Vol.:(0123456789) 1 3 Journal of Applied Electrochemistry https://doi.org/10.1007/s10800-018-1209-z RESEARCH ARTICLE Cleaning protocols using surfactants and electrocleaning to remove food deposits on stainless steel surfaces José M. Vicaria 1  · O. Herrera‑Márquez 1  · C. Fernández‑Casillas 1  · E. Jurado 1 Received: 23 February 2018 / Accepted: 10 May 2018 © Springer Science+Business Media B.V., part of Springer Nature 2018 Abstract Electrocleaning was used in the cleaning of food soils (starch and heat-denatured whey protein) adhered to stainless steel. The infuence of anionic (linear alkylbenzene sulfonate, two polyoxyethylene lauryl ether carboxylic acids) and nonionic (fatty ethoxylated alcohol, alkylpolyglucoside, two polyoxyethylene glycerin esters) surfactants on detersive efcacy has been assessed. High levels of detergency (88.9%) were obtained when starchy dirt was used, doubling in some cases the washing efciency achieved by cleaning-in-place methods. All the surfactants studied improved the detergency results with respect to that obtained with pH 13 solutions. However, when a denatured and dried whey protein was used, the electrocleaning method did not substantially improve detergency results, obtaining the highest detergency with 1 g/L alkylpolyglucoside at 60 °C (19.3%). Graphical Abstract Surfactants Fatty ethoxylated alcohol)(AE) Alkylpolyglycoside (APG) Polyoxyethylene(2) mono- and di-glycerides (PGE–OE2) Polyoxyethylene(17) mono- and di-glycerides (PGE–OE17) Polyoxyethylene(3) lauryl ether carboxylic acid (LEC-OE3) Polyoxyethylene(10) lauryl ether carboxylic acid (LEC-OE10) Linear alkyl benzene sulfonate (LAS) Stainless-steel + starch Electrocleaning Stainless-steel + whey High detergency Low detergency Keywords Electrocleaning · Detergency · Starch · Whey protein · Surfactants 1 Introduction Cleaning and disinfection is considered a critical operation in the food industry. The formation of surface deposits on tanks, pipes or heat exchangers, for example, is an important problem that is still being investigated [1]. This dirt afects operational efficiency and promotes microbial growth, meaning that cleaning is necessary to reach high hygiene levels [2]. Frequent cleaning, including cleaning-in-place (CIP) techniques, where large quantities of energy, water, and reagents are consumed, have been developed empirically to attain the cleaning levels required [3]. These cleaning procedures are usually standardized, but the optimization of cleaning protocols, aimed at minimizing the consumption of energy and chemical products, depends on the type of soils, surface and material to be cleaned [4]. Starch is currently attracting increased attention in the food industry. Because it can modify the texture of food, it is widely used in, for example, ice cream, sauces or soups * José M. Vicaria vicaria@ugr.es 1 Chemical Engineering Department, Faculty of Sciences, University of Granada, Avda. Fuentenueva, s/n, 18071 Granada, Spain