Not all manufacturers are willing and able to self-regulate and there is a risk that without an impending audit, food hygiene standards may drop.
A major talking point resulting from the UK Food Standards Agency(FSA) announcement that it plans to redesign its regulatory role, is the idea of moving away from its current inspection model. Putting the onus on manufacturers to self-regulate their safety standards is not necessarily bad, but with fewer audits performed by the FSA, will this lead to safer food for customers? This is where UV Technology can plug in.
At this time, not all manufacturers are willing and able to self-regulate, and there is a risk that food hygiene standards may drop without an impending audit. Some businesses will need help to maintain the standards required to produce high-quality products and protect their brand image.
The FSA plans to create a regulatory framework for different types of businesses within the industry. Critically, it wants to lean on big businesses with stringent rules and regulations for food and beverage safety for support. This is certainly a positive idea for the industry because major manufacturers have had internal processes and audits in place to ensure food safety for a long time. One of the key aspects of this is the requirement for proven new technologies. The FSA requires identifying and assessing new technologies that will shape the food and beverage sector and enhance food safety standards.
The food and beverage industry can benefit from utilizing proven new technology to improve safety. Water can often be a source of microbial contamination. Correct water treatment is essential if the bacteria problem originates from the municipal water supply, dead legs in pipework design, or water being stored for long times or at high temperatures. Water treatment needs to be in place, and it must be proven to work and monitored and maintained as recommended.
Due to higher demands for water quality in recent years, ultraviolet (UV) light treatment technologies have increased. UV has come a long way in recent years to adapt to the demands of global food and beverage companies. UV technology has proven successful in the highly regulated municipal drinking water sector and is now the preferred choice for food and beverage companies.
Reputable manufacturers will offer third-party validated UV systems to ensure performance as required. This guarantee of post-UV water quality will ensure biosecurity and product safety. Furthermore, these systems will offer an online UV dosage reading, so users can continuously monitor their performance. Users can log this reading regularly on their building management system to maintain traceability of water quality. This is an important part of ISO 22000 (Food Safety Management), so in the event of a batch issue, it can be demonstrated that the product water received the correct UV dose.
To ensure optimal performance, maintaining UV systems is necessary, and innovative solutions have reduced the time and cost of maintenance. Modern UV systems use only a single UV lamp in a reactor to treat up to 300m3/hr of water. Gone are the days of needing to change multiple UV lamps, quartz sleeves, and seals at each service. The operating costs and the time taken to service the UV are significantly reduced with only a single lamp. The result is minimal downtime and a lower cost for guaranteed water quality.
Overall, the improvements in UV technology fit well with the strategic plans of the FSA, and an increase in the use of UV will help customers in their drive for food safety.
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Nuvonic is the innovator in sustainable UV technology for water, air and surface disinfection on a global scale. Our mission is to support nature’s purity with science by protecting people and processes from harmful contamination.
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