Airchannel shows the way for food hygiene

Compressed air is a widely used utility in the food processing industry and many production processes depend on it for their operation. Whilst reliability of supply is essential in pure production terms, a critical factor is the quality of the air supply. Airchannel has taken the lead in the supply of products and services to help all food producers both maintain and improve current standards to comply with these requirements.

At any stage during the food production or packaging cycle there exists potential for contamination, which could compromise food safety, leading to potential health risks and the threat of a product recall. The use of compressed air carries its own risk in this environment, with a number of potential sources of contamination in the air supply in the form of solid particles of oil, dirt, and water in the form of humidity.

Airchannel has taken a lead role working with The British Compressed Air Society (BCAS), in conjunction with the British Retail Consortium (BRC), in the creation of a code of practice - a code that lays out the minimum recommendations for compressed air quality in new installations, to assist food producers in regulating their supply of compressed air.

The Code has ultimately been put into place to improve confidence in food safety, however the worry is that food manufacturers could face cost increases, since they may be required to upgrade their existing systems. To help alleviate this concern, Airchannel can carry out an audit which will include monitoring and recording air quality as part of HACCP procedures.

At the same time, the pressure to reduce the running costs of the air system is increasing. Therefore, how to achieve high standards of compressed air with a reduced environmental carbon footprint, and the lowest owning and operating costs possible is a key issue.

"Compressed air users should not be alarmed about the new code of practice," said Alastair Shanks, Managing Director of Airchannel. "The code clearly confirms that both oil-lubricated as well as oil-free compressors are acceptable for generating compressed air for use in the food industry."

Contamination of compressed air systems and the potential types of contaminants are varied, ranging from rusted pipes to micro organisms. The most significant contaminants in either oil-less or lubricated systems are DIRT (solid particles), WATER (gaseous & liquid) and in lubricated systems the additional hazard of OIL (gaseous & liquid). Microbiological organisms such as bacteria may also be transported through a compressed air system or propagated due to conditions within the system.

Airchannel understands the importance of knowledge - where, when and how contaminants can manifest themselves. This knowledge not only ensures a deep understanding of how to eliminate and remove contamination sources, but also forms the background for the design of any compressed air system for use in the food industry.

Where compressed air is used in food production, its use is spilt into two groups. The outlet compressed air must be specified as one of the following:

Air that comes into direct contact with the food (contact)
Air that could come into contact with the food (non-contact)

Airchannel can help you to comply with the code of practice and can assist to ensure that any upgrades or new installations meet or exceed the minimum recommendations laid out.

To tackle these issues, the industry has launched its own Food Industry Sustainability Strategy (FISS). One of the aims of FISS is to reduce the food industry’s carbon emissions by 20% by 2010 against a 1990 baseline by introducing cleaner, more efficient production processes.

By monitoring compressed air usage and updating equipment where necessary, Airchannel can recommend improvements that will help the environment as well as saving manufacturers money. A typical scenario in food processing plants is a variable shift pattern that results in inconsistent demands for compressed air. In some situations no production is taking place, but certain processes have to be kept in operation.

In these scenario’s, variable, as opposed to fixed speed compressors, can produce savings in excess of 25% in energy and operational costs. There is also potential for energy wastage in poorly designed or maintained compressed air systems. Leakages, pressure drops in the system caused by filtration, drying and piping systems and incorrect sizing of the pipework can all contribute to wasted energy. Here too, Airchannel has the expertise to help and guide food manufacturers as to the best practice for their particular application.