Cleaning of Dairy Equipment: Methods, Materials, and CIP Protocols

Introduction: Why Cleaning Is Crucial in Dairy Processing

Cleaning in dairy plants is not just about appearance—it is a critical control measure for:

Ensuring food safety and compliance
Preventing microbial contamination
Maintaining equipment efficiency and longevity
Meeting regulatory standards (FSSAI, ISO, Codex, EU, 3A)

Cleaning and sanitization are complementary—neither is effective alone. Every dairy processing unit must follow a documented cleaning schedule, using the right detergents, procedures, and recordkeeping practices.

1. Types of Food Soil in Dairy Plants

Physical: Visible dirt or residue
Chemical: Fatty acids, proteins, minerals
Bacteriological: Microbial contaminants
Sterile: Total elimination of all microorganisms

2. Cleaning & Sanitizing Agents

Detergents (Cleaning Agents):

Alkaline: Sodium hydroxide (NaOH), sodium carbonate (Na₂CO₃), trisodium phosphate (Na₃PO₄)
Acidic: Phosphoric acid, nitric acid (for milk stone removal)
Surfactants: Enhance wettability and soil removal
Chelating agents: Bind water hardness ions
Abrasives and emulsifiers

Sanitizers:

Chlorine-based (50–100 ppm)
Iodine compounds
Quaternary ammonium compounds (QUATs)
Peroxyacetic acid (PAA)

3. Types of Cleaning Methods in Dairy Plants

4. CIP (Clean-in-Place) Cleaning Protocol

Types of CIP Systems:

Decentralized (single-use) for nearby equipment
Centralized (reusable) for integrated plant cleaning

7-Stage CIP Cycle:

Residue Recovery (scraping/flushing)
Pre-rinse with cold water (<25°C)
Warm water rinse (50–60°C)
Alkaline detergent wash (0.5–1.5% @ 75–80°C)
Acid rinse (0.5–1% nitric/phosphoric acid @ 75°C)
Warm water rinse
Final hot rinse (90–95°C) or chemical sanitization
Drying with compressed air

Food consultants help configure CIP systems and SOPs specific to plant capacity, product type, and contamination risks.

CIP for Cold vs Hot Milk Equipment

5. General Guidelines & Regulatory Compliance

Use potable, deionized, or RO water
Follow IS standards for detergent concentration and temperature
Maintain cleaning logs for QC and audits
Clean milk storage tanks every 72 hrs
Clean packaging equipment before every heat process
Replace worn brushes, gaskets, and nozzles regularly

Regulatory & Safety Standards

Steam sterilization used for valves, pipes, and tanks
Compliant with FSSAI, ISO 22000, 3A, Codex, and HACCP
Cleaning solutions should be chemically and microbiologically safe

Food industry consultants assist with documentation, audits, and validation of cleaning systems for regulatory approval.

Conclusion: Clean Equipment Is the Backbone of Safe Dairy Processing

From milk reception to final packaging, cleanliness is crucial to avoid:

Product spoilage
Batch contamination
Regulatory non-compliance
Brand damage and recalls

A well-executed cleaning plan with CIP systems, validated SOPs, and routine QC ensures product integrity and customer safety.

Partner with a food manufacturing consultant to:

Design efficient CIP/COP systems
Select the right detergents and sanitizers
Implement traceable and audit-ready sanitation programs

PMG Engineering Private Limited The End-to-End Engineering Company in Food Industry info@pmg.engineering | www.pmg.engineering www.pmg.engineering info@pmg.engineering Cleaning Of Dairy Equipment Build World-Class Food Factories PMG Engineering Private Limited The End-to-End Engineering Company in Food Industry info@pmg.engineering | www.pmg.engineering www.pmg.engineering info@pmg.engineering Contents 1 2 3 4 5 X Introduction Cleaning & Sanitizing Materials Types of Cleaning Method CIP: Types, Steps, duration References About PMG Engineering Build World-Class Food Factories 2 PMG Engineering Private Limited The End-to-End Engineering Company in Food Industry info@pmg.engineering | www.pmg.engineering www.pmg.engineering info@pmg.engineering 1. Introduction • A systematic process of removing dirt and food particles from a surface, including equipment and utensils used in the food and dairy sectors, among other things. • Cleaning and sanitation is complementary to each other and meaningless without each other. • Equipment and containers to be clean, dry, smooth, and free from dirt and dangerous bacterial load using various cleaning methods. • Followed by cleaning, sanitation needs to be done, to reduce microbial load on the cleaned surface up to an acceptable level. Build World-Class Food Factories 3 PMG Engineering Private Limited The End-to-End Engineering Company in Food Industry info@pmg.engineering | www.pmg.engineering www.pmg.engineering info@pmg.engineering 1.1 Types of food soil Foreign matter Milk stone Liquid milk films Types of soils needs to be removed Heat- hardened films, Air-dried films, Heat- precipitat ed films Milk stone : Deposition of milk solid, water hardness and washing solutions due to heating effect. 4 Build World-Class Food Factories PMG Engineering Private Limited The End-to-End Engineering Company in Food Industry info@pmg.engineering | www.pmg.engineering www.pmg.engineering info@pmg.engineering 1.2 Benefits of Cleaning Dairy Equipments • Clean equipment in food/dairy Processing plants is crucial for: - Maintaining high hygienic standards, - prevent contamination of food resulting safe produce - preventing health risks during the handling and processing of milk and, - Maintain brand reputation due to less recall, consistent product quality 1.3 Objectives of cleanliness:- • Physical cleanliness – Removal of visible dirt from the surface. Chemical cleanliness – Removal of microscopic residues that aren't visible to the naked eye. Bacteriological cleanliness – Removal of bacteria using disinfection. Sterile microorganisms. – Destruction cleanliness all of • • • Build World-Class Food Factories 5 PMG Engineering Private Limited The End-to-End Engineering Company in Food Industry info@pmg.engineering | www.pmg.engineering www.pmg.engineering info@pmg.engineering 1.4 General Guidelines of Cleaning:- • Equipment and containers must undergo effective cleaning and sanitization before each use. • Milk storage tanks should be cleaned at least every 72 hours to prevent microbial contamination. • Aseptic packaging systems, including dairy equipment and packages, should be cleaned and sterilized before every final heat process to ensure product safety. • Cleaning log records should be maintained for manual and CIP operations for validation by plant QC and regulatory agencies. • Milk tank trucks should be labelled or tagged for sanitization purposes and only taken out at designated receiving stations or facilities. • Regular cleaning equipment inspection and maintenance should be practiced to ensure optimal performance and effectiveness. Worn-out brushes, nozzles, and other components are promptly replaced to prevent equipment malfunction. Build World-Class Food Factories 6 PMG Engineering Private Limited The End-to-End Engineering Company in Food Industry info@pmg.engineering | www.pmg.engineering www.pmg.engineering info@pmg.engineering 1.5 Regulatory Standards for Cleaning General IS Standards for Cleaning • Selection of detergent should be done according to ▪ type of soil to be removed ▪ quality of available water ▪ material of equipment, and ▪ method of cleaning. • Standard cleaning procedure should be used for cleaning of certain equipment. • On average basis, 15 g of the cleaning agent’s mixture for cleaning a utensil of 10L capacity is recommended to be used. • Before being used, the cleaned utensils must be sterilized with either by rinsing using hot water or a chlorine solution. • For tanker, hot detergent solution of 3 % NaOH at 60 -70°C should be used. For aluminium tanker, sodium metasilicate recommended to be used with NaOH with lower alkalinity. 7 Build World-Class Food Factories PMG Engineering Private Limited The End-to-End Engineering Company in Food Industry info@pmg.engineering | www.pmg.engineering www.pmg.engineering info@pmg.engineering 2. Cleaning & Sanitizing Materials a) Water: Used for pre-rinsing, rinsing, hot water rinsing & sterilization, cleaning solution preparation or steam production for sterilization • High-quality potable water free from contaminants to ensure effective cleaning and sanitizing. b) Steam: Used to heat cleaning solution or direct steam sterilization • removes grease, oil, and stubborn soils from through its high heat and pressure. • Has sanitizing properties, as the high temperatures associated with steam can kill bacteria, molds, and yeast. Build World-Class Food Factories 8 PMG Engineering Private Limited The End-to-End Engineering Company in Food Industry info@pmg.engineering | www.pmg.engineering www.pmg.engineering info@pmg.engineering 2. Cleaning & Sanitizing Materials (Cont.) Cleaning agents: to remove dirt/dust, soil, foul odors, and clutter on surfaces. Various class of cleaning agents are: for actual cleaning purposes Substances used i. Detergent: Including Soap, alkaline detergents. Ex: sodium hydroxide or caustic soda (NaOH); sodium bicarbonate, (NaHCO3); sodium carbonate or soda ash (Na2CO3); sodium sesquicarbonate (Na2CO3 ·NaHCO3 ·2H2O), and trisodium phosphate (Na3PO4 ·12H2O) etc. ii. Acids: Weak solutions of about 0.1 % or slightly more. Ex: phosphoric and nitric acids iii. Other chemicals: Surface active agents (sodium alkyl sulphates and agents, compounds), Chelating quaternary Emulsifiers, Abrasives, Inhibitors, etc. ammonium Build World-Class Food Factories 9 PMG Engineering Private Limited The End-to-End Engineering Company in Food Industry info@pmg.engineering | www.pmg.engineering www.pmg.engineering info@pmg.engineering 2. Cleaning & Sanitizing Materials (Cont.) iv) Sanitizing agents: Substances used to reduce number of bacteria on a product contact surface up to a safe level (~ 99.999% reduction). Such as chlorine, iodine, acid sanitizers, quaternary ammonium, and peroxyacetic acid (PPA) etc. Build World-Class Food Factories 10 PMG Engineering Private Limited The End-to-End Engineering Company in Food Industry info@pmg.engineering | www.pmg.engineering www.pmg.engineering info@pmg.engineering 3. Types of Cleaning method 1. Manual cleaning • Removal of soil by scrubbing manually with detergent solution followed by water rinsing. • Involves disassembling the equipment for cleaning and sanitizing each part. • Time consuming and labour-intensive method. 3. Cleaning-In-Place (CIP) • Cleaning of equipment including pipelines, with water and detergent solution without dismantling. • A minimum fluid velocity of 1.5 ms-1 with turbulent flow is required to effectively clean pipelines. • Most effective method, highly efficient. 2. Cleaning-out-Place (COP) • Involves partially disassembling and cleaning in specialized COP pressure tanks • Done at designated cleaning station or area for cleaning using mechanical cleaning equipment. • Easier to control the environment and use specialized cleaning agents, but it is time- consuming and labour-intensive. Build World-Class Food Factories 11 PMG Engineering Private Limited The End-to-End Engineering Company in Food Industry info@pmg.engineering | www.pmg.engineering www.pmg.engineering info@pmg.engineering 3.1 Other Ways Of Cleaning A. Low-pressure high-volume spray B. High-pressure low-volume spray • Water and/or detergent solution is • Water and/or detergent solution in applied in large volume low volume • Done at low pressure of 6.8 bar or • Done at high pressure of 68 bar or 100 psi. 1000 psi. C. Foam cleaning • Detergent solution in the form of foam • Retained for 15-20 minutes over the surface before rinsing. D. Washing machines • Using water and/or detergent, & disinfection by hot water rinse. • For milk cans, crates and bottles etc. • large in number and smaller in sizes make manual cleaning • Quite expensive, tiresome manpower and labour oriented, huge involving 12 Build World-Class Food Factories PMG Engineering Private Limited The End-to-End Engineering Company in Food Industry info@pmg.engineering | www.pmg.engineering www.pmg.engineering info@pmg.engineering 4. Clean-in-place (CIP) Actions recommended for a clean in place (CIP) operation: 1. 2. Items like fill tubes, manhole gaskets, plug valves, etc. that need to be manually cleaned should be removed. Incorporating physical breaks between product-containing tanks and circuits. 3. Pre-rinse or flush using cold water < 25oC and discard pre-rinse water, until it appear clear. 4. To eliminate the residues from the circuit, run a powerful detergent solution over it for the required amount of time. 5. Rinsing with clean water 6. Acid treatment (whenever required or once in 24 Hours) followed by another rinse. 7. Sanitize immediately before use. Build World-Class Food Factories 13 PMG Engineering Private Limited The End-to-End Engineering Company in Food Industry info@pmg.engineering | www.pmg.engineering www.pmg.engineering info@pmg.engineering 4.1 Types of CIP Cleaning There are two types of CIP cleaning system • De-Centralized CIP: ✓Single use system used for small units close to the equipment ✓Ex- heating equipment- pasteurizer, Cold milk equipment • Centralized CIP: ✓Re – Use CIP system for inline system where cleaning solution is supplied from cleaning solution storage tank. ✓ Based on status of equipment, following cleaning stages are used: 1. 3 stage cleaning (using various combinations, usually with hot water) Pre-Water Rinse Hot water Rinse Cold-water rinse Pre-Water Rinse Caustic Rinse water rinse 2. 5 stage cleaning Pre-water Rinse Caustic Rinse Warm Water Rinse Hot Water Rinse Cold Water Rinse 3. 7 stage cleaning 14 Build World-Class Food Factories PMG Engineering Private Limited The End-to-End Engineering Company in Food Industry info@pmg.engineering | www.pmg.engineering www.pmg.engineering info@pmg.engineering 7 Stage Cleaning: Steps of CIP (Cleaning Cycle) • Step 0: Recovery of dairy residue • Step 1: Cleaning using cold water until drain water appears clean. (Pre-rinse) • Step 2: Cleaning with warm water (50-60oC for 10 min.) • Step 3: Cleaning using alkaline detergents/ caustic solution (0.5 -1.5% conc.) at 75-80oC for 30 min. • Step 4: Warm water (50°C) rinse for 5-8 min • Step 5: Cleaning using acid solution (generally nitric acid with 0.5 to 1% conc.) at 75°C for 20 min • Step 6: Warm water (50°C) rinse for 5-8 min • Step 7: Thermal disinfection (90-95°C) and cooling for 10 min or chemical disinfection with a suitable sanitizer Pre- Water Rinse Warm Water Rinse Caustic Rinse Warm Water Rinse Acid Rinse Warm Water Rinse Hot Water Rinse 15 Build World-Class Food Factories PMG Engineering Private Limited The End-to-End Engineering Company in Food Industry info@pmg.engineering | www.pmg.engineering www.pmg.engineering info@pmg.engineering 4.1 (a) Cleaning of cold milk equipment • Cleaning media - Alkaline cleaning media 0.1-0.2% concentration - Surface active and anti – foaming agents are added (up to 0.08%) - Liquid chlorine sanitizing agent is also added up to 50 to 100 ppm • Stages of cleaning: After each processing 3 step cleaning and one 5 step cleaning within 24 hours using cleaning media. Build World-Class Food Factories 16 PMG Engineering Private Limited The End-to-End Engineering Company in Food Industry info@pmg.engineering | www.pmg.engineering www.pmg.engineering info@pmg.engineering 4.1 (b) Cleaning of hot milk equipment • Cleaning media - Detergent @0.1-0.2% concentration - Surface active, emulsifying agent and anti – foaming agents @0.08% conc. - Acid cleaning media: 0.5-1.0% conc. - Liquid chlorine sanitizing agent 50 to 100 ppm conc. • Stages of cleaning: After each processing 3 or 5 step cleaning and one 7 step cleaning within 24 hours using cleaning medium. Build World-Class Food Factories 17 PMG Engineering Private Limited The End-to-End Engineering Company in Food Industry info@pmg.engineering | www.pmg.engineering www.pmg.engineering info@pmg.engineering Step 0: Recovery of product residue • Recovery of product residue prior to cleaning is essential as it - minimizes product loss to drain. - Increases the efficiency of the cleaning - prevents pipe and drain choking • Done using forcing product out with the help of water 1. scraping the equipment surface 2. 3. blowing and flushing out with water. Step 1: Pre-rinsing with water • Carried out immediately after production. • Should done till clear water obtained from the system, as any residue lead extra effort on detergent cleaning. • Temperature of pre-rinsed water: < 25oC Build World-Class Food Factories 18 PMG Engineering Private Limited The End-to-End Engineering Company in Food Industry info@pmg.engineering | www.pmg.engineering www.pmg.engineering info@pmg.engineering Step 2: Rinsing with warm water • To remove solidified fat. • Further, reduces effort on detergent cleaning. • Condition: @ < 55oC for 10min (for effective flushing of milk fat without coagulation of milk protein.) Step 3: Cleaning with Detergents • The selection of detergents is depending on the - - Types and properties of soils that are needs to be removed - Cleaning procedure and - Water characteristics and detergents cost • Ex: NaOH, NaHCO3, Na2CO3, Na3PO4 ·12H2O, non-foaming surfactant etc. Step 4: Rinsing with warm water • Rinsing is essential to remove traces of detergents from the inline piping or equipment, as it may contaminate the product. • Done using warm water at 50°C for 5-8 min. 19 Build World-Class Food Factories PMG Engineering Private Limited The End-to-End Engineering Company in Food Industry info@pmg.engineering | www.pmg.engineering www.pmg.engineering info@pmg.engineering Step 5: Cleaning with Acid solution • Acid treatment is generally done to remove milk stone formed on the surface of dairy equipments due to heating effect on milk residue. • In addition, it also neutralizes detergents residue and tend to protect against corrosion. • A dilute to mild acid solution is used with conc. of 0.5- 1%. • Ex. Phosphoric acid, nitric acid, etc. Step 6: Rinsing with warm water • Rinsing effectively removes acid residue present on the surface of dairy equipments. • Done similarly as step 4, using warm water at 50°C for 5-8 min. Build World-Class Food Factories 20 PMG Engineering Private Limited The End-to-End Engineering Company in Food Industry info@pmg.engineering | www.pmg.engineering www.pmg.engineering info@pmg.engineering Step 7: Final rinsing with Hot water • It ensure no leftover material or chemical residue presence in dairy plant’s equipment and aid in an efficient cleaning for the next pre-rinse. • Type of water used: Clean potable water, De-Ionized water, or RO water • Condition: 90-95°C for 5 to 20 min. • At final stage, air should blow to remove moisture. Step 7(a): Sanitizer Rinsing Done using liquid chlorine as a sanitizing agent with conc. of 50 to 100 ppm followed by cold water rinse and blow drying. Build World-Class Food Factories 21 PMG Engineering Private Limited The End-to-End Engineering Company in Food Industry info@pmg.engineering | www.pmg.engineering www.pmg.engineering info@pmg.engineering 5. Reference 1. Cleaning of dairy equipment | dairy processing handbook (tetrapak.Com) 2. Cleaning_and_sanitation_of_milk_plant.Pdf (ndvsu.Org) 3. Eec-13 block-1 (egyankosh.Ac.In) Build World-Class Food Factories 22 PMG Engineering Private Limited The End-to-End Engineering Company in Food Industry info@pmg.engineering | www.pmg.engineering www.pmg.engineering info@pmg.engineering Our Clients Build World-Class Food Factories # We deliver End-to-End Engineering Design and Construction Management Projects in Food and Beverage Industry. Meeting Global Benchmarks In ENGINEERING DESIGN and PROJECT MANAGEMENT for FOOD and BEVERAGE Industry with SINGLE POINT ACCOUNTABILITY Process Engineering | Project Management | Mechanical | Electrical | Automation | Food Safety Key Clients We deliver End-to-End Engineering Design and Construction Management Projects in Food and Beverage Industry. Meeting Global Benchmarks In ENGINEERING DESIGN and PROJECT MANAGEMENT for FOOD and BEVERAGE Industry with SINGLE POINT ACCOUNTABILITY Process Engineering | Project Management | Mechanical | Electrical | Automation | Food Safety Key Clients We deliver End-to-End Engineering Design and Construction Management Projects in Food and Beverage Industry. Meeting Global Benchmarks In ENGINEERING DESIGN and PROJECT MANAGEMENT for FOOD and BEVERAGE Industry with SINGLE POINT ACCOUNTABILITY Process Engineering | Project Management | Mechanical | Electrical | Automation | Food Safety Key Clients

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