New materials for managing biofilms (NEMAB)

In order to manage biofilms in manufacturing, clean in place processes use water in excess of 80 degreesC and chemicals for sanitation, accounting for 5-20% of manufacturing costs and an impact on the environment. In plants 304 or 316 stainless steel are used because of their robustness to chemistry and elevated temperatures during cleaning and sanitisation. However, its characteristics are conducive to the growth of persistent biofilms. P&G is validating approaches using lower sanitisation temperatures which are anticipated to reduce cleaning and sanitisation energy costs by 15-40%, enabling productivity gains of 266 days across P&G's 32 plants globally. With this reduction in temperature comes the opportunity for evaluating plastics as alternate materials to steel(e.g. PVDF, Polycarbonate,) which offer advantages in battling biofilms (non-corrosive, chemical stability, surface modification, cleanability, can be extruded into different shapes without welds and joins for corners). This project will test these materials for managing biofilms by reducing their development during production and enhancing removal and destruction using minimum cleaning temperatures, chemicals, improved design and treatment times.

In order to manage biofilms in manufacturing, clean in place processes use water in excess of 80 degreesC and chemicals for sanitation, accounting for 5-20% of manufacturing costs and an impact on the environment. In plants 304 or 316 stainless steel are used because of their robustness to chemistry and elevated temperatures during cleaning and sanitisation. However, its characteristics are conducive to the growth of persistent biofilms. P&G is validating approaches using lower sanitisation temperatures which are anticipated to reduce cleaning and sanitisation energy costs by 15-40%, enabling productivity gains of 266 days across P&G's 32 plants globally. With this reduction in temperature comes the opportunity for evaluating plastics as alternate materials to steel(e.g. PVDF, Polycarbonate,) which offer advantages in battling biofilms (non-corrosive, chemical stability, surface modification, cleanability, can be extruded into different shapes without welds and joins for corners). This project will test these materials for managing biofilms by reducing their development during production and enhancing removal and destruction using minimum cleaning temperatures, chemicals, improved design and treatment times.

Industrial and economic impact.
P&G:
The project is a joint one between P&G UK, Campden BRI and UoB. Outputs from the NEMAB consortium will be (i) basic engineering and biological understanding on the use of novel surfaces in manufacturing and processing of FMCG (ii) ways in which temperature, time and shear affect the development and removal of biofilms on these surfaces (iii) validation at industrial scale in a pilot plan. P&G will seek patent protection for the work throughout the project, and no publication or output will be produced without first identifying what parts of it could be subject to IP protection.
Impact in other food companies and industry sectors
The underpinning need for the project is the increasing cost and resources, both water and energy, for managing biofilms in manufacturing industry. The methods and outcomes of this project will thus have potential impact across a number of sectors:
- In the food sector: All food companies are acting to eliminate contamination in production lines, while there is need for saving in resources (heating, water etc.). Like P&G, many employ stainless steel to tolerate heating during cleaning but no heating is needed for the processing of food itself. The principle that will be demonstrated during this project is applicable to these procedures;
- In other FMCG and chemicals sectors: companies such as Colgate-Palmolive, Johnson and Johnson, Unilever, also deal with the same manufacturing processes; the technologies used in this project may be of value to companies in these sectors.
- Engineering Doctoral Centre; UoB operate the EPSRC Doctoral Training Centre in Formulation Engineering, which involves collaborative research with a large number of major FMCG and chemicals companies, including Kraft, Pepsico, P&G, Unilever, Johnson Matthey, Rolls Royce and Imerys. We hold a three-day Annual Meeting at which the work of the collaboration will be presented to benefit the participating companies.

Societal impact
The project will lead better management of biofilms in production. In turn it will result to the consumer being offered products which are of better quality, safer, cheaper, saving resources (energy, water etc.) and improved environmental impact. In general the project will reduce the stress of FMCG manufacture on the local environment - we anticipate that the results of the project will be disseminated to the wider public through publications in magazines and online media. The subject will be of interest to the public and to STEM in schools. There will be opportunity to work with the national STEM Centre to translate some of the biological engineering challenges being addressed in this project such as to help equip the nation's youth with critical thinking and problem solving skills they need to succeed in driving forward the advancements in the science and engineering challenges of tomorrow. We would also seek to engage the wider public through our workshops and open days taking place regularly at the University of Birmingham. Will seek to create opportunities for young researchers at our Doctorate, MSc and undergraduates to engage with the project through mini projects so they can understand the key technical and commercial challenges being addressed - this will develop their transferable skills in tackling not only today's but tomorrow's emerging issues.