How far to go with food grade lubricants on machines?
Hi
We are flexible polyethylene packaging manufacturer who does food and non-food contact packaging.
what are the BRC requirements for the lubricants to be food grade if any? how far we need to go with this? how do you proof your compliance for BRC standards?
please share your experiences and suggestions.
Thank you
Hello Compliance Guy,
Request from your supplier of food grade grease/oil the CoC, SDS and certificate of registration as food grade and a certificate that it is processed in allergen free environment. We've been audited last year against BRC7, and that are the docs they were looking from us.
regards,
redfox
We solely manufacture blown film polythene for food contact use and use no food grade lubricants on site, what we do have are risk analyses which show that there is minimal or no risk of contact between the lubricants that we use and the product, and that lubricants, as with all chemicals, are properly controlled.
We solely manufacture blown film polythene for food contact use and use no food grade lubricants on site, what we do have are risk analyses which show that there is minimal or no risk of contact between the lubricants that we use and the product, and that lubricants, as with all chemicals, are properly controlled.
Thank you for your reply, would you be able to share an example of that risk assessment please?
Kind Regards
You may want to look at FDA requirements.
Hi Compliance Guy,
I'm a blown film manufacturer and all my grease is food grade. Per my maintenance, when we switched to food grade, there was no difference to the performance of our equipment.
The only things I carry that are food grade and non-food grade is oil. I had to risk assess my process to ensure that the contact area does not make contact with the non-food grade oil, which the oil is used to operate the motor.
My recommendation is to ensure that your risk assessment includes the food contact areas that the product will touch. If there can be a potential risk, I would use only food grade lubricants.
hopefully I helped, but there are more knowledgeable people that have responded already.
Just to add a little technical caution, in the context of this thread the terminology "Food-Grade" has certain implications, eg -
An oil or grease qualifies as an NSF H1 food grade lubricant when, in the event of a contamination, it is present in no more than 10 mg per kg of the foodstuff in question and must not cause any physiological hazard or affect the food’s odor and taste in any way.
You may have done so, but don't forget to look at the oil used in your air compressors
Hi,
in Europe a discussions is virulent since some years, mainly in Germany on MOSH/MOAH mineral oil components contaminating food through packaging not only FCM. All raw materials will be packed in their life time on different stage. In manufacturing processes (interal and external) we only accept the use of H1 without making a difference between raw materials and packaging. Our interest is to avoid contamination thoughout the whole supply chain. (e.g. only use of certain type of jute bags in the origin for cocoa). Of cource we will not accept any contamination coming from our PP-foil supplier. They have to have procedures in place to avoid contamination.
Rgds
moskito
Our production area is open to include storage and dispatch areas so we employ food-safe oils in lubricants on all equipment within this area (thermoformers, compressors, etc).
Hello,
I found this very nice link that may come in handy. Note that you can make multiple selections at once.
Hello,
I found this very nice link that may come in handy. Note that you can make multiple selections at once.
Hi nross,
Thks but for me (ffox) the link is broken ?
Hi nross,
Thks but for me (ffox) the link is broken ?
Charles,
Thanks for replying. I will now try this again. http://info.nsf.org/...snclistings.asp
Let me know if it works and if you find it useful!
Charles,
Thanks for replying. I will now try this again. http://info.nsf.org/...snclistings.asp
Let me know if it works and if you find it useful!
hi nross,
Yes, now working, thks. And i agree its useful.
I recall seeing it here some time ago in another thread on "food grade" markers but well worth seeing again. :thumbup: