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3.3IMPORTANTINFORMATIONREGARDINGCLEANING
ANDSANITIZING
Softservemachinesrequirespecialconsiderationwhenit
comes to food safety and proper cleaning and sanitizing.
The following information specifically covers issues for
cleaning and sanitizing frozen dessert machines. This
informationismeanttosupplementacomprehensivefood
safety program.
SOIL MATERIALS ASSOCIATED WITH FROZEN
DESSERT MACHINES
MILKFAT/BUTTERFAT – As components of ice-cream/
frozen custard mix, these soils will accumulate on the
interior surfaces of the machine and its parts. Fats are
difficulttoremoveandhelpattributetomilkstonebuildup.
MILKSTONE – Is a white/gray film that forms on equip-
ment and utensils that are exposed to dairy products.
Thesefilmswillaccumulateslowlyonsurfacesbecauseof
ineffectivecleaning,useof hard water, or both. Milkstone
is usually a porous deposit, which will harbor microbial
contaminants and eventually defy sanitizing efforts.
Once milkstone has formed, it is very difficult to remove.
Without using the correct product and procedure, it is
nearly impossible to remove a thick layer of milkstone.
(NOTE: general-purpose cleaners DO NOT remove
milkstone.) This can lead to high bacteria counts and a
food safety dilemma.
IT IS BEST TO CONTROL MILKSTONE ON A DAILY
BASISBEFOREITCANBECOMEASIGNIFICANTFOOD
SAFETY PROBLEM.
Inadditiontofoodsafety,milkstonecancausepremature
weartomachineparts,whichcanaddtocostsforreplace-
ment parts or possibly more expensive repairs if worn
machine parts are not replaced once they have become
excessivelyworn.
IMPORTANT DIFFERENCES BETWEEN CLEANING
ANDSANITIZING
CLEANING vs. SANITIZING
Itisimportanttodistinguishbetweencleaningandsanitiz-
ing. Although these terms may sound synonymous, they
are not. BOTH are required for adequate food safety and
proper machine maintenance.
CLEANING
· Is the removal of soil materials from a surface.
· Is a prerequisite for effective sanitizing.
NOTE
An UNCLEAN surface will harbor bacteria that can
defy sanitizing efforts.
Bacteria can develop and resist sanitizing efforts within a
layer of soil material (milkstone). Thorough cleaning pro-
cedures that involve milkstone removal are critical for
operatorsoffrozendessertmachines.
SANITIZING
· Kills bacteria.
· Canbeeffectiveoncleansurfacesonly.
NOTE
Using a SANITIZER on an unclean surface will not
guaranteea clean and safe frozendessertmachine.
PROPER DAILY MAINTENANCE:
TheOnlyWaytoAssureFoodSafetyandProductQuality
Proper daily maintenance can involve a wide variety of
products and procedures. Overall, the products and pro-
cedures fall into three separate categories. (Please note
that this is a brief overview intended for informational
purposesonly.)
1. CLEANING–Thisinvolvesdrainingmixfrom the
freezing cylinder and rinsing the machine with
water.Next,acleanerisrunthroughthemachine.
Then,themachineisdisassembledandremovable
parts are taken to the sink for cleaning.
2. MILKSTONE REMOVAL – Since most cleaners
do not have the ability to remove milkstone, the
use of a delimer becomes necessary. Although
this procedure may not be needed on a daily
basis,itwillusuallyfollowthecleaningprocedure.
It requires letting a delimer solution soak in the
machine for an extended period. Individual parts
are also soaked in a deliming solution for an
extended period of time (more about delimers in
AdditionalInformation).
3. SANITIZING–Afterthemachinehasbeencleaned
and contains no milkstone, the machine is
reassembled. Then a FDA-approved sanitizing
solutionisrunthroughthemachinetokillbacteria.
The machine is then ready for food preparation.
As a recommended cleaner and sanitizer for your frozen
dessertmachine,STERA-SHEENhasproventobeoneof
the best daily maintenance products for:
· CLEANING – Thorough removal of all solids
including butterfat and milk fat.
· MILKSTONE REMOVAL – Complete removal of
milkstone.
· SANITIZING – FDA-approved no rinse sanitizer
for food contact surfaces.
ADDITIONALINFORMATION
THE USE OF DELIMERS
A delimer is a strong acid that has the ability to dissolve
milkstone. This type of chemical may become necessary
once high levels of milkstone have developed. While
these products are very effective for removing HIGH
levels of milkstone, they are not ideal for two reasons:
1. PRODUCTSAFETY–Strongacidsaredangerous
chemicals. Carefully follow safety instructions
providedwithdelimerproducts.