Food is as essential as can be. This article will discuss food processing plant grease trap control. It is the source of every ounce of energy that one requires to go through the day. There are natural sources of food that come from plant and animal sources but most of the time, these food items must be processed so that the consumers may be assured of the safe and healthy quality of what they eat. There is also a growing need to improve nutrition so enrichment and fortification of foods are done. Packaging of the foods is also improved in food processing so that the freshness may be maintained even if the product has to travel long distances.
Food processing plants make up a large percentage of the world’s industries. Through these facilities, food quality is improved. The situation inside the plants is very sterile to keep out the harmful contaminants and pathogens. But lately, the United States is experiencing a big environmental issue to which the food processing plants are major contributors. The FOG (fats, oils, grease) crisis is getting too overwhelming to handle. All sorts of organic raw materials produce FOG in large quantities. This is why the pretreatment or grease ordinance is made to help the food processing plant owner’s deal with the worsening environmental situation.
The grease ordinance is established to protect the wastewater treatment facilities. If these treatment facilities get highly affected by FOG, there will be huge damages to property, health, and the environment. With the grease ordinance, food processing plant owners are given regulations that they should follow concerning their operations. According to the ordinance the owners should make sure that they have grease traps that are properly installed, have permits, and maintained on a regular basis. They should also make sure that discharge from the washing areas should not exceed 130 degrees Fahrenheit so that the FOG will not be emulsified.
There should be a strict food processing plant grease trap control procedure. This will help the food processing plant owners improve their system of operation and maintenance inside and outside the premises. When grease trap control is the topic at hand, the immediate resolution thought about is the use of enzymes and chemicals. Just because they can be harsh, doesn’t mean that they can do the job. These compounds merely emulsify the FOG, making it combine with the wastewater much easier. The FOG then cools down and solidifies inside the pipes, blocking the normal flow of the wastewater. This event causes the wastewater to back up into the food processing plant and cause contamination. These chemicals and enzymes don’t really help solve the FOG crisis. The food processing plant owner may end up being surprised at the consequences of using such products on their grease traps.
Food processing plant grease trap control can be performed efficiently with the use of bacteria. Bacteria are primitive microorganisms that have been on the planet for billions and billions of years. It is true that they have been known to cause diseases but there are some of them that benefit human kind. Bacteria that are friendly and non-pathogenic help food processing plant owners control the FOG and solid wastes in their grease traps through bioaugmentation and bioremediation. Bioaugmentation uses a selected strain of bacteria to eradicate the FOG and other contaminants. Bioremediation uses non-pathogenic bacteria to transform the FOG into less harmful substances.
With bacteria, there are no foul smelling odors left in the grease trap and there are no pollutants discharged into the surrounding waterways. Aside from using bacteria, the food processing plant management should assign workers who will be able to inspect and monitor the grease trap levels. This is to fully establish a regular maintenance schedule and to prevent FOG overflow. Treating the grease trap with bacteria on a regular basis will make the trap and the facilities last longer and function better. Bacteria may be very old creatures but they are the solutions to a very modern problem.