Case Study from HydroFLOW Italy
Food plant E. coli reduction on a pilot recirculation loop
Food plant E. coli reduction was needed at an Italian producer that wanted to reuse sugary syrup without adding preservatives, while maintaining organic product quality. The test material was pepper concentrate fermented for 24 hours, with a starting microbial load of 10⁷ to 10⁸ CFU/ml. A HydroFLOW® i45 was installed on the pump suction pipe of a 300-litre pilot recirculation system and run for 21 hours. E. coli fell by 99.95%, microbial load came down across every species tested, and the results were recorded by the producer’s own laboratory. Unusually for this site, it is a microbial result on a food product rather than on water.
The Challenge
- A food plant E. coli reduction was needed to reuse syrup without added preservatives
- Organic product quality had to be maintained
- The pepper concentrate had been fermented for 24 hours
- Starting microbial load was 10⁷ to 10⁸ CFU/ml
- Results had to be recorded by an independent in-house laboratory
The Solution
- Unit installed: HydroFLOW® i45
- Installation point: pump suction pipe, 300-litre pilot recirculation system
- Trial: 21 hours on fermented pepper concentrate
- Starting load: 10⁷ to 10⁸ CFU/ml
The pilot loop was kept deliberately small so the producer could control every variable. The i45 was fitted on the pump suction pipe and the fermented pepper concentrate was recirculated through the 300-litre system for 21 hours. The producer’s in-house laboratory recorded the microbial load across each species measured, and the food plant E. coli reduction came to 99.95%.
