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How safe are your food-grade lubricants?

Most food manufacturers (and even auditors) have limited knowledge of food-grade lubricants in areas where their food product could be contaminated. However, if you use non-food-grade lubricants in a food processing facility, you must be able to demonstrate, beyond any doubt, that there is no risk of a non-food-grade lubricant being used in an area of ​​potential contamination.

The above is pleasant and straightforward. However, the real challenge lies in understanding what defines a food-grade lubricant. Its formula has been controlled and approved by the NSF (National Sanitation Foundation) and classified as meeting the requirements of one or more of the following categories. All registered food-grade lubricants must bear the NSF logo, the NSF category code(s) to which the lubricant conforms, and the NSF certification number  .

3H  : This is used for release agents. When registered as both NSF 3H and NSF H1, a lubricant can be used as a direct food contact lubricant.

H1 : “Lubricants, general – accidental contact.” This applies to lubricants that can be used in and around food handling areas where accidental contact with food is acceptable. Only 10 ppm contamination by an  NSF  H1 lubricant is permitted on food.

H2 : ‘Lubricants, General – No possibility of food contact’. This applies to lubricants that can be used in a food processing area, provided there can be no contact with food. This category is NOT  FOODSAFE  , although it may be used by lubricant manufacturers to allow them to display the  NSF ‘check mark’ logo  on their products, so that they appear to be food-safe.

HT1 : This is used for heat transfer oils with accidental food contact.

K1 : ‘Solvent cleaners, Products for non-processing areas’. This is used for cleaning and/or degreasing solvents intended for non-processing areas. This category is NOT suitable  for  use in processing areas.

K2 : ‘Solvent cleaners, cleaners for electronic instruments’. This is used for solvents for cleaning electronic instruments and devices. This category is suitable for use in processing areas.

K3 : This is used for adhesives or glue removers. This category is suitable for use in processing areas (wash with detergent and rinse with potable water).

A1 : “Cleaning products, general cleaners.” This is used for general cleaning products. This category is suitable for use in and around treatment areas (rinse with potable water).

A7 : “Cleaning products, metal polishing products – non-food contact.” This category is suitable for use in and around processing areas on surfaces that do not come into contact with food.

A major misconception in the food industry is that an  NSF  H1 lubricant guarantees the safety and integrity of your food products. It must be strongly emphasized that  NSF H1 lubricants are safe for  food contact incidents  (with a maximum permissible level of lubricant contamination of 10 ppm on a food product). This leaves the risk that if an  NSF  H1-registered lubricant comes into contact with your food, you may need to issue a product recall.

There is a solution, however. In areas where the lubricant enters or is likely to come into direct contact with food, a food contact lubricant is required. A food contact lubricant is a dual-registered lubricant  ( NSF  H1 and  NSF  3H, with NSF  3H being a food contact release agent). There is no maximum permissible contamination limit between a food contact lubricant and a food product. However, it is important to note that a lubricant is not an ingredient and must still be handled to avoid tainting your food product.  ROCOL manufactures a range of food contact lubricants ( NSF  H1 and  NSF 3H Dual  registered   ) under the PUROL® brand.

Areas that require the use of lubricants in direct contact with food include (but are not limited to) suspension bearings in screw conveyors (worm gears), assembly grease for depositors, grinders and general food processing equipment, and lubrication directly above the food chain.

Another aspect that auditors are now beginning to understand and demand evidence of is proof that the food-grade lubricants used are actually food-grade. This can only be proven if the manufacturer of the food-grade lubricants is  ISO  21469 accredited. ISO  21469 “specifies the hygiene requirements for the formulation, manufacture, use, and handling of lubricants,”* ensuring suitability for use in the food industry. This involves an annual audit of the lubricant manufacturing plant, quality systems, and record-keeping documentation. ISO 21469  proves that food-grade lubricants are manufactured according to recipes registered and approved by the  NSF , and that they are manufactured in a clean and hygienic manner.

Finally, when the food safety level of your lubricants is correct in a traditional grease gun, there is no way to know what grease was actually loaded into the grease gun.

This is where Mato’s Lubeshuttle® grease gun and lubrication system comes in. ROCOL® sells food-grade greases filled into Lubeshuttle cartridges, and we print the cartridge labels so that when loaded into the grease gun, the grease name,  NSF category code  , and registration number are visible at all times. This makes the  ROCOL grease gun  and Lubeshuttle® system combination the best method of grease application in the food industry. In fact, it’s the only fully verifiable grease application system that doesn’t require a clear plastic grease gun (which then has to be included in the factory’s hard plastic log and regularly inspected for damage).

• extract from the abridged version of ISO  21469:2006