Electrolyzed oxidizing (EO) water can be more effective than the harsh chemicals usually used to clean milking equipment. Electrolyzed oxidizing (EO) water can be produced by passing an electric current between electrodes in a dilute salt (NaCl) solution and separated by a semi-permeable membrane.
On dairy farms, the stainless steel milking equipment is usually cleaned in stages including a warm water rinse; alkaline wash; warm water rinse; acid wash; and sanitizing rinse. EO water can perform all these functions.
To evaluate the efficacy of EO, researchers contaminated raw milk with four microorganisms and then let the milk run through the milking system several times. Sometimes, the equipment was cleaned using conventional methods and products and other times with the EO water. The EO water outperformed conventional methods.
EO Water Generators have just become commercially available. The new technology offers a safe, chemical-free approach to cleaning. Other studies have shown the EO water can be used to clean eggs, alfalfa sprouts, fruits and vegetables and to disinfect cutting boards.
Sources: Optimization and modeling of an electrolyzed oxidizing water based Clean-In-Place technique for farm milking systems using a pilot-scale milking system. Satyanarayan R. S. Dev, Ali Demirci, Robert E. Graves & Virendra M. Puri. Journal of Food Engineering. Volume 8. Number 135. Pages: 1–10. 2014; Treatment of E. coli O157:H7 contaminated alfalfa seeds with electrolyzed oxidizing water. Ratna R. Sharma and Ali Demirci. ASAE 94th Annual International Meeting. Sacramento, CA. 2001.
- Janet Wallace