Cleaning and disinfection in the meat industry: abattoirs, cutting rooms and processed meats
Animal fat, protein and blood on floors, walls and equipment, cold rooms and lots of water: hygiene in a meat plant calls for strong degreasing, registered disinfection and biofilm control. These are the products whose technical data sheets indicate them for abattoirs, cutting rooms and meat plants, with their doses.
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What makes hygiene in a meat plant difficult
The soil in a meat plant is mainly animal fat, protein and blood, which stick to floors, walls, tables and equipment. Fat calls for an alkaline detergent with good degreasing power, normally applied as foam so that it has time to act on walls and vertical surfaces. Water that is too hot during the pre-rinse can fix protein in place, so it is best to start with lukewarm water.
In addition, the cold and humidity of processing rooms and cold rooms encourage biofilm and, with it, the persistence of Listeria. That is why daily cleaning is supplemented by disinfection with registered products, a periodic acid stage against limescale and enzymatic treatments when verification detects biofilm.
Which product goes with each area
Heavily greased floors, walls and surfaces
Alkaline foam · do not use on aluminium
- Gras Foam — 2–6% at 20–60 ºC; its data sheet cites cutting rooms and meat plants
- Gras Foam Pro — 2–6% at 20–60 ºC, for burnt-on grease
- Grasnet — 2–10% by spray or pressure washer; cites cutting rooms and meat plants
Disinfection of surfaces and equipment
With HA registration number
- Bacter Clor — 2–5%, 5–15 min; its data sheet recommends it for abattoirs, cutting rooms, canning plants and cold rooms
- Bacter 100 — 1%, 5 min; its data sheet cites cutting rooms and abattoirs
- Bacter Alcalino — foaming, 1%, 5 min
Limescale and alkaline cleaning residues
Acid foam
- Acid Foam — 2–5% at 20–60 ºC; according to its data sheet it does not attack aluminium or stainless steel
- Acid Foam Pro — concentrate, 2–5%
Crates, moulds and trays
Washing tunnel
- Alcalino Pro 1 — 1–6% at 60 ºC
- Alcalino Pro 3 — 1–3% at 60 ºC
- Clor NF Pro — HA-registered chlorinated product for plastic crates and micro-perforated moulds, 2–8%
Biofilm
Shock treatment
- Enzi Foam Pro — 1–3% at 40–55 ºC, alone or with Enzim Pro at 0.2%
- Insta Check Pro — detects biofilm on accessible surfaces
Hands
For food handlers, perfume-free
- Hand Bact Pro and Derbac — hand gel; their data sheets cite cutting rooms and abattoirs
- Hidro Bact Pro and Gerbac — no-rinse hand washing; their data sheets cite the meat industry and abattoirs
Cleaning a cutting room at the end of the shift
- Remove solid debris and protect equipment and electrical panels.
- Pre-rinse with lukewarm water at low pressure, from top to bottom.
- Alkaline foam with Gras Foam at 2–6% on walls, tables, equipment and floor, without letting the foam dry.
- Rinse with water under pressure, from top to bottom.
- Disinfect with Bacter Clor at 2–5% for 5–15 minutes or Bacter Alcalino at 1% for 5 minutes.
- Rinse with water under pressure, drain and verify. At the frequency set by your plan, an acid stage with Acid Foam and enzymatic treatment if biofilm is detected.
Dose and use of each product
| Product | Use | Dose | Conditions and notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gras Foam | Foam degreasing | 2–6% | 20–60 ºC. All types of metal except aluminium |
| Gras Foam Pro | Burnt-on grease | 2–6% | 20–60 ºC. Do not use on aluminium |
| Grasnet | Spray or pressure degreasing | 2–10% | Rinse with plenty of water. Do not use on aluminium |
| Clor Foam | Chlorinated degreasing | 5–10 g/l (spraying); 10–20 g/l (manual) | Up to 100 g/l for stubborn soil. Rinse |
| Bacter Clor | Cleaning and disinfection | 2–5% | Room temperature, 5–15 min. Reg. 18-20-06676-HA |
| Bacter 100 | Disinfection | 1% (bactericidal) | 5 min; rinse. Reg. 19-20-04311-HA |
| Bacter Alcalino | Foam disinfection | 1% (bactericidal) | 5 min; rinse with water under pressure. Reg. 19-20/90-06281-HA |
| Acid Foam | Foam descaler | 2–5% | 20–60 ºC; rinse with water under pressure |
| Alcalino Pro 1 | Crate tunnel | 1–6% | 60 ºC. Do not use on aluminium |
| Clor NF Pro | Tunnel, crates and moulds | 2–8% | 20–60 ºC, 5–15 min. Reg. 18-20/40-09617-HA. Do not use on aluminium |
Frequently asked questions
Which product should I use for grease on floors and walls in a cutting room?
An alkaline foam degreaser: Gras Foam at 2–6% at 20–60 ºC, or Gras Foam Pro if there is burnt-on grease. For spray or pressure washer application, Grasnet at 2–10%. None of the three is to be used on aluminium.
How is a cutting room disinfected?
After cleaning and rinsing, with an HA-registered disinfectant: Bacter Clor at 2–5% for 5–15 minutes, Bacter 100 at 1% for 5 minutes or Bacter Alcalino at 1% for 5 minutes, followed by rinsing with water.
Which disinfectant has been tested against Listeria?
Of those used in meat plants, Bacter Clor complies with UNE-EN 13697 against Listeria monocytogenes at 2% under dirty conditions. More options on the Listeria page.
Can I use these products on aluminium?
Gras Foam, Gras Foam Pro, Grasnet, Alcalino Pro 1 and Clor NF Pro are not to be used on aluminium, according to their data sheets. Acid Foam and Acid Foam Pro do not attack aluminium or stainless steel.
What should I use to wash crates and moulds?
In a washing tunnel, Alcalino Pro 1 at 1–6% or Alcalino Pro 3 at 1–3% at 60 ºC. To clean and disinfect plastic crates and micro-perforated moulds, Clor NF Pro at 2–8%.
Which hand product is suitable for abattoirs?
Hand Bact Pro and Derbac, perfume-free gels whose data sheets cite cutting rooms and abattoirs, and Hidro Bact Pro or Gerbac for no-rinse hand washing.
What is your meat plant like?
Tell us whether it is an abattoir, a cutting room or a processing plant, which surfaces and equipment you clean, whether you apply foam and whether there are aluminium parts: we will propose a product, dose and factory price.
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Process guides for the food industry
- Cleaning and disinfection in the food industry
- CIP cleaning: detergents and disinfectants
- Foam cleaning (COP)
- Biofilm: detection and removal
- Step-by-step CIP protocol
- COP protocol for surfaces and utensils
- What CIP cleaning is and how it works
- IFS and BRC standards
- HACCP
- Listeria control
- Cleaning and disinfection plan (template)
- IFS and BRC: cleaning requirements
- Peracetic acid
- Listeria: where it hides and how to control it
- Dairy industry
- Beverages and bottling plants
- Conveyor belt lubricants
- Cold room cleaning
- Dosing calculator