The Importance Of Riboflavin Testing For Equipment Safety

Riboflavin testing is a quality assurance method for evaluating the effectiveness of vessel tank cleaning processes and is a mainstay in the pharmaceutical manufacturing sector, food processing, and other sanitary settings. Riboflavin testing is also used as a preliminary for passivation, leakage testing, and other maintenance procedures.

Read on to find out more on the importance of riboflavin testing for equipment safety.

What Is The Riboflavin Test For Vessels?

The process involves coating or spraying the surfaces of a vessel with a riboflavin solution – which is a water-soluble vitamin B2 solution that fluoresces under a UV light. The solution is sprayed onto various internal and external surfaces, including wash chambers, pipes, tanks, racks, and other equipment, to identify areas that might not be adequately cleaned.

This process requires you to spray the surfaces with a riboflavin solution and then initiate a standard Clean In Place (CIP) cycle (water only), using your standard flow rates, pressure, and time settings. You then inspect the surfaces with your UV light to determine that all traces of riboflavin have been successfully removed. Any glowing areas indicate potential issues with the CIP spray settings or equipment position, as well as other issues such as incorrect spray patterns or blocked nozzles.

When Is Riboflavin Testing Used?

Spray shadows could indicate havens for bacteria, pathogens, product residues, and other contaminants that could compromise product quality and consumer safety. When conducted after a manufacturing process, the riboflavin spray indicator helps identify residues left behind in vessels or tanks that could contaminate subsequent products, leading to recalls and financial losses. As a proactive measure, riboflavin testing can also be used to validate the CIP processes used, ensuring they are sufficient to safeguard product quality and safety.

Testing can also indicate microscopic surface cracks and pitting that could be invisible to the naked eye. Riboflavin testing therefore not only has a cleaning validation role but can also detect the early signs of corrosion and equipment faults. For this reason, many businesses use riboflavin testing as a preliminary to passivation, and as an important tool for sustaining performance and safety.

Riboflavin testing is also recommended as a quality assurance measure at the beginning of a manufacturing project, or after major equipment changes – e.g. refurbishment and maintenance.

Find Out More

Get in touch with the experts at Inox Passivation today to find out about riboflavin testing and our stainless steel pickling and passivation services.