The product, branded as Excelyte by Integrated Environmental Technologies and as EcaFlo Anolyte by partner organization BRT, is said to be a highly effective, pH neutral biocide solution yet non toxic to humans and animals.
“Excelyte is a hundred times more effective at destroying mircroorganisms than bleach,” Marion Sofield, IET’s vice president operations told FoodProductionDaily.com.
Its strong oxidizing solution destroys microorganisms on contact by disrupting the cell structure, and so prevents organisms from mutating and becoming resistant, she added.
Sofield said that the solution is effective against a range of microbial organisms including bacteria, viruses, fungi and microbial spores.
Electrolyzed solution
The company said that the key active ingredient, hypochlorous acid, is a naturally occurring molecule synthesized from an electrolyzed solution of salt and water.
The production technique, known as EcaFlo Anolyte technology, temporarily modifies the properties of water into solutions which can be used to destroy microorganisms, neutralize chemical agents, purify water and clean surfaces.
When exposed to environmental conditions, the solution degrades quickly into salt and water leaving no ecological footprint, claims the company. As such, it is claimed to be more environmentally-friendly in being biodegradable and non-accumulative compared with other cleaning solutions.
Users can precisely and reliably programme the pH of the cleaning solutions without the use of additional chemicals or reagents. “Although electro chemical activisation has existed for 30 years, no other companies have concentrated on delivering precise pH neutral pinpoint solutions,” said Sofield.
Hazardous cleaning chemicals
Since Excelyte is composed of processed salt and water, it avoids the need for convention potentially hazardous cleaning chemicals, she explained.
Although the price depends on Ecelyte’s application, Sofield told this publication that: “More often than not it costs less than other cleaning agents.”
Excelyte, she added, is approved by the US Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) for use in federally inspected meat, poultry and egg product plants, as well as being approved for use in meatpacking and processing plants as a replacement for chlorine solutions.
Sofield said that the product has also been registered with the National Science Foundation as an antimicrobial agent that does not require rinsing after use in food contact surface applications.