Hygiene of surface structures in collaborative robots

The collaborative robots (cobots) used in open food processes must be hygienic, otherwise the food products processed will be contaminated.The more prone the product is to spoilage the stricter the hygiene limits should be.Results obtained with rapid methods enable the personnel to clean an unhygienic equipment before use in the food processing.Here the surface hygiene was based on both microbial and chemical tests as well as hyperspectral imaging.The chemical methods, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and protein/allergen tests, are both rapid and practical.Practical applications based on hyperspectral imaging is relatively new method in studying the hygiene of food surfaces.The culturing is slow, but it helps in interpreting the hygiene status of the equipment studied.The applications of hyperspectral imaging will be rapid when they have been tailored for the surfaces used in the equipment and for various soils.These results show that residues of both allergens and microbes were found on the surfaces after rapid, manual cleanings.All food contact surfaces must be properly cleaned after use.