Abstract : To clean process equipment cost effectively without the need for any
disassembly and reassembly, cleaning in place (CIP) is commonly applied in the
food industry. Owing to the high degree of automation, CIP systems provide
consistent and reproducible cleaning and allow full traceability of the cleaning
operations. This chapter provides food manufacturers with the information
needed to understand and improve the in-place cleaning of their food processing
equipment. An overview is given of the detergents and disinfectants available, the
most optimal conditions (temperature, detergent concentration, fl ow rate and
water quality) for cleaning, and the most optimal CIP system designs allowing
cleaning without contamination of food products. To optimize the cleaning of
tanks that are commonly found in many food processing lines, guidance is given
on the hygienic design and drainability of these tanks, the properties of the tank
cleaning devices available, their necessary number and most optimal location, and
the amount of cleaning solution required.