EFFECT OF PLASMA-CHEMICALLY ACTIVATED AQUEOUS SOLUTIONS ON THE PROCESS OF DISINFECTION OF FOOD PRODUCTION EQUIPMENT

Abstract. In food production, it is essential to implement preventive measures aimed at improving the quality of products, namely decontaminating them of microorganisms causing food poisoning. Effective sanitisation of food production equipment allows preventing products’ contamination by pathogenic microflora and by microorganisms that lead to spoilage of food. The paper presents a study of the effect of plasma-chemically activated aqueous solutions on the process of disinfection of food production equipment. Activated aqueous solutions have been characterised, and it has been shown how they affect pathogenic microflora present on the surfaces of equipment involved in meat production and processing. Analysis of microbiological indicators (QMAFAnМand coliform bacteria) has shown that the number of pathogenic bacteria decreased by half on all surfaces of the processing room even at the peroxide concentration 100 mg/l, while at the concentration 500 mg/l, we observed complete destruction of pathogenic microflora both in the poultry slaughter room and in the diseased animal slaughterhouse. The disinfecting properties of plasma-chemically activated aqueous solutions in the process of production of chicken mincehave been analysed. After the surfaces of the cutters were treated with the activated aqueous solutions having the peroxide concentration 500 mg/l, the equipment was found to be completely sterile: no microflora was detected in the wipe samples, and this dynamics was observed for 7 days. The use of the disinfectant proposed stops the development of any microflora on the surface of technological equipment. The level of microbiological contamination of the finished meat product (chicken mince) after treating the equipment with plasma-chemically activated solutions has been studied, their peroxide concentrations being 100 to 700 mg/l. No pathogenic microflora (in particular, nocoliform bacteria and mould) was detected in the finished meat products obtained after the equipment was treated with the disinfectant solution at a concentration higher than 500 mg/l. Plasma-chemically activated aqueous solutions with the concentration of peroxides 500 mg/l are considered optimal for disinfection of the technological surfaces and equipment of meat processing enterprises, since they ensure complete removal of pathogenic microflora and allow obtaining a product free from pathogens.