The development of new food-safety technology seems, in many instances, to be outpacing the rate at which NASA developed the technology to send humans to the Moon. The recent and substantial increase in public and political interest in food safety has translated directly into a flurry of new research and initiatives directed at helping make our food as safe as possible. This, of course, includes an increasing number of new clean-in-place (CIP) processes and systems.
It was both easy, and quite fascinating, to spend a good deal of time perusing the Web sites of companies that sell CIP equipment, which generally means very large and complex machines, with all manner of blinking lights, dials, hoses and tanks. Intrigued and curious, I closely examined multiple representative schematics which, while ostensibly for CIP systems, could just as believably been the blueprints for a time machine.
And, perhaps, this is what CIP systems actually are. CIP technology is recognized generally as being more efficient and effective than other methods of cleaning or sanitizing. The utilization of this technology decreases the likelihood of facing foodborne illness complaints or the resultant litigation that may follow. These systems are designed to ensure the complete, comprehensive cleaning of food processing equipment.