Air quality in the food industry, a challenge for producers

In the following article, MET MANN explains how to improve air quality in the food industry, which systems help to maintain optimal hygiene and safety conditions that are now more necessary than ever. Air purification in the food industryFood production facilities sometimes require complex production mechanisms, manipulation by operators and other processes that require very meticulous hygienic and disinfection conditions. In this context, controlling the air quality in the production areas, especially in relation to the temperature and humidity of the environment, is an essential requirement. A high degree of humidity could cause condensation on the surfaces and promote the appearance of mold, deterioration in the facilities and machinery, as well as the proliferation of contaminating bacteria. All these factors must be managed through the indoor air quality of the facilities that remains stable in all sectors (storage, packaging ...) to preserve the safety and quality of the products. This is achieved through an air filtering process that requires a prior analysis of the existing ventilation systems and the possible dangers they harbor. Once the technical study of the contamination risks has been carried out, the potential risk zones of each production area have to be established as well as defining the necessary purity in each environment. Air filters to improve air quality in food industriesWhen deciding on an air filtering system to improve air quality in the food industry, it is necessary to take into account that they must be installed in such a way that the air conditioning and ventilation systems are kept free of suspended pollutants and kept in intact hygiene conditions at all times. It is convenient to take into account the filters necessary to keep the air purity intact, differentiating between dust, aerosols or gaseous components for which it will be necessary to use gas phase filters. In the event that the dust concentration is high, dust extraction systems with washable filters will be used for technical and economic reasons. Furthermore, to guarantee air quality it is recommended to always use filters of the highest purity, such as EPA, HEPA and ULPA approved according to official certifications: ISO 29463, DIN EN 779 (for coarse particles G3 and G4) and DIN EN 1822 ( for fine particles from M5 to F9).