In modern fruit and vegetable processing plants, cleaning is an important part of the entire processing process. It is related to the safety, hygiene and taste of the finished product. In order to ensure that the vegetables meet the cleanliness standards before entering the next step of processing, the factory usually follows five principles during the cleaning process. So what are the 5 guidelines to wash vegetables?
Principle 1. Rough wash first, then fine wash
When vegetables are just harvested from the farm, they often have impurities such as mud, weeds or insects on the surface. The first step should be rough washing to remove large particles of impurities, and then fine washing to ensure that the residue is completely removed.
Principle 2. Wash in batches and by category
Different types of vegetables require different washing methods. For example, leafy vegetables are more easily damaged and need to be handled gently, while root vegetables are heavier in soil and need to be washed more vigorously. Therefore, in the factory, vegetables should be processed in batches according to their types and different washing parameters should be used.
Principle 3. Avoid cross contamination
During the cleaning process, clean water and dirty water should be separated, and equipment should be cleaned and disinfected regularly to prevent bacteria from spreading from one batch of vegetables to another.
Principle 4. Control water quality and temperature
Using clean water is a basic requirement, and the washing temperature should also be appropriate. Too cold water will reduce the sterilization effect, and too hot water will easily damage vegetable tissues.
Principle 5. Reasonable time control
The cleaning time should be sufficient to ensure the cleaning effect, but not too long to prevent the vegetables from absorbing too much water, losing their crispness or losing nutrients.
Main equipment for vegetable washing
In order to improve the efficiency and consistency of washing, factories usually use automatic vegetable washing machines. According to the characteristics of the materials and processing requirements, common types of vegetable washing machines include:
- Bubble washing machine
Use bubbles in the water to agitate vegetables, suitable for leafy vegetables, fungi and other fragile ingredients. Bubbles can effectively loosen surface attachments, gentle and strong cleaning power.
- Drum washing machine
Through the combined action of rotating drums and water flow, root vegetables such as carrots and potatoes are deeply cleaned, suitable for removing mud and stubborn stains.
- Brush washing machine
Use a soft nylon brush to spray water to wash vegetables, suitable for ingredients with rough skin, such as pumpkins, taro, etc.
