The food industry supports the health of consumers through the production of safe food. It also operates under significant pressure to maximize efficiency and manage costs. Production timelines are tight, and sometimes resources allocated to facility cleaning and sanitation can feel like they compete with output. However, viewing food safety as separate from or in conflict with efficiency misses a larger opportunity. Robust food safety programs help ensure public health. 

When contaminated products reach consumers, public health is affected: communities can face preventable illness, with the most vulnerable populations bearing disproportionate harm. In the most serious cases, lives are lost. A food product that poses a risk to the consumer is not food; it is a public health hazard. Recalls, litigation, and reputational damage are costly, but they are indications of a deeper breakdown in the food system meant to protect and serve consumers.

Food safety is a foundational element of the food supply. Finding solutions to ensure food safety encourages innovation. Industry has the responsibility to promote efficiency and safety in food production. What options do producers have in seeking science-based solutions to produce safe, affordable food? Opportunities to save pennies can add up when producing food at scale. 

Developing Low-Moisture Cleaning Solutions

One option is to look at how to do routine tasks differently. The Institute for the Advancement of Food and Nutrition Sciences (IAFNS) is supporting research on tools to help clean equipment in low-moisture food facilities. These plants produce spices, chocolate, and other dry foods. IAFNS-supported researchers have developed a cleaning solution that is not only effective and less of a hazard for workers and plants, but also has the potential to save cleaning time.¹

Cleaning in dry food manufacturing requires specific processes and tools to prevent the harborage of bacteria. The specific cleaning process used is equipment-dependent, but the steps generally include brushing, scraping, vacuuming, wiping, cleaning, and sanitizing. Sometimes, the system is also flushed.² The developed solution will be used during the cleaning or sanitizing steps. Hand-cleaning validation with milk films indicated that pre-scrubbing is necessary for the cleaning solution to achieve maximum efficacy.

Benefits of this cleaning solution include the effects' formulation and use. It uses less water (3 percent compared to the standard 30 percent used in traditional cleaning solutions), which lowers the risk of contamination with microorganisms. Because it uses less water, there is a lower chance that equipment will harbor the growth of microorganisms like E. coli and Salmonella that thrive in wet environments. 

It also has a higher flash point than alcohol-based cleaning products, which means there is less risk for heating up the line or causing fires when cleaning. Additionally, the sanitizer completely evaporates off the equipment to which it is applied. The benefits of this new cleaning solution may also save time when cleaning, making it a potentially transformative technology for low-moisture food production. 

This IAFNS-supported research has been tested on a benchtop model. In a second phase of the project, the researchers are optimizing the solution to improve sensory properties for product production while maintaining cleaning performance. The sanitizer will need to be scaled up to a pilot study before broader use is possible. This solution has the potential to be an impactful alternative to alcohol-based agents for cleaning and sanitizing of dry food production lines. 

The food industry has an opportunity to develop innovative and efficient solutions that create safer, more affordable food. To learn more about this research, visit IAFNS' Food Microbiology Committee page. Join IAFNS as it works to increase food safety and improve nutrition in support of public health.

References

1. Chuang, S., G. Story, and L. McLandsborough. "Development and Validation of an Evaporative, Low-Flammability, and Low-Moisture Antimicrobial Liquid for Dry Cleaning and Sanitization of Food Processing Equipment." Journal of Food Protection 89 (2026): 100716. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jfp.2026.100716.  
2. Moerman, F. and K. Mager. "Cleaning and Disinfection in Dry Food Processing Facilities." Handbook of Hygiene Control in the Food Industry. Woodhead Publishing, 2016. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-08-100155-4.00035-2.