Wet sanitation of food processing equipment is performed daily in cooled USDA inspected facilities. The first step in the process is the removal of residual solids using copious amounts of hot pressurized water. This procedure generates warm, moist air in the environment which condenses on the cool surfaces inside the facility. Condensation accumulating on horizontal surfaces coalesces to form large hanging drops, which can fall on to underlying equipment or product. The presence of residual moisture is associated with an increased risk of microbial proliferation, therefore hanging drops must be removed from overhead surfaces prior to returning to production. This is currently achieved manually using mops, squeegees, or compressed air.<br/>We have developed a film designed to adhere to overhead surfaces that increases the evaporation rate of condensation. The film surface contains a series of parallel nested microchannels (see figure). The channels are formed in LDPE utilizing a roll-to-roll extrusion replication process Following replication a conformal, hydrophilic organosilane coating is deposited on the microchannels via continuous plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD). Finally, a hot melt pressure sensitive adhesive is coated on the back side followed by converting to slit rolls of film.<br/>During use, condensation formed on the film surface is spread by capillary action along the microchannels. This spreading increases the surface to volume ratio of the condensate relative to a hemispherical hanging drop of equivalent volume. This increase in surface area increases the evaporation rate by a factor of 8, eliminating the need to mop or squeegee the surface prior to returning to production. Bacterial survivability studies conducted using <i>Listeria innocua</i> in a model system, and surface swabs for aerobic bacteria obtained during in-plant trials demonstrated no increase in microbial counts on the film relative to control surfaces. To maintain a hygienic surface over time the film is periodically removed and replaced. The increase in evaporation rate and hygienic benefit of periodic replacement eliminates the need for manual intervention in managing overhead condensation.

Extrusion replicated microcapillary film for managing condensation in food processing facilities

255th National Meeting (2018)

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