Engineering and chemical factors associated with fouling and cleaning in milk processing

The problem of fouling from food fluids is very severe, leading to the need for rapid and effective cleaning. Fouling of the process plant happens as a result of complex processes that occur when a fluid is heated: protein and minerals are both deposited on the surface. This review describes research into both the engineering and the chemical factors that lead to deposition. Fouling can be modeled by using data for the thermal behavior of beta-lactoglobulin, coupled with models for the flows and temperatures of the process plant. The rate of cleaning depends on both the deposit present and the type of chemical treatment used. (C) Elsevier Science Inc., 1997.