xxO Flush PA 5: Peracetic Acid Cluster Head Disinfection During Milking

The Role of Between-Animal Disinfection

During milking, the milking cluster moves from cow to cow. Each contact with a teat is an opportunity for cross-contamination: pathogens present on the teat end of one animal can be carried on the cluster liner or cluster head to the next animal, contributing to the spread of contagious mastitis across the herd. Between-animal disinfection of the milking cluster is the intervention that interrupts this transmission route.

xxO Flush PA 5 is a 5% peracetic acid formulation designed specifically for this application. It is a no-rinse product: after a brief contact time, it can be used without rinsing before milking the next animal, which keeps milking flow uninterrupted and avoids chemical residue concerns in the milk.

Why Peracetic Acid

Peracetic acid has several properties that make it particularly suited to between-animal cluster disinfection:

• Fast-acting: achieves effective bactericidal action within seconds at the concentrations used in between-animal protocols
• No-rinse at use concentration: decomposes to acetic acid, water, and oxygen — no active residue remains that would require rinsing
• No resistance development: oxidizing chemistry does not create selective pressure for resistant strains
• Broad spectrum: effective against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, as well as yeasts and some viruses

Application Method

xxO Flush PA 5 is applied to the cluster head and liner surfaces immediately after the unit is removed from one cow and before attachment to the next. Application can be by spray using dedicated equipment such as the Pera Spray applicator, or by flush through the cluster. The product is allowed to contact surfaces for the designated contact time before the next attachment.

For hydrogen peroxide-based cluster disinfection as an alternative chemistry, xxO Flush HP 50 provides the same no-rinse, fast-acting format with hydrogen peroxide as the active.

Additional Applications

Beyond between-animal cluster disinfection, xxO Flush PA 5 is also used for:

• Disinfecting calf feeding bottles and buckets
• Sanitizing teat cloths and udder prep materials
• General milking area surface disinfection between milkings

Request a quote for xxO Flush PA 5 pricing, minimum order quantities, and documentation.