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CIP circuits (Cleaning In Process) are part of the revolution that has led to the concept of hygienic design in the food industry.
Thanks to the CIP equipment we get a less expensive cleaning in terms of time and safer. This means that, to some extent, we can become unconcerned, since the circuit does the job for itself.
But this is not an excuse to overlook the subsequent verification process, which is necessary to optimize cleaning and disinfection in CIP circuits.

1. Previous step
Before starting the verification, it is important to create a team of people in charge of it, as well as assign responsibilities to each worker.
In addition, all the parts and areas to be cleaned, the chemicals used for this purpose, the frequency of cleaning …
On the other hand, the character of the surfaces is also studied to avoid damaging the chemicals used for cleaning and disinfection.

2. Pre-wash

Any CIP circuit works with an initial wash that serves to eliminate soluble debris or all those that can creep exerting greater pressure.
What we must verify at this point are aspects such as:

The temperature of the water, which must be hot enough to carry away the waste, but always exercising control over it, since CIP equipment can be damaged at very high temperatures.
The water flow and its power in the different parts of the circuit.
Water quality for later reuse.

3. Washing

At this point it is intended to eliminate insoluble waste by the performance of cleaning chemicals. We must control:

The concentration of the chemicals, which must be as indicated by the manufacturer. A higher dose of chemical will not provide us with a better cleaning, but may trigger the need to use more resources (cleaners and water for subsequent rinsing) and, therefore, a less effective process.
Water flow and temperature. These two factors are essential for the correct performance of cleaning chemicals, whether they are acidic, alkaline or neutral. Otherwise, abrasions can occur on surfaces.
The time of action is essential to ensure that the resources used meet the desired effect.

4. Disinfection

In disinfection, a post-wash step (with rinse included), other chemical agents intervene in order to eliminate any trace of germs.
In this case we will control that:

The disinfectant is suitable for use in environments that are in contact with food. Therefore, we must identify the HA Registry on the label (in this article we show you how).
The temperature and the rinse are adequate, considering again the flow and the time of action for this.
If we apply chlorinated products, we must ensure that the temperature and pH levels are adequate.

If final rinse is used, we will revisit all the indicators that refer to water.

5. Validation and waste tests

The final part of the verification of cleaning in CIP circuits consists of:

Visually inspect the circuit and check with evidence if chemical substances remain inside.
Document the entire process to correct errors, if any, in a faster and more reliable way.

As we mentioned at the beginning of the article, the verification of the cleanliness in the CIP circuits is another necessary step to guarantee the healthiness of the processed foods in these devices.
But, in addition, this validation can help us save costs by reducing the number of resources used and referring to time, cleaning and disinfection products and labor.

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In Spain, between 5-10% of patients will get an infection related to healthcare, according to the Epine study

The doctor of the Preventive Medicine Service of the Hospital Quirónsalud Infanta Luisa, Sacred Heart and Field of Gibraltar Nuria López Ruiz points out, in the framework of the World Hand Hygiene Day that is celebrated on May 5, the importance of hand hygiene when it comes to preventing the transmission of infections in health care.

And it is that the specialist says that “washing hands saves lives”, since the hands are “the main route of transmission of germs during health care.” In Spain, as extracted from the Prevalence Study of Nosocomial Infections in Spain (Epine), between 5-10% of patients will get an infection related to healthcare and thousands of people die daily worldwide because of infections acquired while receiving health care, as highlighted by WHO.

As indicated in a statement, some examples of diseases in which transmission can be reduced by hand washing are common colds, the flu, hepatitis A, some gastroenteritis, infections with microorganisms resistant and not resistant to antibiotics, herpes Whooping cough, among others.

Specifically, this year, World Hand Hygiene Day is celebrated under the slogan ‘Prevent septicemia is in your hands’. Sepsis arises when an infection disrupts the normal response of the body and damage to organs and tissues.

Thus, each hospital in Quirónsalud periodically performs an observation of hand hygiene according to the five moments of the World Health Organization (WHO) – before contact with the patient, before aseptic tasks, after aseptic tasks, after contact with patient and after patient environment.

As for the general population, López highlights the importance of raising public awareness of hand washing whenever they are visibly dirty, after using the bathroom, after eating, before preparing food, among other times. He also states that “it is very important to have respiratory hygiene”, that is, to sneeze in tissues and never in the palms of your hands, cough towards the elbow, cover your mouth when coughing, among other measures to take.

“All populations must have good hand hygiene, although more vulnerable populations must, in general, be especially careful, such as children, the elderly and immunocompromised people,” he adds.

To do this, he explains the benefits of the hydroalcoholic solution (alcohol-based disinfectant), in the hospital setting, as a usual preferred means to disinfect the hands when they are not visibly dirty. “It is faster, more effective and better tolerated by the hands than washing them with soap and water,” says the preventive doctor, who indicates that, at home, “soap and water can be used, but remember that for washing be effective, you have to take the right time, about 40 or 60 seconds in total. ”

In addition, in the facilities of the Quirónsalud Infanta Luisa, Sagrado Corazón and Campo de Gibraltar hospitals, Dr. López is going to carry out activities, from this Thursday until next Monday, May 7, for the World Hand Hygiene Day aimed at sensitize health professionals and the general population that “good hand hygiene saves lives”.

Some of these activities will consist of giving information and carrying out practical exercises to learn to wash your hands correctly, using a black box with ultraviolet light to see if the hand hygiene technique is done correctly, training health professionals in hospitalization plants and ICU or the visit to the area of ​​Pediatrics to also raise awareness among children through games.

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There are many aspects and measures for the prevention of infections, including hand hygiene. It is a simple measure, very effective and available to everyone, cheap and with a very important impact on the quality of care.
When we talk about hand hygiene we mean hand washing with soap and water and / or alcohol-gel solutions.

According to the WHO “the prevention of infections is a fundamental part of strengthening health systems. Hand hygiene is the basis of all interventions, either by inserting an invasive medical device, manipulating a surgical wound, or by performing an injection. ”

For WHO, it is one of the universal measures, such as quality control.

It is important to know that, although it is a measure that must be reinforced when an infectious outbreak is experienced in health institutions, hand hygiene should be a daily practice.
The MSP especially recommends that healthcare centers promote hand hygiene programs with monitoring and adherence audits. The five steps of the handwash proposed by WHO should be the guide to ensure proper and effective practice.

Because of the importance of this topic, we share readings selected by the SMU Virtual Health Library on Hand Hygiene.

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Hygiene in surgical care SAVES LIVES: wash your hands. Improving hand hygiene practices in surgical services is a priority.

After 10 years of the WHO program “Clean care is safer care”, these are the 10 reasons why you should participate in the campaign:

Hand hygiene at the right time saves lives.

Hand hygiene in health care has saved millions of lives in recent years.

Hand hygiene is a quality indicator that highlights the safety of health systems.

Health problems, such as infections associated with health care (IAAS), which are often invisible but nevertheless occur, are political and social challenges that we must address.

Infections can be avoided by good hand hygiene, and damage to the health of patients and health care personnel can be prevented for less than $ 10.

There is low cost technology to save lives! The alcohol-based disinfectant solution, which costs approximately $ 3 per bottle, can prevent IAAS and millions of deaths each year.

There is #handhygiene in social media, which means that it is an important issue, either due to IAAS or outbreaks due to deadly diseases such as Ebola.

Incorporating the specific moments for the action of hand hygiene in the workflow of health workers makes it easy to do the right thing every minute, every hour, every day.

Infection prevention is a fundamental part of strengthening health systems. Hand hygiene is the basis of all interventions, either when inserting an invasive medical device, manipulating a surgical wound, or when performing an injection.

The social epidemic has already begun to be transmitted with “Save lives: clean your hands”, a successful campaign that promotes the action of hand washing at the point of patient care.

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Good cleaning and disinfection is essential to avoid infections and infections in any sector, and it is crucial in areas such as the food industry, health centers, schools and kindergartens, laboratories, kitchens or bathrooms.

The market offers a wide range of disinfectants to eliminate microorganisms such as: viruses, fungi, algae or bacteria. There are specific products for the food industry – with HA Registry -, for the health sector, for toilets, changing rooms, kindergartens, etc. Disinfectant products with different compounds such as: quaternary amonis, aldehydes, peroxides, hypochlorites, iodoforms …, which provide them with virucidal, fungicidal, bactericidal, etc. functions. In the face of such a variety it is important to be advised by hygiene professionals to choose the best product for each area or function safely.

Here are some simple recommendations to get the right disinfection in your business.

What is the difference between cleaning and disinfecting?

Cleaning involves removing germs and dirt from surfaces or objects. This process does not completely eliminate germs, decreases the amount and risk of spreading the disease.

Disinfecting involves eliminating harmful microorganisms and preventing its development. This process does not necessarily clean dirty surfaces, but destroying germs greatly reduces the risk of spreading disease or infections.

Why it is so important to clean and disinfect?

To prevent the spread of infections, diseases or infections.

Ensure that the service or product that we offer to the customer is of quality.

Generate trust in the client.

Prevent contamination in food products.

To comply with the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (APPCC or HACCP in English) that guarantees food safety.

Extend the service life of facilities, premises, utensils and equipment.

Improve the image of the company.

Achieve a healthy work environment.

Tips for proper disinfection:

Each sector, activity or business is subject to certain regulations. It is important that before using a disinfectant, we ensure that it meets the current regulations for its application. For example, disinfectants used in the food industry need a specific record (HA Registry) that authorizes their use for this type of facilities.

When applying a disinfectant it is essential to control the following variables to obtain an optimal result.

Contact time: the disinfectant and the surfaces or utensils must be in contact for a certain time to ensure the elimination of microorganisms.

Solution temperature: It must be uniform, a temperature range ranging from 20 ° C to 49 ° C is recommended.

Concentration of the solution: It varies according to the type of disinfectant, so the recommendation of the manufacturer or the professional adviser must be followed.

It is also important to assess the economic cost of the product and its effectiveness or potential dangers of application. There are products of low cost and high effectiveness, but nevertheless can be toxic, carcinogenic or mutagenic products. We always advise you on the advice of staff trained in the professional hygiene sector and follow the manufacturer’s instructions.

We also have to keep in mind that without proper cleaning the disinfection process does NOT meet its objective. Hygiene is essential in order to control sources of contamination. For this reason, we recommend establishing a hygiene plan that specifies the disinfection process that must be applied to each place and object (the frequency, procedures, products used …) to control and ensure a good disinfection .

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According to a study published in the Pediatrics Magazine. Spanish researchers demonstrated that children who used hand sanitizers instead of soap and water reduced their days of illness, suffered less respiratory infections and used less antibiotic prescriptions.

“Washing hands as a way to prevent infections is no longer new. We are now paying more attention to the fact that it is not just about washing your hands, but how to wash your hands. ” Janet Haas, epidemiologist of the Lenox Hill Hospital in New York.
The sample of the study was of 911 small children (up to 3 years) of 24 different nursery schools in the province of Almeria.
For the realization of the study, children, their families and their kindergarten were divided into three groups:

1. The first group used disinfecting hands to clean hands.

2. The second sample used water and soap with strict protocols.

3. And the third party was a control group that followed its usual routines of hand washing.

The study lasted 8 months, during which the hand disinfectant group recorded 3.25% of lost day care days. The group of water and soap lost 3.9%. The group that followed their usual hand washing routine lost 4.2%.

The study demonstrated the advantages of including a disinfectant in hand washing. The group that used hand sanitizers recorded a 23% decrease in respiratory infections among students, compared to those of the control group that followed the usual guidelines for hand hygiene.

The study also concluded that the group that used water and soap had a 21% higher risk of getting a respiratory infection and a 3% higher prescription of antibiotics than children who used hand sanitizers.

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