Proofers are susceptible to mould growth due to the wet environment and temperatures. Preventing excessive mould growth can take a lot of time and effort. We use two disinfection technologies to prevent mould in air handling units for proofers in industrial bakeries.
Key challenges in AHU’s for proofers:
- Mould growth on evaporator or droplet eliminators
- To avoid mould we use UVC light built into a stainless steel cassette. Read more
- Moulds spread through the air inside the proofer
- Reducing air-borne spores and spread of mould we use ionisation. This can be integrated in the supply air channel. Read more.
Picture 1 Differences in D90 dose for micro-organisms.
Why combining UVC and ionisation?
UVC light is effective in deactivating bacteria, viruses and moulds. But, specifically black mould (commonly seen in bakeries) have a thick pigment and have a relatively high resistance against UVC light. To destroy them, a lot of UVC power is required or a long contact time. This makes applying UVC in the supply air channel not an economical option.
Picture 2 UVC cassettes in air treatment unit
Treating the evaporator coil or droplet eliminator is a good solution. The UVC lamps are installed close to the coil surface and prevent microbial growth, also in the drain pan.
In most situations the coils are made of aluminium which reflects UV light very well, this allows for the UVC rays to get into the coil in time. Because the coil is stationary, the exposure time is not limited, as a result, over time the UV energy will destroy and prevent microbial growth on the coil.
This improved hygiene in the AHU removes a potential source of mould spread via the air.
Picture 3 Ionisation units in supply air
Using ionisation in supply air into the proofers reduces the spread of moulds via the air inside the unit. Ionisation works with high voltage and generates ions. These ions are unstable and latch onto contamination such as moulds and spores, thereby destroying them.
Ionisation is suitable to treat large air volumes with a limited investment and energy use. In almost all situations it is possible to integrate ionisation into an existing system. Integrating UVC cassettes in an existing air handling unit is not always an option, approximately 300mm of length in the AHU is required.
Questions?
Interested in other solutions for industrial bakeries?
For dough cups we recommend UVC units to directly radiate the cups.
