Blokland Cold Stores chooses Nocotech

Dry disinfection is being embraced by the food industry. Peter Blokland, director of Blokland Cold Stores BV from Cuijk, exchanged the manual disinfection processes within his company for the fully automated disinfection system Nocotech with full satisfaction. 

Peter Blokland is the director of the 103 year old company Blokland Cold Stores. “We specialise in cooling, freezing and defrosting meat, fish, fruit juices and more. As one of the few companies in the country, we have a recognition for freezing pork for China. We work together with slaughterhouses from all over Europe.” Blokland claims it is not a standard box mover. “No, on the contrary. We distinguish ourselves because all our business processes are fully linked to data: from the moment that meat comes in to the moment when it leaves our company to go somewhere else in the world, we are able to trace all details. This is complex, but it is a conscious choice, as quality and food safety are our most important quality standards. We are an innovative company. For instance, two years ago, we invested in all new packaging lines.”

Quality improvement

From a quality point of view, a while ago, Peter Blokland started looking for an alternative to the disinfection processes of his production areas. “We wanted to realise a quality improvement in that area. Not because things were not going well, but we can always make it better. A fellow entrepreneur was already working with the Nocotech disinfection system from the company Simpel Desinfecteren, and was very pleased with it. That aroused my interest. I contacted Robert Kostrubiec to look into the possibilities.”

Dry disinfection

Robert Kostrubiec, together with Hugo ter Hoeve, owns Simpel Desinfecteren and supplies the Nocotech disinfection system. He explains how the system works: “The Nocotech concept is a fully automated disinfection system for production areas and equipment and is used to combat all conceivable forms of microbiological contamination. The system is easy to use: you fill the Nocospray machine with the special Nocolyse Food liquid. Through a smart combination of speed (a whopping 300 kilometres per hour) and temperature, the liquid is then converted into a dry ionised vapour. The ionised vapour reaches all places in a specific area: from present machines to the walls, ceilings, floors and ventilation grilles. The system fully rids a production area of micro-organisms. The big advantage is that no residues are left behind and no rinsing is required. The oxygen radicals are 100% corrosion-free and 100% biodegradable. This method fits well in a sustainability policy. There are various types of machines for spaces ranging from 20 m³ to 20,000 m³. The Nocolyse Food liquid received an N number from the CTBG in 2015 and has since been registered as a disinfectant for the food industry under number 15012-N. This means Nocospray Food has been validated for effectiveness according to the strictest legal standards that apply to disinfection.”

Extensively tested

Due to the size of his production areas, Peter Blokland opted for the Nocomax wall model, the fully automated system. “We didn’t make this choice lightly, because it is quite an investment. In collaboration with Robert, we extensively tested the system for a month at various times and from various angles. Ultimately, we decided to implement it. This decision was based on a number of arguments: we are an innovative company and strive to serve our customers in the most optimal way possible. By reducing the chance of any form of contamination to virtually zero, we guarantee optimal safety even more than we already did. Another point is the health and employability of our employees. In the past, we needed two people to disinfect the production areas during the night. That is hard work and in the current labour market, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find people for it. The human hand is and will always be fickle, and not even with all the best will in the world could a human ever compete with a machine that disinfects all places in an area. Does the Nocomax give us financial savings? Not significantly, but I think budget neutral is the right term here.”

www.simpeldesinfecteren.nl
www.bloklandcoldstores.com

Photos: ©Studio 38c