Análise e validação de parâmetros físico-químicos aplicados do ciclo da CIP

Abstract

Gelatine is a protein-rich ingredient derived from the hydrolysis of native collagen from animal skins and bones, with wide application in the food, cosmetic, and pharmaceutical industries, among others. Due to the complexity of its production process, which consists of several unit operations, the hygiene of process lines and equipment becomes indispensable. To achieve automated cleaning in the industry, harmony between time, temperature, and chemical and physical actions is required, obtaining ideal parameters of temperature, time, concentration, pH, and turbulent flow to achieve an effective process. The objective of this study was to validate the physicochemical parameters to increase the CIP interval in sterilization equipment (DSI) and gelators. To conduct the study, parameters of time, temperature, flow rate, concentrations, and pH of sodium hydroxide and peracetic acid solutions were evaluated throughout a five-step cleaning cycle: deconcentration, primary rinse, alkaline wash, secondary rinse, and sanitization. The operating range of these parameters was defined for each CIP step and applied during three consecutive cycles to evaluate the removal of gelatine protein residues and microbial growth control. The microbiological results convalidated the validation of these parameters, enabling a run time interval of 144 hours of continuous gelatine production. Even in the face of point mechanical interferences in the system, the established limits proved to be robust and reinforced that the adopted parameters were satisfactory to ensure microbiological safety and the final quality of the gelatine, mitigating contamination risks and promoting the economic optimization of this process.