New cleaner tackles zero trans fat oil stains on machinery

The US-based company said it had developed its proprietary, patent-pending Exelerate ZTF product as a solution to the difficulties faced in potato, snack food, bakery and meat/poultry processing plants by the increasing use of zero trans fats.

“Due to the recent focus on dietary benefits of zero trans fat, a rapid switch in the food industry from standard, high trans fat cooking oils is taking place,”​ an Ecolab spokesman told FoodProductionDaily.com.

Varnish-like coating​

Processing food with these oils has created the unexpected consequence of coating processing equipment and environmental surfaces with stubborn soils as the oil breaks down during the frying and baking process, said an Ecolab statement. The sticky varnish-like coating is difficult to clean using traditional methods and can pose both food safety and worker safety issues due to slippery, sticky surfaces and their potential as a fire hazard, it claimed. Company tests had found using the product reduced cleaning time of the oils by at least 50 per cent.

The removal of cooked on oil from processing equipment has proven to be a time-consuming and difficult challenge for processors, added Timothy P. Mulhere, senior vice president and general manager, Food & Beverage North America. He said the cleaner would “measurably improve operation efficiency”.​

The company said Exelerate ZTF breaks down polymerized oil soils on fryers, ovens, mixers and other plant surfaces enabling them to be cleaned more thoroughly. The gelled product application clings to equipment and surfaces to dissolve zero trans fat soils, making it easier to clean hard-to-reach areas, including fryer hood vents, walls, ceilings and plant catwalks. The length of time the gel needs to be left on stains before being wiped off with ambient temperature water depends of the level of soilage, the spokesman added.