Enzymatic removal of burnt-on protein residues from solid surface: A potential food equipment cleanser

Burnt-on protein residues on the surfaces of the utensils used in dairy and meat processing industries possess a major challenge, where routine cleaning operations involve the use of hot alkali and/or acid, detergent washes followed by heat or chemical sanitization. These conventional cleaning approaches are neither economical nor eco-friendly. An economic enzymatic approach using alkaline protease isolated from Bacillus pseudofirmus strain SVB1 is envisaged. The efficiency of the alkaline protease (crude extract and partially purified enzyme) in removing burnt-on protein residues from solid surface was monitored by three-dimensional atomic force microscopy and protein quantification methods. In addition, the efficiency was also compared with that of the commercially available alkaline proteases. Crude alkaline protease obtained from SVB1 removed casein, dairy effluent, abattoir effluent and poultry effluents from the model solid surface efficiently. Results showed that the crude enzyme significantly removed casein when compared to the commercially available alkaline proteases. After this enzymatic cleaning and subsequent treatment, no residual enzyme activity was detected.