Peroxyformic acid (PFA) is a renewably sourced multi-functional compound with bleaching and antimicrobial properties. Among the numerous potential applications of PFA is as a sanitizing and disinfectant agent for the food and beverage industry. Ecolab has developed a novel method for generating PFA of particular benefit to open plant hygiene situations.

As an antimicrobial active PFA has high efficacy against a broad spectrum of microflora including yeasts and molds. It is also especially effective against biofilms and sporicidal at ambient temperatures.

Ecolab has developed a method for generating PFA using a gylcerol formate precursor. Sanitizing formulations that include PFA generated from glycerol formate have improved chemical effluent profiles over most traditional peracid formulations, as they contain no phosphorus, lower petroleum derived materials, and have negligible impact on anaerobic waste water treatment systems. The pH of these sanitizing solutions are approaching neutral resulting in the improved safety and material compatibility outcomes.

As well as having a favorable environmental profile and superior kill rates over a wide spectrum of organisms, PFA based sanitizers show little or no effect on beer head retention, chill haze, product pH or beer taste. They also have a much reduced odour compared to other sanitisers prevalent in the brewery industry today.