Understanding air treatment in food and beverages
These contaminants, which are usually grouped into the three families described in ISO 8573-1:2010 (dust, water, oil), can cause serious problems for the plants and equipment, that can result in significantly lower efficiency and higher production costs due to:
- Corrosion and rusting of the tanks and distribution system
- Blockages inside the components and damage to valves, tools and other machinery
- Bad odors and unhealthy working environments
- Oil condensates that are difficult and expensive to dispose of
- Higher operating costs and plant maintenance costs
There are also serious risks for the food product including:
- Product loss
- Deterioration of characteristics (flavor, smell, color)
- Shorter shelf life
Without adequate prevention, these risks can harm end consumers —which could result in the product being withdrawn from the market or complex legal action and reputational damage. Protection is therefore needed on two levels:
- An adequate and correctly sized air treatment system to ensure effective protective of products and processes
- Constant monitoring of air quality using suitable instruments
Generators: Pneumatech nitrogen and oxygen generators are most commonly used in food and beverage applications, where gas can be used in almost every part of the production process. Some examples are packaging, grinding, food injection, bottling, cleaning and blanketing.
Dryers & Nitrogen Generators: Air treatment is necessary in food and beverage businesses that use air compressors. Pneumatech offers dryers and nitrogen generators for the air treatment and gas generation needs of your business.
When air compressors are used for bottling, packaging or keg washing, the compression of ambient air pulls in all the humidity and particulates that are floating around in the air. That concentration of liquid and contaminates will get downstream of the compressor and cause many issues for a business of any size. Because F&B industries are focused on sanitation to ensure there is nothing introduced into food or beverages, preventing these contaminates and humidity from reaching the product is imperative. To do this, filters and refrigerated dryers are used. Filters prevent particles and contaminates from ruining the final product. Dryers prevent humidity and condensation from getting into the ingredients, packaging and the products. Dryers also help keep the actuators in a bottling line from becoming clogged or rusted over time because of condensation. This keeps the packaging line moving and reduces the risk of any downtime.
Air treatment is often initially overlooked in the planning process of many industries, but it is imperative to make sure you are using filters, dryers, condensate management and nitrogen in order to produce the best product without contaminants. Pneumatech offers multiple products that provide a full solution for any F&B industry. To learn more about Pneumatech dryers and Pneumatech nitrogen generators, click the product overview below.
