UV disinfection food treatment conveyor

The hygienic, fully washdown system has been designed to help prevent spoilage, allow longer shelf life and reduce waste in line with retailer and government requirements.

JenAct’s new IP65 rated wire belt UV disinfection conveyor is produced from stainless steel and has integrated disinfection zones for food products such as salmon fillets or fruit to pass through. Incorporating JenAct’s UV Torpedo technology, the unit’s shatterproof UVC lamp fixtures are mounted above and below the belt.

The new UV disinfection conveyor uses UV tunnels to achieve 360° of UVC irradiation, whilst a built-in, custom-designed reflector maximises UVC output. JenAct’s proprietary system moves the product on the wire belt to ensure the whole product is treated and shadowing does not occur.

Dr Jarek Bilek from JenAct, comments: “It has long been recognised that the surface contamination of some food products such as fish with listeria monocytogenes can significantly reduce shelf life. Wet decontamination techniques have been traditionally used to remove microorganisms from foods and surfaces. Although efficient, these technologies are not suitable for all types of products and may damage some foods or surfaces. They also require environmental control such as provision of clean water, reuse and disposal."

He continues: “However, UV germicidal radiation greatly reduces spoilage microorganisms on salmon fillets, for example, and provides significant extension of shelf life. Plus, UV treatment does not require water or chemicals, which ultimately leads to cost savings."

“Our new UV disinfection conveyor has been carefully designed and engineered to achieve significant reduction of microbiological contamination even in the most challenging applications. Most importantly, the appearance and taste of food products is unaffected,” Dr Bilek concludes.

JenAct’s UV disinfection conveyor is controlled and monitored using a touchscreen HMI, allowing the operator to set the belt speed and monitor the service hours for each UV lamp.

The reflector in JenAct’s lamp fixture does not have to be cleaned during the entire lifetime of the UV lamp, which ensures maximum uptime. In case of any accidental breakage of the lamp quartz, the shattered lamp is kept within the enclosure of the lamp fixture by an FEP sleeve making this a completely food safe solution.

JenAct’s sophisticated modelling software predicts performance and allows optimisation of its new UV treatment conveyor against specific pathogens, including bacteria, viruses and moulds. The system operates at variable speeds and its lamp systems are appropriately configured to maximise effectiveness.

All lamp modules include individual reflectors which maximise UV output. Connection to line control or SPC systems can be provided.

JenAct has been at the forefront of germicidal UV innovation since the 1990s and boasts a number of patented products in the field. It specialises in the efficient generation of UVC for germicidal applications. 

At its Whitchurch-based facility, Jenton Group offers a full workshop and maintains an extensive stock of spares in addition to having a number of skilled service engineers available for on-site repairs and maintenance.