The Important Role of Water Purification in Food Processing
Water purification in food processing is a mandatory requirement that is determined and regulated by the relevant authorities to ensure the health of citizens. Clean water is essential for the healthy growth of fruits and vegetables, as well as in the food processing process. But is the water supply to producers pure enough to achieve the cost savings and efficiency that will help them thrive? What is the role of water purification to improve the current situation and modernize existing systems?
Water plays a vital role at various stages in the production of fresh produce. Irrigation, washing, and handling operations within production facilities depend on a constant supply of clean water to stimulate healthy growth and deliver clean, marketable produce to the end customer.
With different methods of indoor and outdoor growing, as well as emerging technologies. Such as hydroponics that replace soil with water-based solutions for better results. Fruit and vegetable producers are tasked with balancing product quality with speed to market in order to meet the growing demand from consumers.
Without a consistent level of water purity, producers can face a number of challenges. For example. Pythium can thrive in poorly treated water, causing root death, stunted growth, wilting, and rotting. Not to mention cankers when they are passed on to the consumer through poor-quality produce. In this article, you’ll find more about the benefits that water treatment plants offer to food and beverage plants.
By following these important tips when evaluating your current water purification system or considering implementing a new one. You can ensure that the solution you choose provides the best possible service to your business:
Change the purification process
Process water in irrigation systems typically relies on chlorination to address the challenges listed above, but recent advances in chlorine dioxide (ClO2) dosing make overcoming these challenges simpler and easier.
Compared to chlorination, chlorine dioxide results in a higher kill rate of waterborne organisms and eliminates biofilms. This in turn results in fewer clogged drippers and less fungi in the water system. By reducing these challenges, hydroponic growers can significantly reduce product waste, creating higher yields.
Invest in batches
While two-pack ClO2 generators are widely available, The sequential batch generator overcomes many of the drawbacks typically associated with the two-pack design. These sequential systems are particularly effective against biological contamination (sedentary bacteria), Legionella, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Cryptosporidium. Among many other pathogenic microorganisms (planktonic bacteria).
As the safest, purest, and most stable method of producing ClO2 on-site. These systems (and catalytic technology options) optimize the conversion reaction to ensure that the ClO2 produced is in its purest form. These systems require lower chemical concentrations, making them easier to dose. Some models achieve conversion efficiencies of over 90 percent.
Ensure Your Purification System Is Regulatory Compliant
Compliance with water treatment regulations is a requirement for many systems that carry or receive water from a public water main. Any installation that carries or receives water from a local water authority’s main must comply. This requires that the water installation not cause waste, misuse, overuse, or contamination of the water supply and must be of “adequate quality and standard.”
Consider reusing water
Once its purpose has been served, wastewater is traditionally sent to the sewer. However, a proportion of this water can be reused in the process. This saves producers energy costs of five percent and more. All of this can be achieved by implementing a turnkey pre-treatment plant which will also reduce the cost of wastewater discharge.
By routing wastewater through a specific cycle of pre-treatment and treatment. It can be reused a limited number of times, increasing the sustainability credentials of fruit and vegetable producers alongside these cost savings.
Implementing smarter water management practices such as chlorine dioxide dosing, water recycling, and using modern technology will enable fruit and vegetable food processing application owners to reduce operating costs, achieve greater sustainability goals, and, most importantly, produce higher and healthier crops.
