UHT Sterilizer Temperature Deviates from the Validated Process

Divert product and follow the validated food-safety plan. Verify the legal or critical temperature instrument, flow and holding time, heating supply, regeneration section, divert valve and control sequence before any product release.

Place affected product on hold and follow the validated food-safety plan. Isolate heat, pressure, chemicals and rotating equipment before inspection; only an authorized process authority may release product after a critical deviation.

Locate the fault

• Holding-tube outlet temperature falls below limit
• Flow changes while residence time is assumed constant
• Divert valve cycles repeatedly
• Recording and display instruments disagree

Inspection sequence

1. Automatically or manually divert and hold all affected product according to the validated plan
2. Preserve critical records, alarm history and batch boundaries
3. Compare critical instruments with the approved verification procedure
4. Confirm calibrated flow and holding-tube assumptions for the current product
5. Test divert-valve position feedback and fail-safe action
6. Review utility, fouling and heat-balance data before restart

Corrective work

• Restore validated heating, flow and residence conditions
• Calibrate or replace the critical sensor under authorized procedure
• Repair and function-test the divert system
• Clean the exchanger and obtain process-authority approval for product or flow changes

Operating records and follow-up

• Challenge divert and alarm functions at required intervals
• Protect critical parameters
• Calibrate legal instruments
• Trend heat-transfer performance
• Require process-authority review for changes

Equipment details: UHT Sterilizer.