A Look at Ireland’s Innovative Sanitising Tunnels for Food Production: Enhancing Safety and Quality
27th July 2024
Ireland, a country known for its food heritage and high standards of food safety, was, it seems, an early adopter of the most recent innovation in food processing technology: sanitiser tunnels.
What are Sanitising Tunnels?
- Sanitising tunnels in Irelandare closed conveyor systems that are used to disinfect foods and their packaging materials or production equipment using UV light or other sanitising agents. Foods and packaging materials are conveyed through the tunnel and subjected to a controlled UV-C dosage, which will destroy bacteria, viruses and mould spores on the surface.
Applications Across the Food Industry
- Meat and Poultry Processing: Sanitising tunnels for carcasses, meat and poultry products disinfect the food and reduce chances of contamination, prolonging shelf life.
- Seafood Processing: In these tunnels, fish, shellfish, and other seafood products are cold sterilised to ensure their safety and guarantee freshness.
- Dairy Production: Milk containers, cheese packaging, and other dairy products can be disinfected in sanitising tunnels.
- Bakery and Confectionery: These tunnels can effectively decontaminate bread, pastry, or other baked goods, preventing mould formation and prolonging their shelf life.
- Sanitising Tunnels for Fruit and Vegetable Processing: Sanitising tunnels disinfect fruits, vegetables, and their packaging, as well as disinfect seeds for use in agriculture.
Benefits of Sanitising Tunnels in Ireland
- Safe Food: A powerful tool against pathogens, UV-C light is an effective solution in preventing foodborne illnesses while keeping consumers safe.
- Better product quality: tunnels reduce spoilage and contamination, retaining more of the product’s quality and freshness.
- Longer Shelf Life: UV disinfection can prolong the shelf life of various foods, helping to reduce waste and increase profits for producers.
- Chemical-Free Sanitisation: Unlike chemical sanitisers, UV light is non-invasive and allows for zero residue disinfection – making it the safest and least intrusive option for disinfection.
- Efficiency improvement: tunnels can be connected with existing production lines and work as a continuous and automatic disinfection process, which saves time and labour costs.
The Future of Food Safety in Ireland
- This particular adoption of the sanitising tunnel exemplifies the ‘edge’ of Ireland in the global food system. It is taking a leadership position, not just in terms of food quality, but in terms of the efficiency and sustainability of its food production system.
- The demand for safe, high-quality food will only increase as time goes on, making sanitising tunnels a vital component of maintaining Ireland’s global standing as a producer of high-quality food.
Shining a Light on Safety: The Multifaceted Role of UV in Ireland’s Meat Industry
Since then, Ireland has become known globally as a supplier of high-quality, safe meat products. This ‘Origin Green’ commitment has led to the wide use of UV light along the food processing chain, from abattoirs to distribution, packaging and retail settings. Not only is it an effective tool for enhancing hygiene and extending shelf life, it can also facilitate consumer safety. We will consider each of these applications in turn.
At the Abattoir
- Surface Disinfection: UV-C light is used to disinfect carcasses, tools, and equipment to prevent cross-contamination and the spread of harmful bacteria such as E. coli and Salmonella.
- Air Purification: UV air purifiers can be placed in abattoirs to kill airborne pathogens, making the workplace more hygienic and safer for employees.
During Processing
- Conveyor Belt Sanitisation: Installing UV-C lights into the conveyor belt system ensures that product-to-product cross-contamination is prevented through constant disinfection of the belts.
- Cutting and Trimming Tools: Clean with handheld UV wands or lamps between uses, sanitising and preventing cross-contamination.
- Packaging Materials: UV light can be used to sanitise packaging materials (such as trays and films) before they come into contact with the meat, providing product safety.
In Cold Storage
Cold Room Disinfection: UV lamps will be installed to prevent excessive growth of mould and bacteria on surfaces and in the air of the cold rooms to prolong the lifetime of the meat stored in the cold rooms.
- Air Curtain Sanitisers: The UVair is an air curtain that creates a sanitised air barrier at cold room entrances and exits to prevent the entry of contaminants.
Beyond the Processing Plant
- Integrated LED UV lights in retail display cases: Minimise bacterial growth to help maintain the freshness, appeal, and vibrancy of meat products in retail display cases.
- Food Transportation: Install UV sanitising systems in delivery trucks to reduce the risk of contamination during transportation, increasing the safety of meat products from farm to fork.
Benefits of UV Light in Meat Processing
- Improved Food Safety: UV-C light sterilises across a wide spectrum of pathogens, protecting consumers from foodborne illnesses.
- Higher Quality of Products: UV disinfection preserves the freshness, colour, and taste of meat.
- Longer Shelf Life: By preventing microbial growth, UV light dramatically increases meat products’ shelf life, reducing waste and benefitting producers and consumers alike.
- Less Chemical Use: UV light is a chemical-free method of sanitising, which means less chemical residue on finished products.
- Sustainable Meat Production: UV technology helps reduce spoilage and lengthen shelf life, which results in more sustainable meat production.
- Improved Operational Efficiency: Automated UV disinfection systems help to eliminate manual labour and save time, allowing for efficient and cost-effective sanitation processes.
Irish Innovation in UV Technology
- There’s a whole industry here that is growing UV disinfection solutions for the food industry. They have sanitising tunnels, UV lamps, UV air purification systems, and pretty much anything a meat processor could need. Indeed, many Irish companies are on the vanguard of applying UV technology to food processing, particularly in reducing toxic chemicals. For example, a company called Biox is leading the way in providing UV-based air purification technology for the food industry.
Irish Companies Leading the Way
A number of firms are designing and manufacturing the narrow, sanitising tunnels in Ireland have become an essential part of the food chain infrastructure. These bespoke solutions help to maintain optimal hygiene standards and product quality for meat suppliers, abattoirs, poultry farms, chicken processing plants and even those in the organic sector.