Food approved equipment: what does it mean and when do you need it?

The manufacturing industry of food and beverage is complex. It is defined by high hygiene and food safety regulations, hygienic standards, and industry guidelines. Due to these different regulations and standards, knowing when and where you are supposed to use food approved equipment can be confusing. In this article, we will sort out what food safety means and when equipment designed for food safety is needed.

The World Health Organization, WHO, defines food safety as the “assurance that food will not cause harm to consumers when it is prepared and/or eaten according to its intended use.” What food approved equipment, on the other hand, means depends on the equipment and if it will be in direct contact with food or liquids during the manufacturing process. Here, all parts in the manufacturing supply chain, i.e., food suppliers, food owners, or food equipment manufacturers, play an important role in choosing and using the right equipment to avoid contaminations. This is done by various of regulations and standards.

When do you need food approved equipment?

Depending on the market, the regulations may differ. The European markets, for example, follow the EU 1935/2004/EC regulation, while the U.S. market follows the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) legislation. To this, there are also local regulations and industry specific hygiene standards, i.e. European Hygienic Engineering and Design Guidelines (EHEDG). In other words, multiple regulations and standards that decide whether the equipment intended to be in direct contact with food or liquids gets approved. For example, hoses used for water, beer, dairy products, wine, or oil must be classified as food-grade hoses. A food-grade hose is designed to preserve the food and liquid quality and ensure that there is no contamination when in direct contact with food or liquids, such as imparting the smell or taste.

Does all equipment need to be food approved?

The short answer is no. Just as important it is to know when and where to use food approved equipment, just as necessary is it to know that not all equipment needs to be approved according to regulations and hygiene standards. If the equipment is not to be in direct contact with the food or liquids, there is no need to have approval for that purpose. As a supplier of equipment to the food and beverage industry, we ensure that our products meet the legislations and safety requirements where needed.

What food approved equipment can CEJN provide?

CEJN offers high-performing solutions that will increase food safety and facilitate the production process. We have a growing assortment of products specially made to suit the food and beverage industry, such as EU and FDA-approved hoses, stainless steel covers and washdown guns. Our stainless steel hose reel with a food approved PVC or rubber hose is ideal for keeping the area clean and sanitized, the ultraFLOW quick connect couplings will ensure that there is no spill in the production process, and the wide range of compressed air equipment will make the daily job more efficient.