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Eliminating contamination risks

13 February 2023

Estelle Robinson argues the case for a plant-wide move to H1 grade lubricants.

Look inside the lubricant cabinet of any food or beverage production plant and you may be surprising what you find. Upon close inspection, you are likely to see that the cabinet does not just hold food-grade (H1) lubricants, but may also contain cleaners, glue removers and penetrating sprays, which often turn out to be just industrial chemicals and/or degreasers and when non-food-grade lubricants clutter up a storage cabinet there is always the chance that someone may reach for the wrong lubricant at the wrong time. 

Given this possibility for end-product contamination it makes sense if the whole manufacturing site is food grade, lowering any chance of contamination, even if mixing occurs the risk is mitigated. Lubricants suitable for food, beverage applications are registered as H1 by NSF International (National Sanitation Foundation). These lubricants are physiologically inert, tasteless, and odourless and are suitable for incidental, technically unavoidable contact with a food product up to 10ppm. 

Above or below the line?
The traditional thinking was that you only need to use food grade lubricants ‘above the line’ and that industrial (H2) lubricants could be used ‘below the line’ as there was no risk of contamination so using a non-food grade lubricant was acceptable. Studies and experience have, however, shown that contamination can occur from ‘below the line’ and there is always the risk of mistakes being made.

The only way to completely avoid the contamination risk of H1 and non-H1 lubricants is to eliminate all non-food grade lubricants in the cabinet. However, there is a misconception that a food grade lubricant compromises performance. The good news for maintenance managers is that the latest lubricants designed for use in food and beverage facilities can do all the things that a conventional industrial lubricant does. 

Research and field experience has proven that H1 lubricants can deliver the same, or better performance than conventional industrial gear oils and can be used safely on machinery components such as pumps, mixers, gearboxes, chain drives and conveyor belts. Even at higher temperatures or loads, and in wash-down environments, the appropriate H1 lubricant will still reduce friction and wear, protect against corrosion, dissipate heat, and have a sealing effect. 

A typical H1 lubricant that offers efficiency, operational reliability and extended life is our Klübersynth UH1 6 Series. Some gearbox manufacturers use this H1 product for their first fill even when the gearbox is not necessarily intended for use in a food or beverage facility. 

Food safety as standard
By performing a careful inventory and converting to an all H1 registered lubricant facility, maintenance managers can eliminate any chance of potential contamination with hazardous substances leading to product recall whilst still achieving the same or in many cases better equipment performance. It’s a win-win formula that not only saves money when it comes to contamination clean-up, but it also pays dividends by driving food safety and quality forward in the plant environment for years to come.

Estelle Robinson is Business Development Manager - UK Food & Beverage at Klueber.


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