Using Bottle Cleaners to Reduce Contamination Prior to Filling

Prior to the filling process, liquid containers need to be clean to avoid contamination, including bottles and other types of containers. The ideal way to eliminate any contaminants from bottles prior to filling with products is to use bottle cleaners, which can remove dust and other particles that can result in product spoilage and potential liability problems.

Different types of facilities generate different types of hazardous particles that can easily contaminate liquids during the filling and packaging processes, but there are many bottle cleaners available to help avoid contamination.

Metal Particles
If processes involving metal are present, including the creation of bottles prior to filling, metal particles can wind up inside bottles. Depending on the size of the particles and the type of metal that is present, these particles can spoil products and cause serious health problems in the case of consumables. Metal particles can cause physical damage to consumers if particles are sharp, and can even poison them in some cases, depending on the type of metal. For non-consumable products, metal can corrode in liquids and still contaminate products to the point where they become obsolete.

Injury to consumer because of liquids with metal contamination can result in extremely costly liability lawsuits, which can potentially force a company to close. The best way to eliminate this concern is to use high-quality bottle cleaners to make sure that metal particles aren’t found within liquid products prior to filling.

Bacteria
Bacteria, including Salmonella and E. coli, have resulted in nationwide recalls, and in some cases the death of consumers. Subsequently, bacteria contamination spreads fear and warns consumers to stay away from affected companies, while also resulting in lawsuits in many cases. Bacteria contamination can cause serious damage to a company and harm their reputation, resulting in expensive losses and major frustration.

Bacteria can gather during the product manufacturing process and in dust as it gathers in bottles, and if these bacteria are present when bottles are prepared for filling and capping, each bottle should undergo thorough cleaning prior to filling. Bottle cleaners are designed to kill and remove any harmful bacteria that might otherwise cause unnoticed contamination to products. Bottle cleaners should also supplement other types of cleaning methods if bottles are particularly susceptible to exposure to bacteria.

Wood Particles
Similar to metal particles, wood particles can potentially enter bottles during the fabrication process, depending on the types of processes that occur within a facility. Wood particles can be difficult to detect, but a system of bottle cleaners can thoroughly remove wood particles as easily as other contaminants before the filling and packaging processes take place.

Dust
If a bottle is left around for a long period of time prior to bottling, particularly during shipping or storage, it can gather dust. Dust particles can also contaminate products, often containing combinations of bacteria and allergens that can irritate consumers and compromise their health. A complete bottle cleaning system can remove dust along with all other particles present within the bottle.

How Bottle Cleaning Process Works
During the bottle cleaning process, bottle cleaning machines remove almost all unwanted particles from glass, metal, and plastic bottles following shipping or storage after the bottles are manufactured. While this equipment doesn’t completely remove all particulate, it removes enough to make bottles suitable for filling with any product.

The process begins when bottles pass through a vortex of ionized air, which a transvector generates with the help of a MEB Static Control Bar or similar. The ionized air immediately neutralizes the static charge that attracts dust and other particles on the bottle’s surface both inside and outside of the material.