COMPANY-REPORTED CASE

Contamination concern

A dairy processing facility engaged VanTsteri to investigate and address recurring spore contamination in its dairy products.

This account and the outcomes below are reported by VanTsteri and confirmed by company management. They are not presented as independent third-party verification. The customer is identified only as a dairy processing facility.

Investigation and source tracing

VanTsteri first assessed the microorganism associated with contamination in the dairy products. Considering spore heat resistance and the facility’s routine hot-water flushing process, the team sampled pipeline rinse water and internal pipe surfaces. According to VanTsteri’s project investigation, biofilm was present in the pipeline system.

Pipeline biofilm treatment

VanTsteri reports using its own technology to remove biofilm attached to the internal surfaces of the dairy processing pipelines and associated residues. Treatment effectiveness was evaluated through residue assessment and microbiological testing.

Post-treatment assessment

Post-treatment assessment included pH, total organic carbon (TOC), conductivity and treatment-related chemical residues. Pipeline hydrogen peroxide residues were checked and evaluated against the limit adopted for this project. The sampling medium, test method and basis for that limit are not specified in this account.

COMPANY-REPORTED PROJECT OUTCOMES

Project outcomes

The following figures were provided by VanTsteri’s company representative for this project.

24 hours from decontamination to production resumption

VanTsteri reports that, in this project, 24 hours elapsed from the start of decontamination to the resumption of production. This interval does not describe the entire investigation and cleaning workflow or establish a turnaround time for other projects.

Reported total viable count: <10 CFU/mL

VanTsteri reports a total viable count of <10 CFU/mL in post-treatment surface-sampling liquid collected after sampling tank openings and internal tank walls.

The value refers to the surface-sampling liquid, not the dairy product or a direct surface count in CFU/cm². It is not a spore-specific log-reduction result or a general statutory food-safety threshold.

Investigation, targeted treatment and verification

According to VanTsteri, investigation, biofilm treatment and post-treatment testing helped the customer locate and address the contamination source in the production pipelines and provided a basis for subsequent contamination control.

Source and scope

Source: VanTsteri’s company account and the responsible company representative’s clarification. The customer name and identifying location details are withheld. The reported result applies to the described project and sampling context; it does not establish performance for other facilities or operating conditions.