The recommendations for cleaning and sanitation below are merely given as guidelines. 

All applicable governmental regulations concerning the cleaning and sanitation of food grade hoses and sets thereof must be followed and adhered to. If discrepancies are identified between the governmental regulations and the information provided herein, the former shall have priority and shall supersede the guidelines in this document.

The durability of hoses is affected by the cleaning and sanitation process because of the mechanical and chemical stresses exercised during the cleaning and sanitation cycle.

The service life of rubber hoses depends on their formulation and the operating environment, which is in turn affected by the process product and temperature, the detergent and bactericidal compounds used, and the exposure time.

Users are recommended to frequently monitor the physical conditions of the contact surfaces between the rubber hose material and the product.

Monitoring is required to establish the actual hygienic service life of the rubber hoses.

We also recommend that the rubber hose be replaced before surface imperfections or scaling occur.

Routine replacement plans should be defined and put in place. 

Users of food grade hoses are required to adhere to the guidelines concerning the hose cleaning and sanitation standards and procedures, where applicable, or the industry standards and procedures.

By way of example, the wine making industry may have different standards from the dairy industry. Any standard applicable to a specific industry shall supersede the guidelines provided herein.  

Cleaning and sanitation of food grade hoses or sets thereof are intended to remove any and all particles or residual food, including detergents or sanitising agents likely to become the source of harmful bacterial microorganisms or other sources of contamination.

The effectiveness of the guidelines herein is affected by the procedures and care taken by the users.

The frequency of the cleaning and sanitation cycle shall be determined based on the food or drink type conveyed and according to the contamination risk. As a general rule, cleaning and sanitation must be performed on a frequent basis.

Thorough washing of the hose with hot drinking water is the first step in the cleaning process. Washing with hot drinking water makes hose cleaning easier, although it does not avert the need to wash the hose with a suitable detergent and then to sanitise it. The hot water temperature and the washing/rinsing cycle time must be selected based on the conveyed material/product specifications.

The initial washing/rinsing cycle with hot drinking water must be completed as timely as possible after product/material conveyance through the hose. All residual water and residues from the initial washing/rinsing cycle must be fully drained.

The detergent and the specific disinfectant are selected based on the conveyed materials/products. The recommendations of the detergent/disinfectant producer must be adhered to thoroughly, especially those on the concentration levels.

After the hose is cleaned with the detergent and rinsed with drinking water, it must be sterilised with either steam or chemical solution.

Steam is classified as “physical” disinfectant: its effectiveness in removing bacteria or other contaminants varies according to the conveyed material/product and the disinfecting procedure implemented by the users.

Chemical disinfectants like lye, nitric acid, peracetic acid, phosphoric acid, chloroacetic acid or other acids suitable for food grade hose disinfection must be selected with care in order to achieve optimised effectiveness, at the same time providing for utmost safety and health.

When selecting a particular disinfectant, parameters such as the concentration levels, the temperature, the cycle time, etc. must be taken into careful account.

When selecting a specific disinfectant, the type of conveyed product/material must be taken into close consideration.

After completing chemical disinfection, the hose must be rinsed with drinking water thoroughly and for a long enough time to remove any residual chemicals used for the disinfection process.

The outcome of the cleaning and sanitation process must be checked regularly in order to make sure that any contamination and residues have been removed. Any non-conforming event must be addressed in a corrective action procedure.