Food & Drink Process & Packaging Issue 21 2018 | Page 20

Making food safe to consume The customer has the legal right to expect food to be safe to consume, but who owns the responsibility for achieving this? Currently, so far as food manufacturing is concerned, it lies with both the manufacturer of the systems or machinery involved and the food manufacturing company. The machinery manufacturing company has the responsibility for avoiding all potential areas of food/drink contamination within the system. This includes minimising potential ‘traps’ where food can become lodged and become difficult to remove during cleaning. Typically, these might include poorly welded and unfinished joints, sharp Smooth surfaces and easy access to all Finned motors can therefore act as a fastenings with open heads. areas are essential requirements. Also, the breeding ground for germs, becoming ability to clean machinery components ‘in a potential product contamination risk. There is also the selection of the materials place’ has become increasingly important, Numerous catchment areas include fins, both to facilitate cleaning and to avoid nameplates and angular terminal boxes possible contamination ingress. that can serve as prime bug-breeding angular bends in metal and unsuitable employed for machinery construction to be considered. To ensure the appropriate materials are employed, the food manufacturer must provide comprehensive details of all ingredients involved and the cleaning materials/chemicals that will be used. Most of the guidance insists that stainless steel should be used wherever zones. Furthermore, they are difficult Yet there seems to be a common and troublesome to clean and certainly anachronism amongst these hygiene cannot effectively be ‘cleaned in place’, sensitive installations – finned, painted hence the dubious practice of “bagging” electric motors being employed to drive motors being employed. machinery. When their use is questioned possible. the response is often: ‘not in direct contact These hygiene issues are eliminated with food’. Whilst this may be true, cleaning by adopting Lafert’s ‘Marlin’ range of Cleaning must also be taken into operations, such as pressure washing of smooth bodied, stainless steel motors floors and areas of machinery will atomise and gearboxes. Designed specifically for germs that can collect on the motors. the food, pharmaceutical and chemical consideration by the machinery manufacturer. industries, they offer easy-to-clean characteristics and extended reliability. Rated IP69K/66, they can be cleaned using high-pressure hoses and have reduced material-catchment areas to harbour germs – motor details are etched onto the body which has an integrated smooth terminal box. IP66 rated inverters can also be supplied to complete the washdown-tolerant package. www.marlinstainless.com 20 FDPP - www.fdpp.co.uk