The importance of high compressed air quality

A food manufacturer's priority is to produce a safe product. To ensure a safe product, all risks must be identified. A Plan of Action must also be made to minimize these risks.

Unfortunately, compressed air is often overlooked. However, compressed air is a risk factor for food safety. This is because compressed air is often blown into, on, through or over a product, and most compressed air is not treated, or not treated sufficiently, to avoid risks of contamination.

Contamination from compressed air

Compressed air is outdoor air drawn in and compressed by a compressor. All contaminants from the ambient air, such as hydrocarbons, moisture, pollen, dust particles, agricultural toxins, microorganisms and other contamination are then multiplied by each bar of operating pressure in the compressor. Heat, moisture and oil together provide an ideal base for the growth of microorganisms. So when this compressed air comes into direct or indirect contact with the product, it leads to contamination of the product and breakdowns in machinery. This costs time, money and energy costs that one does not want.

Subject to interpretation

Guidelines for compressed air quality are described in certification programs such as BRC8, IFS and FSSC22000. If a company has this certification, then they are required to enforce the guidelines. But the guidelines on compressed air handling are rather vague and open to interpretation. The FSSC22000 states that compressed air should not cause contamination and should be filtered and monitored, and recommends installing oil-free compressors. In case oil-lubricated compressors are used, food-grade oil should be used. Unfortunately, the terms "oil-free" and "food grade" oil are misleading and do not guarantee pure compressed air. While an oil-free compressor does not add oil to the compression process, every compressor draws hydrocarbons from the ambient air.

The term "food grade" oil is also misleading. H1 oil, or food grade oil, is only suitable for incidental contact with the product. This text is literally written on the bottle. You should not drink this oil, so then it is also not suitable to get into your product.

To make all guidelines clear and straightforward, it is smart to ask questions such as:

• What are the actual risks if compressed air comes in contact with my product?
• Where does the compressed air come into contact with my product? Is that contact direct or indirect?
• What compressed air treatment is available?
• How do we monitor compressed air quality?

Air Quality Audit

To get answers, a baseline measurement is needed. An Air Quality Audit measures dust, moisture and oil content in the compressed air stream. These values are then divided into classes in clear figures according to the ISO 8573.1:2010 table. Based on the Air Quality Audit, a compressed air consultant can offer advice and solutions to improve quality, if necessary. With the improved quality, the manufacturer can confidently present evidence to the auditors that the compressed air quality is aligned with the risks, meets the guidelines and is monitored. BEKO TECHNOLOGIES has been an expert in compressed air treatment, condensate technology, measurement and training for more than 30 years.