The importance of Sanitizer Tunnels
in modern food production
Maintaining a clean and controlled production environment is essential in food manufacturing. It helps protect consumers, maintain product quality, and keep operations running smoothly.
Ingredients, packaging, and equipment can pick up contaminants during transport, storage, and handling, even when sourced from trusted suppliers. A sanitizer tunnel provides an additional layer of protection by automatically sanitizing external surfaces before products enter high-care areas, helping reduce the risk of contamination transfer.
Inside the Sanitizer Tunnel
The sanitization process is simple, consistent, and designed to integrate seamlessly into production.
Products are placed onto the conveyor and transported through an enclosed chamber where strategically positioned spray nozzles apply sanitizing solution across all sides of the packaging. This 360-degree coverage ensures that the entire external surface is treated before entering the next stage of production.
The sanitizing solution is continuously filtered and recirculated, helping maintain performance while reducing waste. Adjustable conveyor speeds allow the process to be adapted for different products and required contact times.
Integrated sensors monitor product movement and automatically stop the conveyor if items are not removed at the discharge point, helping prevent product damage and unnecessary interruptions. The result is an automated transfer process that improves control between low-care and high-care environments while supporting efficient production flow.
Helping you stay compliant
Maintaining separation between low-care and high-care areas is a key requirement of BRC Global Standards for Food Safety.
One potential route for contamination transfer is through the movement of packaging, containers, tools, and equipment between these areas. By sanitizing external surfaces before products enter high-care production, manufacturers can introduce an additional control measure within their hygiene procedures.
A sanitizer tunnel helps provide greater confidence that products are moving between production zones in a controlled and managed way.
Why choose a Sanitizer Tunnel?
A sanitizer tunnel offers advantages beyond the sanitization process itself. Compared with traditional transfer solutions such as transfer hatches, it provides a more streamlined way to move products between production areas while maintaining a controlled transfer point.
Mobile and flexible design
The mobile design allows the sanitizer tunnel to be positioned where it is needed and adapted as production requirements change. This provides greater flexibility without requiring significant modifications to the facility layout.
Simple installation between production areas
Designed to operate between low-care and high-care environments, the sanitizer tunnel requires only a small wall aperture for installation. This helps maintain segregation between areas while minimising disruption during installation.
Improved product protection
By treating the exterior of incoming products and packaging, manufacturers can reduce the likelihood of unwanted contaminants being introduced into sensitive production areas.
Reduced production risks
Contamination events can result in costly recalls, production delays, and reputational damage. Introducing an additional sanitation step helps reduce these risks and provides greater process control.
Increased efficiency
Automated sanitization removes the need for manual cleaning processes, delivering consistent results while allowing products to continue moving through production efficiently.
Safer operation
Designed with operator safety in mind, the automated system reduces manual handling and incorporates built-in safeguards to support safe day to day operation.
Safety comes as standard
Safety is incorporated throughout the sanitizer tunnel design to protect both operators and equipment.
- Easily accessible emergency stop buttons.
- Automatic safety monitoring during operation.
- A safety switch that stops the machine when the hood is opened.
- Sensors that prevent products from falling from the conveyor.
These features provide peace of mind while ensuring reliable operation during everyday production.
Designed around your facility requirements
Every food processing facility has different requirements, which is why sanitizer tunnels can be adapted to suit individual production layouts and processes.
Available options include:
- Air knife systems to remove excess sanitizing solution.
- Twin-belt designs for low-care to high-care transfers.
- Adjustable conveyor speeds.
- Bespoke machine dimensions and layouts.
- Integration with existing production equipment.
This flexibility allows the sanitizer tunnel to become a practical addition to both new and existing production environments.
Support beyond installation
Installing new equipment is only the beginning. Reliable ongoing support helps ensure the sanitizer tunnel continues to perform effectively throughout its working life.
Maintenance assistance, technical support, operator training, and spare parts availability all help minimise downtime. Recommended spare parts kits also allow common wear items to be replaced quickly when required.
Experience the performance first hand
Investing in food processing equipment is an important decision, and seeing the equipment in operation can provide valuable confidence. Customers can visit the dedicated demonstration facility near Lexington, Kentucky, to view sanitizer tunnels running in real production scenarios and carry out trials using their own products. For those unable to visit, remote demonstrations and video trials are also available.
A smarter approach to food safety
A sanitizer tunnel provides an effective way to strengthen hygiene procedures, improve product protection, and support safer food production without slowing down your operations. If you’re looking to improve your contamination control process or find the right solution for your facility, get in touch with our team to discuss your requirements and discover how a sanitizer tunnel can support your production goals.
