PG MPT

What it means to have Food Safe

components in washdown applications
by Jim Ludwig (written by Stefanie Burns)

W ashdown environments are extremely tough on

meat processing equipment they are blasted with
hot, sanitizing high pressure sprays that will eat
away at protective coatings. No type of paint can
withstand a 1000 PSI washdown for very long.

All consumers have the right to expect and demand

safe, good quality food. Therefore, Good Hygiene
Practice (GHP), Good Manufacturing Practices
(GMP), and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control
Point (HACCP) are an integral part of disinfecting
the plant premise and equipment and considered
one of the most important activities in many
American meat processing plants.

Large American meat processing companies such

as Tyson, Cargill Meat, JBS, Kraft Foods and many
others although competitors of one another are
collaborating together through NAMI (North
American Meat Institute) to form a collective
agreement to standardize the basic requirements
for washdown equipment suppliers. These
companies are spearheading the food industry in
making the swap from traditional corrosion-resistant Poultry plant with stainless steel motors that
withstand the harshest washdown conditions
coatings on cast iron and aluminum components
into an all-stainless (and sometimes ventless)
mechanical and electrical designs for food
processing equipment. They understand that area at the end of the line will require very little
painted units (or coated units) of any type will not washdown as the food products are already clean
withstand the caustic washdown their equipment and ready to be packaged and shipped. The
must go through on a constant basis. processing section of a food plant, on the other
hand, can vary depending on what youre
Food Grade = Food Safety? processing. Meat and poultry areas can require
disinfection. Confectionary, chocolate and bakery
Does a bearing, gear reducer, motor, or other
plants may have processes that get sticky and need
power transmission component marked as food-
washdown. A non-washdown component will
grade make it safe? Ask yourself what level of
easily corrode and wear out if used in a washdown
food grade is it really? Depending on where the
environment specifying an extreme sanitary duty
equipment is located, and what process is used to
of food-grade products is necessary for these
keep the area clean, can be a good indication of the
applications.
level of risk youre taking. For instance, a packaging
What makes a product Food-Safe?
Inside corners should be rounded:
According to the guidelines being developed by Preferred radius is 6mm (1/4 inch)
NAMI and EHEDG (European Hygienic Engineering Minimum radius is 3mm (1/8 inch)
& Design Group), there are three things that are
focused on for food safe equipment.

1). Frame Design and Material

Everyone knows cast iron does not perform well in

washdown environments because it will corrode
and rust. So does aluminum. Many suppliers are
coating their products with high epoxy paints,
powder-coating, and even e-coats (electrocoating)
of various kinds. Nothing is more durable than an
all-stainless steel design, which is the preferred
housing type.

Stainless steel alone doesnt mean its good. There Welds must be continuous and smooth
are various levels of stainless grade products (most enough for easy-cleaning
suppliers prefer 300 series stainless steel grade due
to cleanliness and durability). Whats more
important than the stainless grade may be the
design of the housing itself. Washdown requires
water to not pool and collect it must be able to
drain and spill on its own. Many mechanical and
electrical equipment have welded areas these
welds if not done correctly can be rough and trap
bacteria so the continuous smooth design of
welds become important as well. Welding is a
solution to close any seams and joints that may
exist (underneath the conduit box for a gearmotor is
a common area).
Avoid horizontal surfaces design should be
Motors may utilize fins to keep them operating at self-draining
cool temperatures. However, these fins are another
area where contaminants can get trapped. This
can be solved with non-vent designs. Be sure to
pay attention to the frame design to ensure it does No dead areas, gaps or crevices
not have any cavities and holes a smooth frame These areas can harbor bacteria
design will ensure that contaminants are washed off
the products properly.

2). Lubricants

Ideally, mechanical equipment will never leak

however, lubricant leakage and its prevention are an
inevitable part of any industry. Food industries have
an added challenge in selecting the right lubricant
that will keep the machines operating properly while
ensuring that it is food-safe. Food grade lubricants
have different properties that make it safe for
incidental food contact, however comparably weak
in terms of technical performance of heat dissipation
and transfer, wear, friction, corrosion, etc.
However, with proper maintenance practices
including oil monitoring, proper lubrication and
protection of equipment can be achieved.
The combination of all three: good housing material
and design, H1 food-grade lubricants and a
superior sealing design is what makes a product
ideal and safe for the food processing environment.

Government food organizations such as the FDA

Lubrication
and USDA have created food-grade designations of Technology
H1, H2 and H3 categories:

H1 lubricants are food-grade lubricants

used in food processing environments for
incidental food contact. Food
H2 lubricants are food-grade lubricants that Safety
are used on equipment and machine parts
Sealing Frame
in locations where there is no possibility of Technology Design &
contact. Material
H3 lubricants are food grade-lubricants that
are typically classified as edible oils used
to prevent rust on hooks, trolleys and
similar equipment.
H1 Food grade grease?
Be sure that the equipment being used in food-
processing is filled with H1 food-grade lubricants.

3). Sealing Technology

The most common causes of equipment failure all

relate to issues surrounding lubrication. For this
reason, careful attention needs to be given to the
seals that are protecting the lubricants. It is
important to keep the lubricants in and
contaminants out. Through harsh duty washdown
processes, fluids and contaminants can enter
through the seals; damaging the equipment and
shortening the product lifespan.

In order to ensure long overall equipment life, the

type of sealing technology being used on the
mechanical components becomes a critical factor in
selecting the right product. The following are some
questions to ask yourself when selecting a good
sealed product:

How many contact points do the seal lips

provide?
What material is the seal made of?
What is the design of lubricant flow through
the seals? Is it a labyrinth design? Can the
seal purge excess lubrication to avoid
pressurized blowout?
Is there added protection for the seal? (i.e.
rubberized flingers, end-covers, etc.)
Food Safety Regulations & Standards
There are various types of regulations and
standards that exist to help control and regulate
food processing plants and ensure they are in
compliance with food safety practices.
Governmental:
- USDA and FDA have regulatory authority
over food processing practices. USDA
regulates meat, poultry, egg and cheese;
FDA regulates other foods.
Public Health and Non-Profit
Organizations:
- NSF, 3-A, BISSC are examples of
organizations that provide standards and
product certifications.
Food Processing Organizations:
- NAMI (North American Meat Institute)
Industry trade association food
processing companies collaborating to
define and write their own sanitary design
principles.
Food safety violations
The initial cost of the mechanical component is only
a fraction of the costs that need to be considered.
Of course, the product being selected must match
the application environmental conditions to
maximize Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). There is
no one size fits all in a food processing plant. Not
all areas of the plant will require extreme
washdown-duty products. It would not be wise to
select a very feature-rich product for a standard
non-washdown application thats just throwing
away money. On the other hand, saving a few
bucks on front-end and installing a standard
product for a harsh washdown environments isnt
going to save you much in the long run in fact it
will cost your business a whole lot more.
Violations for food safety are serious and can have
a devastating impact to the food processing
business as a whole. FDA and USDA are driving to
improve food safety by prevention rather than
addressing the problems after they occur. Selecting
the right product that matches the food processing
application and environment can prevent food-
borne illness and safety violations in the future.
What do some violations look like?

Not all violations are easy to spot right away.

Sometimes, it can be difficult to tell if a product is
stainless vs. coated with zinc, nickel, TDC until its
too late. The product on the right seems to be a
stainless steel housed mounted ball bearing unit
until its been pressure washed many times to see
that the nickel coating is starting to chipping off.
The question then becomes, where did the material
go?

Another example is the image below where it

appears to be a polymer housed unit with stainless
steel inserts although its not stainless and it is
rusting. This product may have been perfectly fine in
a less-toxic washdown environment because it
appears to have some level of corrosion
resistance but it needs to match the level of
washdown in the end.

Using a standard grade product in a washdown

environment is never a good idea. The housing
material and coating type may not be appropriate,
the sealing technology may not withstand the high
pressure washdown, and lubricants are probably
not food-grade for standard products spilling onto
the food processing lines.

Summary

Food violations happen to companies that have the

best intentions to keep their production areas safe
and clean. However, we need to be cautious of the
type of product being used in severe washdown
environments. These products need to be selected
carefully and match the application environment.

Meat and poultry processing plants are subject to

the harshest washdown environments, and
therefore lead the industry in selection and design of
food grade equipment and components.

Regulations and expectations are increasing in food

safety, and the trend is shifting towards a more
feature-rich, all-stainless design for mechanical and
electrical components.