Improved Food Safety through Sterility of Air in Food Processing and Packaging.

Abstract

The aims of this research were to develop reliable methods for evaluating the level of airborne micro-organisms in food processing facilities and to study the viability and behaviour of micro-organisms in air filtration systems. The main conclusions were as follows: · Assessment of air quality involves monitoring both particulate and microbial levels as there is no simple relationship between these phenomena in a food process environment. · The large fluctuations in microbial levels found in air in these studies underline the necessity of frequent and regular air sampling in processing facilities. · It was established that micro-organisms can grow inside an air filter under certain environmental conditions and give rise to intermittent microbial germ contamination of the cleaned air. · It was demonstrated that flowing air affects the survival of microorganisms and the survival rate is dependent on filter class. Hence more emphasis on filter design aimed at effective microbial control is advised. · A combined system for filtering and sterilisation by ozone was demonstrated to be an efficient technique for extending the microbial separation efficiency of air filters.