Eco-friendly ECA

Radical Waters is a prominent supplier of electrochemically activated (ECA) water technology. The company has spent more than 20 years developing and commercialising this patented technology. Food Review looks at some of the benefits of using this technology in the food and beverage industry.

Dozens of patents have been granted to Radical Waters. “Companies need Industries such as meat to consider the risks processing, beverage manufacture, involved of using CIP processes, treatment of raw grains and starches, dentistry, sterilising of medical and healthcare equipment and microbial resistance management all fall within its ever-expanding portfolio.

The company has installed and maintains ECA technology in 27 countries over six continents, primarily for blue-chip companies, with some very high-profile clients like Coca-Cola, Danone Water China, Suntory, aQuellé and Valpré – along with several others.

The goal at Radical Waters is to continue to promote good hygiene practice. This is particularly relevant during the COVID-19 pandemic. ECA hygiene generators produce natural and safe hygiene solutions on-site for the food and beverage industries. Before the introduction of ECA technology in hygiene applications, the industry was and still is dependent on harsher chemicals for controlling contamination and bacterial infection.

What is ECA?

Radical Waters ECA generators produce two solutions. The first works by running an electrical current through a weak brine mixture and the use of a detergent known as catholyte. This is a weak sodium hydroxide solution with a pH greater than 11.4 and a concentration of between approximately 400PPM to 1 000PPM. This can be used to clean with the second solution, a disinfectant called anolyte, used to disinfect and sanitise.

Anolyte is a hypochlorous acid solution with a neutral pH of around 6.7 and between 170PPM to 500PPM of free available chlorine depending on the device’s configuration.

The two solutions are also compatible, so rinsing between applications is no longer needed. Radical Waters has seen that these solutions are particularly effective in the CIP process because the products are non-toxic and 100% natural and safe to use with foodstuffs.

“ECA is such an efficient cleaning and sanitising agent that it has started to replace the widespread use of chemicals in CIP. This means that the consumption of harmful and undesirable chemical reagents has often been significantly reduced or avoided altogether,” enthuses VP marketing & ops Nikki Wilson.

“For the CIP process, we can look at beverage manufacturing and breweries as an example. ECA solutions are generated onsite with an ECA generator, and then used to clean and sanitise the tanks and equipment used in the beverage and brewing process – filling equipment, syrup lines, syrup tanks and bright beer tanks,” she points out. “During the process, several savings and benefits are proven, such as the catholyte solution being utilised to replace caustic detergents while the anolyte can be used to replace the products traditionally used for sanitation.

“Both ECA solutions can be used on multiple surfaces and areas within the factory, not only for CIP. This eliminates the need for surface-specific chemicals and is extremely relevant in the age of COVID-19 as ECA is non-toxic to plant personnel.”

HOW DOES ECA HELP?

Because of the highlighted characteristics, it’s possible to:

• Achieve up to 90% chemical cost reduction by replacing conventional chemicals with natural ECA solutions.

• Reduce CIP water loss/consumption by up to 60%.

• Save up to 70% of CIP time spent on cleaning and disinfecting.

• Eliminate the logistics around ordering, transporting and storing chemicals as

ECA solutions are generated on-site.

• Reduce energy usage, both electrical and heat (due to ambient temperatures).

• Achieve excellent microbial results.

• Reuse and recover the CIP solutions for use in the next CIP cycle.

• Accurately measure and control CIP both inline and real-time.

• Improve user safety.

• A reduction in the total CIP cost.

• Further, protect staff in the factory with regards to COVID-19.

In today’s climate, particularly under the circumstances of a global COVID-19 pandemic, it has become important to ensure proper hygiene practices are considered and adhered to.

“Radical Waters has a tried and tested CIP process that will not only ensure time, energy and cost savings, but also utmost safety and efficacy for your staff, equipment and products. While many industries are already being held accountable for the ‘footprint’ they leave in the environment, it is paramount that we don’t throw away good practice in the face of a global crisis,” Wilson concludes. “Companies need to consider the risks involved of using generic CIP chemicals that can alter taste, stain and damage equipment and even be of potential harm to the product and the consumer. It, therefore, makes sense to be sure of the hygiene of your business and use the cleaner and safer alternative.” •