Published July 2019
Purpose-designed foam measurement technology from Hycontrol has resulted in cost savings of approximately £30,000 in the effluent plant of one of Europe’s largest cereal manufacturing sites. Managers at the site, which produces thousands of tonnes of breakfast cereal every year for distribution across the continent, are now considering expanding their use of the patented foam technology.
Water and waste treatment are often carried out at large food manufacturing sites, and cereal is no different. Foaming in effluent tanks, in particular, can become a major problem if left unchecked. Foamy, dirty overspills are a very messy occurrence, and clean-ups of such events are costly in terms of both time and money. Liquid overspills create health and safety risks by putting employees in danger of injury from slips and falls. Additionally, serious pollution can result if foam escapes into the environment.
The most common method of reducing and removing foam, and the risks that it generates, is to dose the effluent or process with antifoaming chemicals, breaking up the foam as it forms and preventing it from rising to a troublesome level. This is usually done by dosing the chemical into the foaming process automatically, often on a timer basis. Chemicals are usually added in quantities based on the maximum expected demand. This does result in existing foam subsiding and being kept down. Unfortunately, this method is not only an inefficient solution to the problem, but it can also create additional concerns.
