New EU-wide regulations require rapid investment in further UVC decontamination systems

UVC decontamination achieves an efficiency of 99.99% in all production areas

Slovakian food producer Pierre Baguette has been relying on UVC hygiene solutions from Hoenle UV Disinfection Austria GmbH (formerly STERILSYSTEMS GmbH) for more than twelve years and sees itself as an innovative manufacturer of baguettes, sandwiches and other bread-based, ready-to-eat foods. All disinfection technologies available on the market are used in production. The new regulations will further expand the measures. Among other things, amended conditions of Regulation (EC) No. 396/2005 , which concern the maximum residue levels for pesticides, will apply from August 19, 2025. In addition, EU-wide amendments to Regulation (EC) No. 2073/2005, which relate in particular to microbiological safety criteria for foodstuffs, will come into force from July 1, 2026. This will require companies to adapt their production processes and, if necessary, invest in new equipment. Pierre Baguette is once again relying on the hygiene expertise of the Austrian company to ensure that these new challenges can be mastered smoothly and safely.

“As the market leader in the area of fast-moving, chilled sandwiches and meals in Central Europe, we focus on the highest level of hygiene. We supply up to 1500 businesses with fresh goods every morning,” says Mr. Lubos Heriban, Managing Director of Pierre Baguette. “In order to maintain this level of quality and safety, we consistently invest in new technologies at . For us, this means that we also take the appropriate measures when implementing new regulations and provisions.”

The company has been using systems from Hoenle UV Disinfection Austria GmbH since 2014. The first system installed was an air disinfection unit, which was later supplemented by additional UVC disinfection systems. Prior to this, the devices and the surrounding areas had to be cleaned in a time-consuming and labor-intensive process. Decontamination was partly carried out using alcohol-based cleaning agents. This cleaning was not only very labor-intensive, but also required a high material input of the cleaning agents used. This resulted in several dozen tons of dirty water per day, which in turn had to be disposed of professionally at high cost.

Decontamination using UVC technology offers many advantages and high infestation protection

The greatest advantage of disinfection with ultraviolet radiation is its high level of efficiency. 99.99% of all bacteria, yeasts, viruses and molds are reliably eliminated. At the same time, the development of resistance is avoided – even in the case of germs that have developed a resistance to conventional disinfection methods. There is no need to invest in additional chemical or other cleaning agents. This means that the systems and products to be treated remain dry and do not have to be dehumidified; unwanted vapors in the air or residues cannot form in the first place. Not only is UVC decontamination a non-contact process, but the application is also temperature-neutral. The products can be disinfected during the production process. There is no heating of the food or the treated surfaces. Cleaning using UVC technology therefore offers very high quality assurance and also contributes to an increased, sustainable production process.

Different operating conditions place special demands on the UVC equipment

Pierre Baguette uses different technologies in food production, which complement each other and vary depending on the intended use. The UVC devices from STERILSYSTEMS have long been established due to their effectiveness and high disinfection speed and are now used in all departments, from the bakery sector, vegetable or meat processing and dressing production to raw material processing and the production of the ready-to-eat end product. In all cases, there are always different environmental conditions. “We produce a wide variety of finished products and process a wide variety of fresh foods. Formerly STERILSYSTEMS has always been able to offer us the best solution for our respective tasks thanks to their product range,” emphasizes Mr. Lubos Heriban.

Depending on the size of the room, several continuously operating air decontamination units from the ULE1000/ULE2000 product series are used in all departments for rooms without air movement and PF512 for circulating air flows. In storage areas for unpackaged, sliced raw materials of animal origin, ceiling-mounted UVC lamps are used for air disinfection if there are no employees in the immediate vicinity.

Flawless, contact-free product decontamination during the entire production process

Hoenle UV Disinfection Austria also has a suitable solution for the special requirements of disinfecting the clean room in the bakery. A special UVC high-performance tunnel is used for indirect decontamination via reflectors to effectively prevent the possible formation of mold spores on the bread surface after passing through the cooling tunnel. A total of 11 FBK belt sterilizers are used to continuously disinfect the conveyor belts in all production and packaging lines for baguettes and sandwiches as well as the filling lines. A separate vegetable washing system with a UVC immersion heater is used to disinfect the water for the fresh vegetables delivered. To ensure that microorganisms do not have time to grow, UVC lamps mounted on the ceiling are operated overnight. The company’s hygiene standards go so far that the conveyor belt of the machine for meat slicing and even the cutting blade itself have been equipped with a decontamination device. Seamless sterilization is guaranteed by an additional UVC tunnel, which sterilizes the packaging of all foodstuffs on the transport route from storage to further processing.

Quality guarantees operational reliability and forms the basis for future applications

The requirements for an end product or production processes are subject to constant change, new technologies become available, the legal framework changes, etc. The long cooperation with Hoenle and the positive experience gained over the years in the daily use of the UVC disinfection systems have led to the company based in the Salzburg region once again using the systems. The high product quality was not the only decisive factor in continuing the cooperation. Equally important was the comprehensive know-how – particularly with regard to smooth production processes. After all, nothing endangers a company more than an interrupted production flow. If the worst comes to the worst, Hoenle UV Austria guarantees comprehensive support, which also includes fast on-site service. Since becoming part of the Hoenle Group, based in Gilching, Bavaria, the company has been able to benefit from the shared expertise and experience. Since 2020, mutual potential and synergies have been used to offer customers new and improved UVC decontamination solutions. In the case of Pierre Baguette, this is reflected in the fact that an additional UVC tunnel will soon be installed for the packaging lines. In addition, the planned construction of a new production facility at Pierre Baguette will open up further fields of application for UVC decontamination solutions from Hoenle in food production in the future.