Maja-Maschinenfabrik has introduced a flake ice equipment line that it claims offers increased hygienic standards for the production of commercial ice.
The German company said the ‘HY-GEN’products have been designed in such a way that even the smallest screw is manufactured to meet with strictest hygiene requirements.
All new Maja flake ice machines are now marked with the label “HY-GEN protected”, which stands for maximum hygiene safety in the production of flake ice, the company said.
“Since the early 1960s, flake ice machines are everywhere in use for the production of commercial ice which is used for the refrigeration of fresh food items, such as fish and seafood. Flake ice machines are part of the standard equipment of fish processors and retailing companies.
“A large variety of brands with different ways of ice production are available on the market. But often, they offer only very little in the way of satisfying answers to the questions of hygiene safety. But it is exactly this subject that can become critical, especially for those who use the ice for food production and refrigeration.”
Maja said its new flake ice machine generation, launched in May this year, sets “completely new standards” regarding the hygiene conditions in the production of commercial ice.
“A flake ice machine often runs round the clock. Neither hygienic machine construction nor excellent drinking water quality are enough if regular cleaning of the machine is neglected. Each type of machine, no matter whether it works with a plate, a spiral or a horizontal evaporator, must be cleaned, decalcified and disinfected at regular intervals.
“This is a normal and necessary process because drinking water as well as seawater always contain microscopic organic and mineral impurities.”
Over time these impurities deposit on the machine parts that come into contact with the water. After years of operation, the “inner life” of an ice machine can look quite ugly, Maja said.
According to the manufacturer, HY-GEN protected means that even the smallest screw is drafted to allow the production of flake ice that meet with strictest hygiene requirements. The core piece is the innovative evaporation bin in plastics, which can be easily removed for manual cleaning.
Besides that, the evaporator is accessible from all sides and the machine’s evaporation tank is free from integral built-in parts, avoiding hygiene-critical angles and edges and making systematic cleaning easy and convenient. Moreover, the fresh water supply is equipped with water backflow protection.
The water pipes are automatically rinsed when the machine is out of operation for more than 24 hours.
