Within the food industry health and safety is a key priority, and it’s essential that all areas of the business – from production and manufacturing through to supply and distribution – understand how to maintain safety standards to ensure the product is safe for customers to use and consume.
One of the main areas where health and safety is particularly important is the production process, where products can come into contact with a large amount of machinery that can contaminate it if safety procedures are not followed or maintained effectively. This is the key reason why businesses operating in this field need to be investing in the right foodsafe lubricant silicone spray.
What Is a Foodsafe Lubricant and What Are the Benefits?
In any type of industry, leakages will occur and regular maintenance will be necessary to ensure that the machinery operates as efficiently and effectively as possible. Lubricants can come into contact with foodstuffs, which means it’s essential that a foodsafe form is used to protect the quality of the end product.
A foodsafe lubricant spray still needs to work in the same way as other types, including protecting the equipment from friction, wear, oxidation and corrosion, as well as being compatible with other materials used and providing a good-quality seal.
However, it is also vital that the lubricant doesn’t degrade because of the food products, water, steam or chemicals, and it must be able to dissolve sugars and react neutrally to elastomers and plastics.
The oils used in the lubricant have to be odourless and tasteless and comply with all the relevant health and safety standards. This isn’t always the case with the majority of lubricants, so it is necessary for businesses to invest in the right products that are suitable for use with food.
During the food manufacturing process, the lubricant comes under extreme environmental conditions, including high levels of dust during corn milling and very high temperatures for steam-cleaning in meat plants, which can all be an issue if the lubricant silicone spray can’t stand up to the conditions.
A foodsafe lubricant will also reduce the risk of micro-organisms developing, including yeast, fungi and bacteria, which have the potential to contaminate the product.
The Need for Lubrication
Lubricants are essential to ensure the smooth operation of food manufacturing equipment, and regular maintenance will keep equipment in a good working condition and reduce the amount of downtime. When any machinery breaks down on the production line, it can bring down productivity levels across the business, as products back up in other areas, so keeping everything working limits these interruptions and enables you to fulfil orders on time.
By investing in the appropriate foodsafe lubricants, food manufacturers can give their customers peace of mind that the products they produce meet all the stringent health and safety standards. With these regularly being updated to keep in touch with technological developments, businesses need to ensure that they keep up to date on the necessary requirements so that they continue to comply.