Knowledge Base

Where there is a risk of a lubricant coming into contact with food during the production process, food grade lubricants must be used.

Sometimes it may not be obvious that incidental contact can occur. For instance, a gear box or hydraulic system can leak due to the normal wear and tear of the seals (especially considering the high pressure in a hydraulic system). The leak is often not obvious as it may be minute. As a general rule, equipment situated at the same level as or above the food being processed must use food grade lubricants.

Additionally, compressed air can contain a parts per million level of oil which is used to lubricate the compressor. As the compressed air is often used to stir or mix food substances, there is therefore a risk of contamination. The same risk applies to vacuum pumps in which the back flow from shutting down at the end of the day may cause contamination.

A food grade lubricant is one which, should it come into contact with food during the production process, would pose no physiological hazard to the consumer or affect the food's odour or taste.

It is blended from ingredients that meet FDA requirements (see question 3 below) e.g. the base oil must be refined such that virtually no aromatic component is left or synthetic PAO (poly alpha olefin) is used together with additives that impart oxidation stability, rust protection, load-carry performance etc.

Food grade lubricants are harmless when consumed, as long as the level in the food is below 10mg/Kg (or 1mg/Kg for silicone oils). On the other hand, if the lubricant used is not food grade, the tolerance limit is zero ppm !!

Food grade lubricants standards are usually defined by regulations published by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and, until 1998, were submitted for authorisation by the US department of Agriculture (USDA). The USDA H1 authorisation has been widely recognised as the most authoritative standard for identifying lubrications that are safe for use in the food manufacturing process.

The USDA ceased authorising lubricants in 1998. Commercial organisations, notably NSF International, are now offering food grade lubricant registrations. Nevertheless, FDA regulations regarding the components that make up food grade lubricants are still in force.

These are lubricants that can only be used in equipment where there is no possibility of the lubricant coming into contact with food e.g. refrigerator oil. So, in reality, they are not food grade lubricants and should never be used where incidental contact can occur.

Traditionally, the base oil used to blend the food grade lubricant is mineral oil that has been extra deeply refined to remove all traces of aromatics and other compounds such as sulphur and nitrogen which are harmful to humans if ingested.

Unfortunately, this refining process also removes some beneficial components which are helpful in resisting oxidation and metal-to-metal wear. Normally, this is not a big problem because we can select additives to achieve the necessary performance level.

However, for food grade lubricants, due to the restricted choice of FDA-approved additives, the lubricants do not perform well compared to conventional non-food grade lubricants. By using PAO synthetic base fluids which are designed for high performance, we can achieve performance superior to the mineral oil based non-food grade lubricants.

In a food manufacturing plant, the equipment used in food processing (e.g. for stirring or transporting the food being processed) is normally situated in locations such that to change the lubricant or replace the equipment introduces a risk of food contamination. Thus, if the oil can last longer and protect the equipment better, this will significantly reduce the risk of contamination.

As modern equipment tends to work faster and for longer periods of time, conventional food grade lubricants are often unable to cope with the high operating temperatures. PAO synthetic oils have much better oxidation stability and typically last 2-4 times longer than mineral oil food grade lubricants.

The resultant benefit is not just overall cost saving and reduction of risk but also an increase in productivity due to the equipment having less down time. In today's competitive environment, this is a key consideration.

Change over from mineral oil to food grade has to be done in the same way as any switch from one product to another. Keeping in mind food safety and contamination risks, contamination with the former oil quality must be kept as low as possible. Thus the old oil should be removed and the equipment cleaned or flushed, maybe more than once, with the new oil before final filling.

There are many ways we can help, e.g.

i) offer a comprehensive range of synthetic high performance lubricants including gear oil, hydraulic oil, compressor oil, vacuum pump oil, heat transfer fluid, flushing fluid and many greases for various applications

ii) conduct a Lubrication CCP audit to survey the plant, highlighting areas of potential contamination

iii) rationalise number of lubricants used in order to simplify procedure and prevent human error (e.g. using the wrong oil)

iv) provision of oil condition monitoring to help prolong oil and equipment life

v) use of lubrication management software to ensure optimum lubrication

vi) use of special Oilsafe lubricant storage and dispensing containers allowing proper labelling and dispensing directly into equipment to minimise spillage

There are two basic reasons - safety and improved performance.

In our experience, it is virtually impossible to guarantee that lubricants used in food manufacturing plants don't come into contact with the food products. By switching to food grade Shell Cassida, food manufacturers can have peace of mind should the worst occur. This protects the manufacturer's hard won reputation and can even result in lower public liability insurance premiums. Secondly, high-grade synthetic lubricants such as Shell Cassida have superior performance to conventional mineral oils, resulting in improved protection and lower overall plant maintenance costs.

Unfortunately, all too easily. Oil Droplets can fling off machinery in fast-moving applications or grease can drip from bearings or conveyors. Critical Control Points - can seamers, bakery ovens, conveyors and the like - are of particular concern. Also, contamination can occur at any point through simple human error or equipment failure, such as hydraulic hose failure.

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