Methods and systems for online cleaning of beverage fillers

A method for online cleaning of a carbonated soft drink filler device that is prone to accumulating spillage from spilled carbonated soft drink that can provide a growth environment for bacteria, the filler device having a filling chamber configured to fill beverage containers with a carbonated soft drink in a filling direction, a conveyor configured to transport the beverage containers in a conveyance direction through the filler device along a conveyance path having at least one loop portion that loops in a plane perpendicular to the filling direction and includes the filling chamber, the method comprising:

• while the filler device is filling the beverage containers with the carbonated soft drink, delivering a cleaning solution that comprises an acidified sodium chlorite solution to the filler device via a pressurized nozzle arrangement that includes at least one top nozzle that is arranged to spray the cleaning solution on an upper portion of the filler device in the loop portion, at least one middle nozzle that is arranged to spray the cleaning solution on a middle portion of the filler device in the loop portion, and at least one lower nozzle that is arranged to spray the cleaning solution on a lower portion of the filler device in the loop portion, and wherein the acidified sodium chlorite solution includes from 5-35% of chlorous acid and from 65-95% chlorite.