Overview of Hypochlorous Acid Generator Technology
Hypochlorous acid generator is a professional equipment that produces hypochlorous acid (HOCl) aqueous solution by electrolyzing dilute saline solution (NaCl). This technology uses electrochemical principles to cause an electrolytic reaction in a sodium chloride solution in a diaphragmless electrolytic cell to generate a mixed oxidant solution with hypochlorous acid as the main component. Compared with traditional chlorine-containing disinfectants, hypochlorous acid generators have significant advantages: on-site preparation avoids the dangers of storage and transportation, the solution is stable, and the concentration can be adjusted at any time as needed.
As a weak acid, hypochlorous acid (HOCl) is 80-120 times more effective at killing bacteria than sodium hypochlorite (NaOCl). Under conditions close to neutral (pH 5.0-6.5), hypochlorous acid exists mainly in molecular form, which can more effectively penetrate the cell membrane of microorganisms, destroy their protein structure and enzyme system, and thus achieve a rapid sterilization effect. Studies have shown that a 50 ppm hypochlorous acid solution can kill 99.9% of common foodborne pathogens within 30 seconds.
Application value in food industry
1. Disinfection guarantee in food processing
In meat processing plants, solutions produced by hypochlorous acid generators are effectively used for carcass washing, equipment disinfection, and work environment decontamination. Hypochlorous acid solution with a concentration of 50-100ppm can significantly reduce the risk of contamination by pathogenic microorganisms such as Salmonella and E. coli. In poultry processing, hypochlorous acid spraying can reduce the detection rate of Salmonella by more than 90%.
In the field of fruit and vegetable processing, hypochlorous acid solution (20-50ppm) can be used for raw material cleaning to extend the shelf life by 1-3 days without causing chlorine residue problems. Compared with traditional chlorine preparations, hypochlorous acid will not react with organic matter to produce carcinogenic trihalomethanes, which is more in line with modern food safety requirements.
2. Efficient disinfection of food contact surfaces
Disinfection of contact surfaces such as food processing equipment, conveyor belts, and tools is a key point in microbial control. The 80-100ppm solution produced by the hypochlorous acid generator can kill stubborn pathogens such as Listeria and Staphylococcus aureus within 1-2 minutes, and its corrosiveness is much lower than that of sodium hypochlorite, making it more friendly to stainless steel equipment.
3. Space disinfection of production environment
Using a hypochlorous acid atomization system to atomize 30-50ppm of slightly acidic hypochlorous acid water into the air can effectively reduce the microbial load in the air of food workshops. Practical data from a dairy factory showed that regular atomization treatment can reduce the total number of air colonies in the workshop by 75% and the number of mold and yeast by 80%.
Industry Advantage Analysis
1. Safety and environmental protection : After decomposition, hypochlorous acid only produces water and trace salt, without toxic by-products, and complies with FDA and EPA food contact permits (21CFR173.315). The Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan has approved the use of hypochlorous acid as a food additive.
2. Significant economic benefits : Taking a generator that produces 5 tons of hypochlorous acid solution per day as an example, the production cost of each ton of solution is less than 10 yuan, saving more than 40% of the cost compared with purchasing disinfectants. After a large food group adopted it, its annual disinfection costs were reduced by 2.8 million yuan.
3. Convenience of operation : Modern hypochlorous acid generators are mostly equipped with PLC control systems, which can realize automatic concentration adjustment, output metering and remote monitoring, greatly reducing the threshold for use.
Application Case Analysis
Case 1 : After a multinational fast food chain’s central kitchen introduced a hypochlorous acid generator system, the microbial qualification rate of its lettuce salad products increased from 92% to 99.8%, and the product shelf life was extended by 30%.
Case 2 : After a seafood export company in Guangdong Province used hypochlorous acid ice (making ice from hypochlorous acid solution for seafood preservation), the total colony count of salmon fillets was controlled below 1×10⁴CFU/g, meeting EU import standards.
Case 3 : A large baking company in Shanghai used a hypochlorous acid generator to replace quaternary ammonium disinfectants, which solved the problem of yeast contamination and eliminated the impact of chemical residues on the fermentation process.
Development Trend
As food safety standards become increasingly stringent (such as China's GB14881-2013 national food safety standard), hypochlorous acid generator technology is moving towards intelligence and integration. New equipment is beginning to combine Internet of Things technology to achieve data traceability and verification of the disinfection process.
Conclusion
Hypochlorous acid generator technology provides an efficient, safe and economical disinfection solution for the food industry. With the continuous maturity of technology and the deepening of application, it is expected that the market size of hypochlorous acid generators in my country's food industry will grow at an average annual rate of 25% in the next five years. Food companies should fully evaluate their own needs and reasonably introduce this technology to improve food safety and enhance market competitiveness. At the same time, industry organizations should speed up the formulation of relevant application guidelines to promote the standardized use of technology.
In the process of food production and processing, microbial contamination is a key factor affecting product quality and safety. Traditional chemical disinfectants have problems such as high residue, strong corrosiveness, and unstable effect. The hypochlorous acid generator independently developed by CHLORY has become an innovator of disinfection technology in the food industry with its advantages of high sterilization efficiency, safety without residue, and intelligent control !
CHLORY hypochlorous acid generator, with cutting-edge electrolysis technology + intelligent control system , provides food companies with efficient, safe and low-cost disinfection solutions. Whether it is a meat processing plant, dairy company, fruit and vegetable washing line, central kitchen, or cold chain logistics , we can customize a unique disinfection solution for you!
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Official website : www.chlory.com
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