Food industry

Airfilter for food and pharma

The deregulation of the legislation made food and pharmaceutical producers responsible for the CCP (Critical Control Points). This also means they have to stay up to speed on technical developments, laws, and standards in the field of hygiene. The EU and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) monitor this process.

The FDA and other institutions promote the use of Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Good Hygiene Practices (GHP) technologies and standards.

Examples of these standards are BRC, IFS, FSSC 22000, EHEDGE, and TFMS. These are part of the internationally recognized principle of ADPCM / HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points) which will be used for the risk analysis and analysis of critical points and validation of these items.

Why do all these standards and controls exist? It is good to know that one square meter of unfiltered air can contain millions of natural and artificial fine dust particles, gas molecules, and microorganisms such as bacteria, fungi, and viruses.

Listeria monocytogenes

The most common food poisoning present in the air is caused by listeria monocytogenes which can survive for up to 3.5 hours when aerosol (in the air) and is annually responsible for many deaths. These pathogenesis infections can often be traced back to the food (processing) industry. Increasingly we read about food poisoning which until recently was not seen as a danger, for example, refrigerated or frozen food or ready meals. (Source BRC).

The cost of a recall

Food (and Pharma) recalls are most importantly a public health issue, but it is also a significant economic issue. The average cost of a recall to a food (or pharma) company is $10M USD in direct costs, in addition to brand damage and lost sales according to a joint industry study by the Food Marketing Institute and the Grocery Manufacturers’ Association.

AFPRO filters supports a healthy work environment

Certain types of food production processes can contaminate indoor air quality. Recirculation or inadequate air filtration can lead to contamination or health problems for the staff.

We can recommend the appropriate air filters after testing the air in your production environment with our high-tech measuring equipment. At the same time, we can also test if your air current air filtration system still meets the applicable requirements and execute the Eurovent 4-10 in-situ test.

The desired indoor air quality (Desired Indoor Air Quality (IDA) levels can be achieved by selecting the right air filters in observance of the air quality (Outdoor Air Quality (ODA) as shown in the EN13779 standard.