Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: ‘A technical feasibility study evaluating sustainable enzyme-based cleaning-in-place (CIP) for removal of milk deposits formed on stainless steel surfaces during cheesemilk pasteurisation’, by Karan J. Pant et al. from the Department of Food Chemistry and Technology, Teagasc Food Research Centre, Moorepark, Fermoy, Co Cork, Ireland, has been selected as the Editor's Choice article for the December 2025 issue of the International Journal of Dairy Technology. See https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-0307.70071. Cleaning-in-place (CIP) remains an essential operation throughout dairy processing, ensuring product safety, equipment hygiene and regulatory compliance. However, traditional CIP protocols frequently rely on high-temperature caustic solutions that impose substantial energy demands and generate alkaline wastewater requiring neutralisation. As the dairy sector works towards reducing environmental impact and aligning with broader sustainability frameworks, there is increasing interest in alternative methods that maintain hygiene standards while lowering resource use. In this study, Pant et al. present an evaluation of protease-based enzymatic CIP solutions as a potential substitute for conventional caustic cleaning. Using a controlled pilot-scale system that replicates turbulent industrial flow conditions, fouling was generated on stainless steel surfaces under cheesemilk pasteurisation parameters and subsequently removed using either enzymatic or caustic agents. The results demonstrate that protease-based CIP at 50°C achieved 0.74% residual fouling, a level statistically comparable to the 0.1% residual fouling obtained using 1% sodium hydroxide at 75°C. The authors further assessed operational characteristics relevant to industrial adoption, including enzyme stability, potential for reuse, storage performance and deactivation following acidic rinsing. Enzymatic activity was largely retained after a single CIP cycle, and more than 85% activity remained after 24 h of refrigerated storage. Residual activity within the system was effectively eliminated using nitric acid, consistent with established sanitation procedures. From an operational perspective, these findings indicate that enzymatic CIP systems could reduce energy consumption, mitigate chemical discharge and lower wastewater treatment requirements while maintaining cleaning efficacy. The work provides evidence-based parameters that processors may use when considering the integration of enzymatic cleaners into existing CIP frameworks. While further work at a commercial scale would be valuable, the study offers an important contribution to the development of sustainable cleaning technologies for the dairy industry.
Author: Michael Mullan
Language: English
Subfield: Biotechnology
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W7113900265
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