Cleaning Turmeric and Collagen Residues from Nutraceutical Manufacturing Equipment

Q: We manufacture a nutraceutical product containing turmeric, collagen, and other acid labile components. We’re having difficulty removing all residues from our stainless steel processing equipment using our current alkaline cleaning protocol. What cleaning approach would you recommend?

A: Cleaning nutraceutical formulations that contain multiple complex residues like turmeric, collagen, etc. requires a thoughtful approach that considers the chemical nature of each residue type. The key is understanding how different residues respond to various cleaning mechanisms and sequencing your cleaning steps appropriately.

Turmeric presents a particular challenge because of its aromatic double bonds, which create persistent staining and require oxidative or chelation cleaning mechanisms (or both) to remove effectively. When the only residue in play, warm to hot, 1-3% solutions with detergents like Alcojet® Low Foaming Powdered Detergent and Detojet® Low Foaming Liquid Detergent have been demonstrated to be effective.

Collagen can swell in alkaline environments, which can actually make it more difficult to remove if you use alkalinity as your first cleaning step, which, in this case, the aforementioned detergents are.

Note that an enzymatic detergent like Tergazyme® Enzyme-Active Powdered Detergent can be evaluated here as its moderate alkalinity and corresponding potential of collagen swelling is typically compensated by the proteolytic cleaning action.

For this type of complex residue mixture, we recommend a two-step cleaning process, but with a counterintuitive sequence. Start with an acidic cleaning step (over the Tergazyme because of the acid labile components) using Citranox® Liquid Acid Cleaner and Detergent, which provides both emulsification and acid hydrolysis mechanisms. This first step will effectively address the collagen without causing it to swell, while also cleaning the acidic residues. Because Citranox cleaner is a high-foaming detergent, it can be used effectively in clean-out-of-place applications where equipment can be disassembled and soaked, or where manual cleaning with brushes is practical.

Following the acidic cleaning step, use an alkaline detergent with oxidative properties such as the already discussed Alcojet detergent. The oxidative mechanism is essential for breaking down the aromatic compounds in turmeric that create persistent organoleptic residues. This second alkaline step also provides additional cleaning power for any remaining organic residues. Use hot water solutions (60-70°C or 160-170°F) at 1-3% concentration for both cleaning steps to maximize effectiveness.

This acid-first, alkaline-second sequence is critical to success with this particular residue combination. While most two-step cleaning protocols use alkaline first followed by acid, reversing this order prevents the collagen from swelling and becoming more difficult to remove. We always recommend following the chemistry of your specific residues rather than relying on standard protocols.

Before implementing this approach at full scale, we strongly recommend conducting bench-scale coupon or similar studies using your actual equipment materials and residues. This allows you to verify effectiveness and optimize parameters like concentration, temperature, and contact time. Once you’ve confirmed success at small scale, verify the process at pilot scale before moving to full production implementation. Remember that cleaning processes don’t always scale predictably, so this staged approach helps ensure success.

For more information about Citranox, Alcojet, or any assistance in developing a cleaning protocol for your specific application, please contact us. We’re happy to provide technical support and can supply samples for your evaluation studies.

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