KRONEN GmbH and Citrosol S.A. have unveiled a new benchmark in process water hygiene with the introduction of Citrocide® PLUS, a peracetic acid (PAA)-based disinfection system that enables precise, automated control of wash water quality across fruit, vegetable, and potato processing lines. The innovation combines KRONEN’s mechanical engineering expertise with Citrosol’s leading disinfection technologies, aiming to deliver both microbiological safety and water efficiency for the global fresh-produce and potato industries.

The launch follows a recent European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) statement emphasizing that continuous monitoring of disinfection parameters is essential during the washing of fresh-cut produce. EFSA’s findings confirmed that bacterial contamination rises significantly when process water is not properly disinfected.

Within this context, the Citrocide® PLUS system uses peracetic acid to ensure effective water hygiene without generating hazardous by-products such as chlorates or trihalomethanes. A built-in sensor continuously measures and regulates disinfectant levels, allowing for consistent performance even as organic load fluctuates.

“The Citrocide® fresh-cut system is based on peracetic acid and enables precise, automated, and continuous monitoring of the disinfectant concentration in the wash water,” said Martín Mottura, I+D Manager at Citrosol. “Peracetic acid is particularly effective across a wide pH and temperature range, does not produce any hazardous by-products, and fully conforms with EU and U.S. regulations.”

Integration With Potato and Fresh-Cut Washing Lines

The system is designed to integrate seamlessly into KRONEN’s HEWA and GEWA washing machines, both of which are used in the processing of salad leaves, vegetables, fruit, and potatoes. These machines feature hygienic designs that facilitate cleaning and accessibility, and they can be equipped or retrofitted with Citrocide® PLUS for automated, real-time control of disinfection.

“We can integrate and even retrofit the Citrocide® technology into all of our KRONEN washing machines,” explained Eric Lefebvre, Technical Director and Managing Director of KRONEN GmbH. “Combining them with the Citrocide® fresh-cut system facilitates automatic, reliable, and efficient monitoring of the water hygiene. The system continuously regulates the disinfectant concentration and water renewal, ensuring constant disinfection while optimizing water consumption.”

This dual control over chemical and hydraulic parameters offers food processors, including potato manufacturers, a method to achieve consistent washing quality and resource savings simultaneously. The solution is also suitable for organic-certified operations, as peracetic acid is approved for use in organic food production under both EU and U.S. standards.

Environmental and Operational Advantages

Compared to traditional chlorine-based disinfection, peracetic acid demonstrates several environmental and operational advantages. It remains effective across a wide pH range, is less sensitive to organic load, and breaks down into non-toxic components such as water, oxygen, and acetic acid. Studies cited by KRONEN and Citrosol—including research by Petri et al. (2021) and López-Gálvez et al. (2020)—show that PAA-based systems are at least as effective as chlorine while being easier to handle and more sustainable.

KRONEN and Citrosol emphasize that this shift toward automated, monitored PAA systems aligns with growing industry requirements for traceability, resource efficiency, and compliance with strict hygiene regulations. By digitizing and automating the monitoring of disinfection parameters, Citrocide® PLUS helps processors maintain consistent product quality while reducing water and chemical consumption.

According to Lefebvre, “Our customers benefit twofold: on the one hand, the products offer a higher level of microbiological safety, which is particularly essential in the case of delicate products such as salad leaves or cut vegetables. On the other hand, the system enables the sustainable use of water resources because it requires less fresh water.”

A Collaborative Step Toward Safer Food Production

The collaboration between the German and Spanish companies underlines a broader industry shift toward combining machine design innovation with digital water hygiene control. Both partners consider Citrocide® PLUS a platform technology for modern food production, including fresh-cut and peeled potato processing lines, where water reuse, hygiene, and sustainability are top priorities.

As Lefebvre concluded, “The cooperation between KRONEN and Citrosol combines the best of both worlds: mechanical engineering made in Germany and the leading hygiene solutions in Europe from Spain. With KRONEN Citrocide® PLUS, we are setting a new standard for safety, sustainability, and efficiency in the industrial washing of fresh foods.”