With the powerful, multifunctional Blue Evolution XL+ steam vacuum system from Beam, Confiserie Rau achieves top marks in the direct contact test (DCT) – and this without any chemicals. Tedious scrubbing is a thing of the past.

vWhether it is nuts, soya, lactose or gluten: many people suffer from a food intolerance or allergy. In order that those affected can still experience the full enjoyment of eating chocolate, Confiserie Rau from Altenstadt/Germany also offers gluten-free and lactose-free chocolate-coated fruits and cereals in its product range. The big challenge here: because the same conveyor belts and machines have to be used for all production lines, there is a risk of contamination with allergens. To optimally prevent this, Confiserie Rau uses the HACCP-certified Blue Evolution XL+ steam vacuum system made of stainless steel from Beam. The multi-functional device makes a convincing case by achieving top marks in the direct contact test, does not require any aggressive cleaning agents whatsoever and also saves the user a lot of time when cleaning.

“In order to protect our gluten-free and lactose-free products from contamination with allergens, we must make absolutely no compromises when it comes to hygiene in our production hall,” says Managing Director Christopher Rau. “After processing conventional cereals and chocolate, we have to ensure that our conveyor belts and machines are completely free of all residues. I am all the more delighted that we have found a steam vacuum system in the Blue Evolution XL+ that meets our particularly high requirements: it not only guarantees a top level of hygiene and provides real added value in terms of handling but in the process also completely dispenses with the use of any chemicals”.

Confiserie Rau has been certified according to the IFS Food Standard (International Featured Standard) in the highest category, “Higher Level”, for eight years now and processes up to 400 t of chocolate annually. The production of organic, gluten-free and lactose-free chocolate-covered fruits and cereals is demanding. In order to be able to meet the high hygiene standards in the food industry, up to now, the conveyor belts and production machines had to be cleaned in three steps: after wet cleaning, this was followed by the disinfection process and, finally, rinsing was required.

With the Blue Evolution XL+, laborious scrubbing is once and for all now a thing of the past: the multifunctional device steams and vacuums in one working operation thus saving the user over 60 % of the time previously required for cleaning operations. Thereby, the power current variant of the Blue Evolution series functions with a steam temperature of up to 180 °C and achieves a high cleaning performance. Filled only with water and without any chemicals, the steam vacuum system easily removes even the toughest dirt contamination such as greasy remains of chocolate.

Christopher Rau is pleased with his new purchase: “The power of the Blue Evolution XL+ is very impressive. Through the power of hot dry steam alone, we can thoroughly clean a wide variety of surfaces in our production. In this way, there is no risk involved regarding dirt, germ and allergen residues, and we achieve top marks in our regular direct contact tests”. At Confiserie Rau, the steam vacuum system has proved that it delivers a high level of hygiene also in practice and, with good reason, fully complies with the strict HACCP standard.

With the multifunctional device from Beam, large areas as well as hard-to-access areas such as corners and edges can be optimally cleaned. This is facilitated by the over 3 m long hose together with the range of attachments, which are also ideally suited for the thorough cleaning of belt conveyors of different widths. Its four moveable swivel castors also make the steam vacuum system very flexible and easy to handle. An additional advantage: because the Blue Evolution XL+ only functions with dry steam and can also be individually adjusted, the cleaned surfaces are completely dry again immediately after the suction process. Thus, sensitive machine components are optimally protected against any moisture.

Using the steam vacuum system, the production hall at Confiserie Rau can be cleaned very ecologically as well as gently and efficiently. “The Blue Evolution XL+ impresses our entire team every day anew, and the investment has paid off in full,” Christopher Rau assures. “Naturally, the TÜV (German Technical Inspection Association) is also particularly pleased to mention in its inspection reports that we no longer use any aggressive chemicals”.