so that they can be completely
foamed in as well as rinsed. “It was especially
important to us that the disinfectors withstand
even frequent and thorough washing,“ Mad-erner
emphasizes. “At our request, Sterilsystems
therefore made manufacturing adjustments to
the units to improve the durability of the com-ponents,
even against the chemicals we use to
clean the production facilities and premises.“
In addition to hygiene and food safety, em-ployee
safety was also a key consideration for
Berger Schinken when purchasing the systems.
For example, daily handling of the all-around
shielded sterilization systems from Sterilsystems
is completely safe for personnel, as UV-C rays
cannot penetrate window glass and transparent
plastics nor opaque materials. In addition, the
continuous and belt disinfection systems, for
example, are equipped with a sensor that
automatically switches off the lamps as soon
as the unit is pulled out or opened for clea-
ning or maintenance purposes, for example.
“As a complete solution provider, Sterilsys-tems
has been supporting us for many years
in word and deed, responding to the indi-vidual
needs of our sausage and ham pro-duction
and even modifying a system from
time to time to meet our requirements,“
Maderner sums up. www.sterilsystems.at
DESINFEKTION
36 1 / 2022 DISINFECTION
Fotos: Sterilsystems/Berger Schinken
/www.sterilsystems.at
