Apologies for the delay in responding and thanks once again for your participation and interest in the webinar.
Colleen: When one carries compressed air in tanks on trucks, should one have a testing programme.?
Yes. If compressed air or gas touches your product directly or indirectly it should be tested.
Ehsan: How we can sterilize the compressed air?
You should work with a reputable compressor manufacturer to get your system producing the quality of air or gas needed for your process. Regular PM programs are a must!
John: Is it true that microbiological concerns are not present with ultra dry compressed air?
They are far less likely in a dry environment. The dryer the better.
Ana: I have a question one of our sites uses electric air compressor to clean products prior shipping ( obviously not a good practice). What standards can I review to go over with associates and ensure this practice stops? Or what other extra steps should I performed if this is suitable? Please advise. Thanks.
This would not be an advisable source of compressed air for food processing. The practice should fall under the same scrutiny as any other part of your process. HACCP protocols should apply.
Ehsan: What tests to be carried out for air quality?
We recommend particle, water, oil, and microbiological air or gas testing to appropriate ISO 8573 limits for your product.
Paul Kuma: Since most food companies are not equipped with suitable air testing facilities, is it advisable to sub-contract this to external analytical laboratories?
This is an excellent alternative and often preferred because it is 3rd party validation. However, ensure the lab you choose is ISO 17025 Accredited and has the ability to provide analysis to actual ISO 8573 limits.
Anon: If compressed air comes in contact with conveyor belt and belt in turn comes in contact with food product, would it be considered as direct contact or indirect contact?
In our experience that would be considered indirect contact. From what our customers tell us, direct contact air actually touches the product.
Kim Wegmeyer: Can anyone share there sanitary testing technique or procedure when taking samples for testing.
We have videos of the sampling process on our website.
ISO 8573-1: https://www.aircheck...uctional-video/
ISO 8573-7: https://www.aircheck...microbial-video
Bob: How is a sample collected?
See above links please.
Evangelos: What's the most common cause of samples not meeting the ISO req?
Failure for particulate content is the most frequent failure we see at our lab.
Kristy: When I asked "HOW CAN I MEET THE SQF AIR QUALITY STANDARD? This was what I got: The SQF auditor looks to make sure manufacturers have the proper point- of-use filtration in place to ensure clean, safe air. That means that the air coming in contact with food or food contact surfaces should present no risk to food safety. Using sterile grade air is one of the most effective ways of reducing food safety risk. Every compressed air installation needs to ensure removal of particulate and coalescing contaminants down to a safe level. Monitor your compressed air line regularly to ensure integrity of the filtration system. By installing proper compressed air filtration at the point-of-use, you will meet or exceed GFSI, CFR Title 21, and the SQF standard for compressed air.
We would add to use compressor professionals to work and maintain your system. Regular air testing will tell you if your filtration is working as expected. It can also alert you to a potential problem before it becomes catastrophic.
Mariana: If you blow empty packagings from the inside do you consider that direct contact?
In our experience that would be considered indirect contact because the air is not touching the product. However, we are not a regulatory organization with any say so on the definition of direct and indirect contact air. We would be interested in hearing your opinions on what constitutes direct or indirect contact air. What are your auditors saying? Please provide examples.