Mold in the Food Industry: Multiple Factors, One Solution
The appearance of mold in facilities of the food industry is linked to temperature and humidity conditions. These types of facilities have conditions that are conducive to fungal growth—conditions that are difficult to change…
Fortunately, solutions do exist. Photoclean explains how to prevent mold in industrial settings.
Under what conditions does mold grow?
Like any living organism, mold needs a suitable environment to proliferate. Food industry facilities provide all the conditions necessary for mold to appear:
- high humidity, due to the frequent cleaning required by the food industry;
- a constant temperature—mold thrives between 5 and 25 °C;
- an abundance of “food” sources—raw materials, cheese, meat, etc.
A direct consequence of mold is a change in the appearance, smell, and taste of products, which shortens their best-by dates or even makes it impossible to sell them.
How can mold growth be prevented in facilities of the food industry?
The most obvious solution would be to adjust the temperature and humidity conditions. Unfortunately, this is often impossible for various reasons:
- the food products—or the processing methods—require a specific, constant temperature to ensure proper results and preservation;
- such changes would result in excessive energy costs;
- it would also pose environmental challenges.
In theory, cleaning with very hot water—at least 40 °C—caneliminate certain types of mold. However, this method is not effective against all strains, and it poses a drying problem—otherwise, it risks maintaining high ambient humidity!
Is mold growth in food industry facilities therefore inevitable? Fortunately, no.
Air Treatment as a Solution to Mold
Since controlling humidity or temperature can be costly and complicated—if not impossible—Photoclean has developed a high-performance industrial decontamination solution.
We started with a simple observation: by effectively purifying the ambient air, you greatly reduce the risk of airborne contamination as well as cross-contamination. We have therefore developed air decontamination units and modules designed for industrial use, particularly in the food industry.
An Innovation in Air Treatment and the Prevention of Biocontamination
Photoclean has developed a proprietary medium that, when combined with UV-C light, proves highly effective against microorganisms and contaminants in general. The benefits are numerous:
- our technology directly targets pathogens and mold, whereas traditional systems must also treat inert particles (present at concentrations approximately 1,000 times higher than those of microbiological contaminants);
- continuous destruction of microorganisms present in the air—including mold;
- integration of the system into compact, energy-efficient, and custom-designed enclosures and modules.
One final advantage of our devices: UV-C light destroys not only mold but also the substances on which it feeds, thereby limiting the risk of recontamination and the formation of biofilms. The result: a healthy environment in your food industry facilities, at no extra cost and with no hassle!