Food and Drink Production

Filtermist’s comprehensive range of air and process filters are used by many large food and drink producers throughout the UK to ensure reliable removal of vegetable oil mists and dust in food processing facilities. Filtermist Limited offers solutions as part of a centralised system and Filtermist oil mist filters and Dustcheck dust filters are also fitted by food processing machinery OEMs as part of the standard specification in a range of mechanical equipment.

INDUSTRY REGULATIONS

BS EN 1672-2:2005Food processing machinery. Basic concepts. Hygiene requirements

All food processing machinery is required to comply with industry standard BS EN 1672-2:2005. Filtermist oil mist filters do not come into direct contact with food so are not required to meet BS EN 1672-2:2005, however, all units are available with stainless steel drums and outer casings to ensure they adhere to standards required by the food production industry.

Dustcheck filters have been developed to meet the European Hygienic Engineering & Design Group (EHEDG) hygiene requirements of the food industry and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) in the food industry.

Standards of construction vary from mild steel with standard or special paint finishes to stainless steel (grade to suit ie. 304 or 316) with finishes from standard sheet with welds as laid, to special crack and crevice free polished finishes.

Working with Filtermist can help you achieve regulatory compliance

Service Programme for all makes & models of LEV equipment

Due to the nature of the processes involved in food production, including tipping, grinding and milling, one of the main risks to employee health within a food manufacturing facility is the quality of the air – with the HSE citing exposure to flour dust as the UK’s second most common cause of occupational asthma*.

Removing mists caused by spraying vegetable oils in food production processes is also very important. If left in the atmosphere, oil mist can cause health risks, as well as posing a fire and slip hazard.

All food and drink manufacturers are required to comply with the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health 2002 (COSHH) regulations, which provide a framework for the management of hazards including the assessment of health risks, the prevention of exposure, adequate control of exposure, and the monitoring, surveillance, and examination of the work environment.

In 2018, the HSE announced a programme of proactive inspections to ensure food and drink manufacturers adhere to health and safety standards, as part of its wider Manufacturing Sector Plan – with HSE’s Manufacturing Sector Head John Rowe claiming that…”the food manufacturing (sector’s) health and safety record needs to improve.”

The HSE claims ill-health caused by manufacturing processes within the food and drink industry should be adequately controlled through the use of risk control systems.

Filtermist offers a wide range of extraction equipment, including Dustcheck filters. Follow this link to find out more about Dustcheck’s dust control solutions for the food industry. We can also supply filtration equipment from a number of other manufacturers if required. Please contact our team for details. Other products supplied by Filtermist for use in the food industry include the ATEX rated Kerstar KEVA range of industrial vacuum cleaners. These long-lasting, UK manufactured vacuums are purposely designed, built, tested and approved as suitable to pick up potentially explosive and conductive dust and debris in a Dust Zone 22. The Type H models are also suitable for picking up dust and debris that is hazardous to health in a Dust Zone 22.

*https://www.hse.gov.uk/asthma/bakers.htm