In processing facilities, sanitation is both a food safety necessity and a significant operational cost. Every unplanned shutdown, reclean, or extended sanitation cycle directly impacts labor and overall plant efficiency.
Increasingly, facilities are re‑examining sanitation chemistries not just for kill efficacy, but for how they perform under organic load, integrate with automation, and minimize operational disruption.
The Hidden Cost of Recleaning Events
Recleaning events are rarely budgeted line items, but they are among the most expensive forms of inefficiency in a processing plant. Each event typically involves:
- Production downtime
- Additional labor hours
- Increased chemical and water usage
- Delays in start‑up and verification
In addition, what initially looks like an internal operational issue can quickly escalate into significant financial exposure beyond the plant. At a broader scale, the estimated cost of food safety incidents in the United States is around $7 billion per year which comes from notifying consumers, removing food from shelves, and paying damages as a result of lawsuits.1
Automation and Consistency Matter
A major contributor to recleaning events is inconsistency in chemical preparation and application. Manual mixing, variable dosing, and human error can all lead to under‑ or over‑application.
"Automation takes variability out of sanitation," says Henry Fisher, Kemin Bio Solutions Business Manager. "Consistent chemical generation and delivery help processors reduce recleaning events, protect uptime, and run more efficiently."
It’s important to work with a partner whose solutions are designed to integrate with automated chlorine dioxide generation and delivery systems, ensuring consistent dosing across sanitation cycles. Consistency reduces the need for corrective action, one of the most common drivers of recleaning and extended downtime.
Simplifying Sanitation with Multi‑Purpose Solutions
As plants look to reduce complexity, another critical consideration is how many products are required to manage sanitation across the facility. Sanitation solutions that can serve multiple roles within the plant such as water treatment and hard surface sanitation help streamline operations. Fewer chemistries mean simpler training, more consistent execution, and easier integration with automated systems.
A Practical Shift in Strategy
As processors face growing pressure to do more with less (less downtime and less labor), sanitation programs are evolving. The emphasis is moving toward “smarter chemistry,” with increased demand for solutions that perform under organic challenge, integrate seamlessly with automation, and deliver consistent, predictable results shift after shift.
For facilities looking to regain control over sanitation‑related costs and efficacy, the conversation often starts with understanding how chemistry behaves under real‑world conditions. Solutions like PRO‑OXINE® FP and OXINE® FP are designed to perform in high organic load environments with automated delivery, offering dependable microbial control while supporting stable, efficient sanitation programs.
For more information on how PRO-OXINE® FP and OXINE® FP can help with your operation, visit kemin.com/bio.
References
1Hussain, M. A., & Dawson, C. O. (2013). “Economic Impact of Food Safety Outbreaks on Food Businesses.” Foods (MDPI), Volume 2, Issue 4, pp. 585–589.