Cleaning Server Food Dispensers

Server Products food pumps deliver precise portions for condiments, sauces, toppings, and other viscous food enhancers. To maintain optimal performance and efficiency of the equipment and to comply with local sanitization requirements, it's important to regularly clean, rinse, sanitize, and dry parts. This can be done by disassembling the pump's parts and cleaning them manually or by using the clean-in-place method. While it typically comes down to operator preference, the clean-in-place method can be easier than the disassembled cleaning process. Below, we outline the clean-in-place procedures and the benefits of choosing this method.

Clean-in-place Procedure for Pumps

Before cleaning:

• Pump out any food remaining inside the pump
• Rinse the exterior of the pump body
• Flush water through the inside of the pump by placing the lower end of the pump into water and pumping until any remaining food product is expelled
• Prepare washing and sanitizing solutions

Using the three-compartment sink sanitization system, clean the equipment by pumping full 1-ounce portion strokes of wash solution, water, and sanitizing solution through the pump. Any gauging collars should be removed for this process to ensure full 1-ounce strokes.

1. Wash: Pump 32 strokes of wash solution
2. Rinse: Pump 16 strokes of rinse water
3. Sanitize: Pump 32 strokes of sanitizing solution
4. Rinse: Pump 8 strokes of rinse water

The Case for Cleaning in Place

The clean-in-place method has several advantages over disassembled cleaning, including time efficiency, space-saving benefits, less required user knowledge, and the elimination of loose parts.

Save Time

In the foodservice industry, maximum time efficiency is key to a smooth operation. The time staff spends cleaning pump equipment can be reduced by the clean-in-place process of pumping water and cleaning solutions through the discharge tube. Comparatively, cleaning food dispensers manually by disassembly can be significantly more time consuming. Using this method, the operator must first disassemble the pump's parts, then clean all washable parts with soap and hot water, using a brush to clean inside the discharge tube and any other confined areas. After rinsing with clean water, the parts must then be sanitized and left to air dry. This process is lengthy, especially depending on how many pumps need cleaning.

Save Space

In operations where space is limited, such as food trucks and concession stands, cleaning condiment dispensers by disassembly isn't always possible. There often isn't space to lay out all the parts, especially if there are multiple units to be cleaned, making the clean-in-place method the most convenient option.

Save Training

For users unfamiliar with how the pumps' parts fit together, the clean-in-place method offers a simple way to clean food pumps. Because this method eliminates the need for disassembly, users aren't required to have in-depth knowledge of how the parts work for disassembly and reassembly, which can be challenging and time consuming for inexperienced employees.

Save Parts

On average, a standard condiment dispenser consists of 15 parts. When disassembling those parts, it's easy to lose small parts such as O-rings and gauging collars down drains or inside dishwashers if the operator isn't careful to keep track of all the parts. The clean-in-place method eliminates the likelihood of losing vital parts that would make the pump inoperable.