The current process for sanitising knives in red meat processing plants involves providing continuous-flow knife “sterilisers” with at least 82°C water, where operators either dip their knife momentarily or place one knife in the steriliser while using a second knife on the carcase. Due to their design, sterilisers overflow at a rate of between 3-7 litres per minute and some are used infrequently. Therefore, there is an industry need to trial alternatives that produce a smaller water & energy footprint.
This research evaluated a two-knife Econoliser, which uses a high-pressure spray of only 140mls of water, for 4.5s, at greater than 82°C to sanitise a pre-rinsed knife blade. Trials were conducted to validate the microbiological performance of the Econoliser in two beef and one sheep processing plants. To facilitate adoption, an Adoption Guidance Tool was developed for AMPC processors.
The key findings of the research were shared with processors via a webinar, AMPC news article and were presented at the 2024 MINTRAC MIQA Conference.