Everything you need to know


GENERAL SMARTWASH® QUESTIONS

SmartWash® and SmartWash Organic are each a combination of ingredients that act as an acidulant, replacing citric acid in fresh-cut produce processing. Our Automated SmartWash Analytical Platform (ASAP)™ precisely monitors wash water chemistry and injects calculated amounts of chlorine and SmartWash to ensure optimum levels of each. This increases pH control in chlorinated wash systems, allowing your system to operate in a range with the highest percentage of chlorine in the HOCl form (the fastest acting anti-microbial form of chlorine).

The second component of SmartWash harbors chlorine in commercial wash systems and prevents the reactive interference of organic and inorganic material. The synergistic effect between SmartWash and chlorine has been verified by USDA-ARS laboratories.

While any acid added to wash water will lower the pH, the phosphoric acid in SmartWash has chemical properties that make it a better buffer over a wider pH range than other acids available to the industry. In addition, SmartWash allows for a much lower operating pH range than is possible with citric acid without off-gassing or compromising the product. This, combined with SmartWash’s ability to prevent chlorine reaction with organic materials, makes it the superior choice to all other available acidulants.
SmartWash and SmartWash Organic are Pareve and have received Star-K Kosher certification. Please notify your Kosher certifying agencies of the use of SmartWash. If necessary, contact Star-K at 410.484.4110 or www.star-k.org.
No, SmartWash is a processing aid as defined under FDA regulation 101.100 (a)(3): “Substances that are added to a food for their technical or functional effect in the processing but are present in the finished food at insignificant levels and do not have any technical or functional effect in that food.”
GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) is the term used for substances that have been accepted by FDA for inclusion in food products without additional testing based on either documentation provided by the ingredient manufacturer or a long history of usage without reports of injury. SmartWash and its components are accepted by the FDA as GRAS under the intended use.
SmartWash Solutions products provide an immediate improvement to your plant’s food safety program. The plant’s HACCP team will determine how it affects the HACCP program through a risk analysis. All decisions on HACCP, including what is and isn’t a CCP or CP, should be decided internally and be based on a thorough risk analysis. However, SmartWash Solutions’ technical staff can advise on best practices and operating ranges in regards to pH and free chlorine within the plant’s wash systems.
SmartWash Solutions’ system allows for product changeovers without the risk of cross-contamination, improving efficiency by saving valuable production time and costly water. However, it is important to note that maintaining a reasonable turbidity level in wash water is important for a number of reasons including proper chlorine management and better shelf life. We suggest a constant introduction of fresh water into all single-stage wash systems as well as in the last stage of any multiple-stage wash lines.
The PTW (Pre-Treated Water manifold) adds both chlorine and SmartWash under controlled conditions to all incoming water, providing stability to all process water within a facility and ensuring that all water contains a known amount of chlorine and SmartWash at start up, as well as incoming replacement water.

To get a free trial call 831.676.9750 or contact us here.

For spare or replacement parts, please contact your SmartWash Solutions representative.

In addition to our revolutionary food wash enhancer and the cutting-edge technology of our (ASAP), PPDL and Pinpoint Calibration System, SmartWash Solutions provides a full service partnership that ensures you have state-of-the-art equipment, expert calibration, extensive training, easy integration and real-time monitoring of your process line.
Except for the product that is currently in use, SmartWash chemicals should be stored in an area with adequate ventilation and in a secured, locked area with restricted access. We recommend that you store open containers in a spill containment area or in/on a portable spill container. All SmartWash barrels and totes are labeled prior to shipment and the label should remain on the barrel at all times. The storage area should be labeled as a “hazardous storage area” and kept between 32 degrees F and 100 degrees F.

 

SmartWash has been used to wash over 2 billion pounds of leafy greens at a rate of over 90 million servings per week. The time-tested technology has helped to significantly reduce outbreaks across the nation during the past 3 years of full commercial use. The result is a safe, high quality product for all consumers in both the retail and foodservice sectors. SmartWash has been fully implemented on a variety of wash line types and can be immediately applied in line with existing equipment.


How SmartWash Compares

PAA is a common alternative to chlorine, often used in Europe where processors face regulations against chlorates residues, a disinfectant by-product (DBP) of chlorine. While PAA is less affected by pH changes and high organic load in the wash water than chlorine, it requires higher concentrations to be effective, can reduce product shelf life, and in practice is controlled less precisely, often applied via hand-dosing with minimal to no calibration. In addition, it can cause pathogens, particularly listeria and E. coli, to reach a state known as “viable but non-culturable”, meaning, the bacteria are dormant but still alive, and can reactivate at a later point, causing a food safety hazard.

In contrast, when properly monitored and controlled, chlorine eliminates and inactivates pathogens, and has been identified as more effective than PAA at eliminating listeria, salmonella and E. coli cross-contamination, and destroying bacteria, yeasts, molds, spores and viruses, making it the most effective produce wash sanitizer, without affecting shelf life. However, it typically operates best in a limited pH range and its efficiency can be degraded by organic materials released from cut produce.

SmartWash® stabilizes chlorine and increases the formation of the most effective forms of it, thus maintaining efficacy even under high organic loads and reducing the amount needed to eliminate pathogens. The phosphoric acid in SmartWash also keeps chlorine effective across a wider pH range, making it safer, more consistent, and more aligned with FSMA and EFSA recommendations than PAA systems.

PAA wash systems often rely on hand-dosing of the wash water sanitizer, increasing labor costs and making chemical application imprecise. In addition, the top PAA wash systems on the market do not include calibration of the sensors, which does not align with EFSA’s recommendations on the necessity of calibration to ensure optimal food safety. Wash line data points are also typically only gathered a few times a day, often manually, which limits opportunities to ensure the wash line is optimized for the wash water chemistry and reduces audit readiness.

The SmartWash Solutions comprehensive system for chlorine wash lines continuously monitors and controls the wash water chemistry, continuously collecting real-time data and storing it in the cloud, allowing for optimized wash systems and thorough audit readiness. By applying the optimal amount of chlorine and SmartWash® wash water adjuvant at the time of application, the system eliminates the guess-work of hand-dosing and removes the potential for human error, saving time, labor and money.

Chlorates can form as a disinfection by-product (DBP) of chlorine use, and EU regulations set strict limits on chlorate residues in food. When chlorine is aging, stored improperly, or not precisely controlled, the risk of chlorate residues on the product increases.

When using chlorine, pH must be controlled. Citric acid is a common method to achieve that but often results in excessive chlorine use by generating the least effective form of free chlorine: hypochlorite ions, which are 100x less effective at mitigating cross-contamination than the most effective form of free chlorine: hypochlorous acid. When higher concentrations of chlorine are used, the risk of chlorate residues increases.

By making chlorine operate more effectively across a wider pH range and generating the most effective forms of free chlorine, SmartWash® allows companies to use up to ten times less chlorine, reducing chlorate residues by up to 90%, easily complying with the Maximum Residual Level (MRL) regulations.


GENERAL QUESTIONS

We have installed our equipment on small wash lines as well as the largest, highest volume wash lines in the industry. Settings can be adjusted for any cut or whole produce item running through a chlorine-based wash line The programming in the control units can be customized to your specific needs and products, and our engineering team can make modifications to the equipment upon request.
Operation of the ASAP units is straightforward and does not require any previous technical or engineering experience. We provide online training videos, on-site training at the time of installation of the equipment, and ongoing training throughout the term of the relationship. Additionally, we use a “train the trainer” program to reduce the time it takes to onboard new employees.
Our products are being used across the US, as well as in Canada, Mexico, Spain, Australia, New Zealand and China. And we are expanding to new countries in the future.
Our ASAP machine uses a constant stream of sample water from your wash line to continuously measure and control both pH and (chlorine) hypochlorous acid thereby continually maintaining those levels for safe and efficient processing. The ASAP unit also monitors the wash line water temperature and can stop the wash line if any of these parameters fall outside of the user-determined allowed operational ranges.
We lease our equipment so there are no up-front or capital expenses. The lease covers the equipment, the installation, the initial training of personnel, the spare parts replacement kit, preventative maintenance visits, and ongoing training as needed. The total cost for equipment and SmartWash chemistry varies by application, but is approximately $0.005 per pound.
Yes, our chemistry has been independently verified by USDA-ARS researchers.
SmartWash and SmartWash Organic are a combination of food grade, GRAS ingredients and are safe for use as a processing aid in wash water. No additional regulatory approval is required.
Yes, we have many customers that allow us to bring in potential SMARTWASH SOLUTIONS customers to view our equipment in action.
No, as long as the SMARTWASH SOLUTIONS equipment is used as intended, our chemistry and automated control help reduce the risk of gas off events and exposure to wash line chemistry.
PPE is not necessary or required when using our ASAP machine. However, we do recommend using the proper PPE when calibrating the pH and chlorine electrodes and working directly with any of the chemicals.
Yes, periodic/monthly/etc calibrations of the pH and chlorine electrodes are required to ensure the highest level of accuracy. SmartWash Solutions Pinpoint Calibration System™ uses advanced technology to measure chlorine levels accurately and efficiently every time.

The verifications and calibrations are conducted by the customers personnel who are trained by SMARTWASH SOLUTIONS. There are minimal costs associated with both pH and chlorine calibrations.
We strive to provide the highest level of customer support at all times for our customers around the world. Our technical representatives are available by phone, text, and email.

SOFTWARE QUESTIONS

PPDL is a cloud-based data collection and analysis program that allows our customers to view their wash water chemistry performance in real time. The ASAP machine automatically collects all data and communicates directly with PPDL transferring millions of data points daily.
Typically, this is not required, but we are willing to make customized changes on a case-by-case basis at the customer’s request.
Yes, the data is protected, and certain portions are changeable, but only by internal personnel and with the customer’s upper management approval.
Software updates are infrequent, and our customers are always given advance notice.
Software updates for the ASAP units usually do not carry a cost with them as they are covered under the lease agreement. PPDL updates are typically on Sundays and are scheduled to avoid interfering with customer production, and there are no costs associated with the PPDL updates.
SmartWash Solutions prides itself on providing unparalleled customer service. From the time of installation, we put our customer’s needs first with hands-on training, access to online training videos, ongoing training at preventative maintenance visits and free replacement parts for the equipment (for failures due to normal wear and tear). Each customer is assigned a SmartWash Solutions technical representative, whom they can contact anytime there is a problem. Should their representative not be available, there will always be someone available to assist each of our customers. Our representatives are available by email, phone, and text.
Due to security protocols and concerns, SMARTWASH SOLUTIONS does not provide raw data dumps.
The data is automatically uploaded to the cloud and stored on servers located on both the west coast and east coast of the United States. The calibration data for the pH and chlorine electrodes is uploaded to PPDL manually by the customer’s personnel who are trained by SMARTWASH SOLUTIONS.
The ASAP machines are all equipped with USB flash drives to temporarily store data should an outage occur.
With the ASAP machine and PPDL, our customers can track their wash water performance in real time, as well as mine the data being gathered. PPDL also offers extensive reporting features and online pH and chlorine electrode verification and calibration performance tracking.
The SmartWash Solutions system was designed by the produce industry to prevent recalls and outbreaks. We have implemented many new features to help our customers prepare for audits as well as comply with FSMA requirements.
We currently have personnel that speak English, Spanish and Dutch.
Due to security protocols and concerns our system is secure and closed.
Basic computer knowledge and data interpretation is sufficient to utilize our system.
Contact our sales team for more information on use with specific applications.
There are different levels of access, which are based on the user’s role, and our customers can have as many users as they would like.

EQUIPMENT

Yes, this included in your operating training sessions and materials.
Yes, our customers are provided with extensive training on the use and maintenance of the ASAP machine and PPDL..
Each facility that uses SmartWash products in conjunction with chlorine are advised to prepare their own verification process to follow our pilot plant validation studies and USDA-ARS study results, as published in peer reviewed journal articles.
Yes, our conventional and organic chemistry are both certified Kosher and our organic blend is also OMRI Listed®.
The ASAP unit can easily control small to large wash tanks. The process capacity will be dependent upon the wash line capacity.

INTERVENTION RELATED

This will be product and process dependent and will be determined at the time of installation.
The USDA-ARS lab performed multiple studies using our products and that research can be accessed on our website or provided upon request.
The white paper from the validation study is available here, but it essentially showed that 1 ppm of chlorine with SmartWash is as effective (or more effective) than 10 ppm of chlorine alone.
Temperature: the activity of most disinfectants and sanitizers increases as the temperature increases, but there are some exceptions. Too great of an increase in temperature can cause the disinfectant or sanitizer to degrade or even gas off.
pH: keeping the pH at a level between 3 and 7 produces the most hypochlorous acid from the chlorine added to the wash water, thereby increasing the most lethal form of free chlorine available for sanitizing.
Water hardness: this reduces the kill rate in certain sanitizers and disinfectants.
Organic matter can interfere with the antimicrobial’s efficacy of standard acidulants by interacting with the active ingredient. In contrast, SmartWash is able to maintain effective mitigation of cross-contamination, with minimal off-gassing, even under system with heavy organic material loads.
The ASAP machine automatically measures the wash water pH and chlorine levels with sensors and doses both SmartWash and chlorine based on the customer’s programmed setpoints, down to the specific part per million.
The data will be variable and dependent upon the products and the process. Wash lines are very dynamic environments.
When used correctly, there is no known impact to product quality. In fact, some customers have seen an increase in shelf life after switching to the SmartWash Solutions system.
There should not be as our system rolls in next to the wash line and our chemical would replace another acidifier to work in conjunction with chlorine.
SmartWash and SmartWash organic are applied during the washing process and injected into the wash line holding tank water. Our ASAP unit continuously monitors and controls the chemical levels to the customer’s desired specifications.
The SmartWash system is easily integrated in a facility’s current wash line and food safety program.
SmartWash Solutions can assist a customer with setting up a validation, but we do not conduct them as standalone items.
Our products are available for other applications such as poultry, red meats, and water treatments. References are available.
No. Local wastewater rules will apply.
No, SmartWash and SmartWash organic are considered processing aids and do not need to be listed on the product label.
SmartWash and SmartWash organic are considered processing aids and are not anti-microbials. They are used to boost chlorine’s effectiveness and are not required to be registered. However, all their ingredients are GRAS (generally recognized as safe).