Optimisation of Cleaning-In-Place (CIP) parameters for removal of apple puree fouling deposits

Thermally hardened apple puree residues can strongly adhere to stainless-steel surfaces, reducing Cleaning-in-Place (CIP) efficiency and increasing sanitation costs when operating conditions are not optimised. This study aimed to (i) develop a reproducible apple puree fouling deposit (APFD) model and (ii) optimise CIP temperature, detergent concentration, and flow velocity to achieve complete visible deposit removal with reduced cleaning time and cost. A representative APFD was prepared by spreading 2 g of apple puree on stainless-steel coupons and heating at 80–90°C for 0.5–2.0 h; the standardised deposit formed at 90°C for 2 h was selected for cleaning trials. Optimisation was conducted using a Box–Behnken response surface design with temperature (30, 50, 70°C), detergent concentration (0, 0.625, 1.25% w/w COS 11), and fluid velocity (0.6, 0.9, 1.5 m/s; Re ≈ 29,815–75,093). Cleaning performance was quantified using image-based area analysis as the time required to achieve complete visible APFD removal. Cleaning times ranged from 17.84 to 43.01 min, and the fastest complete removal occurred at 70°C, 1.25% (w/w) COS 11, and 0.9 m/s (17.84 min). The empirical RSM model showed good agreement with the experimental data (R² = 95.71%; adjusted R² = 94.10%) and was validated with a prediction error of 0.96%. Cost analysis showed that the optimised condition reduced direct cleaning cost to USD 0.44 per cycle, corresponding to cost savings of 65.35% and 88.10% compared with the supplier-recommended and manufacturer-practice CIP scenarios, respectively. Overall, deposit-specific CIP optimisation improved APFD cleaning efficiency while reducing chemical demand and direct cleaning cost, supporting more efficient sanitation practices for apple puree processing systems.

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