With Grundfos pumps used extensively in breweries, distilleries, wineries and soft drink plants, it is no surprise that the company also offers leading technology for disinfecting water in these facilities.

With a heritage of serving the beverage sector for the past 150 years, the company recognises that hygiene is at the centre of this industry, according to Grundfos associate sales engineer Raymond Makgoga.

“Alongside all the quality Grundfos pump solutions that are used by food and beverage producers, our offering includes the sophisticated Oxiperm Pro disinfection system,” says Makgoga. “This is a one-stop chlorine dioxide generator that facilitates effective and efficient cleaning-in-place (CIP) solutions.”

The system creates a diluted chlorine dioxide solution from sodium chlorite and hydrochloric acid, disinfecting the water supply and allowing pipelines in a plant to reliably cleaned in between production batches. The use of chlorine dioxide is able to render the water safe and hygienic without affecting its taste or smell – another vital element for success in this sector, he says.

Dean Naidoo, lead key account manager OEM South Africa for Grundfos, highlights that the Oxiperm Pro has been tried and tested in many food and beverage applications. It has even been used to provide high quality drinking water for corporate drinking fountains.

“The accuracy of the dosing system supports the responsible use of water when cleaning and sanitising the inside of pipes,” says Naidoo. “By ensuring the correct chemical strength, the user can optimise the water volumes that must be passed through the plant pipelines to remove microbes.”

Water can even be recirculated through the Oxiperm Pro at a higher strength if pipeline testing indicates that the sanitation standard is not yet achieved, he says.

The componentry of the Oxiperm Pro includes three smart digital dosing pumps, a reactor and controller. Designed to resist chemical corrosion, the system includes specially selected materials like Teflon, ceramics and polyethylene. Colour-coding is used to enhance safety and ease of use, with red specifying hydrochloric acid and blue for sodium chlorite – ensuring no confusion of chemicals.

“Our capability in disinfection of water aligns well with our Grundfos value, particularly in helping to ensure water access for more people around the world and to safeguard our precious water resources,” he says. “Many of our customers in the food and beverage sector share these goals, and we are confident that we can help achieve them.”