Thorsten Lenertat is Global Account Manager EMEA and International Sales Manager South East Europe, Switzerland and Austria at BEKO TECHNOLOGIES and particularly involved in association work. A major task for him and BEKO TECHNOLOGIES is to raise awareness in the food industry for the compressed air used in food production and its quality - and of course to offer solutions.
Mr. Lenertat, according to the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection, there are around 6100 food production companies in Germany. The meat and meat processing industry, the dairy industry, the baking and sweets industry and the processed fruits and vegetables industry are the most important sectors. In terms of food exports, Germany ranks third in the world with an export quota of just over 33%. Looking at this size, one wonders: how important is compressed air for this industry?
To put it briefly it simply doesn’t work without compressed air. It is not possible to produce most of the products.
Compressed air is used for the deliveryy (loading and unloading) by silo transport, the transport of raw materials or products in the plant, packaging, filling, for the lenses of particle sensors etc.. - and also directly for the product (e.g., ice cream production).
Mr Lenertat, for the food industry safe product quality is essential . How well known was the influence of the quality of compressed air on the end product when you started your work with associations and ministries?
Food companies have long been aware that compressed air treatment has always been an important part of the overall production process. However, the last few years have been characterized by the need to pay more attention to this, especially due to new measurement instruments. Too many standards and regulations in the market complicate the monitoring mechanisms necessary for inspection.
For this reason food producing companies apply the motto "... a safe product must be produced ...". This is reflected in the "in-house specification" of each producer.
What is particularly important about compressed air treatment for the food industry?
That it is matched to the product and its production site. A sensible "in-house compressed air specification" also helps. This is important for the producer, because he is responsible for the production of a "safe product". That is why more and more companies are installing their own 24/7 monitoring system. This enables producers to have reliable, up-to-date data available for themselves and the authorities.
Direct or indirect contact of compressed air with food - which is more common?
Many opinions differ here. What is "direct" and "indirect" product contact? Basically contaminants in, on or around the product should be avoided through incorrectly treated compressed air. It is difficult give a simple answer. I would like to give you an example.
A producer manufactures containers in which food is filled later on. He sees the consequence for himself - if there is contamination on or in the container, it could cause him harm - ergo, it is a direct contact for him. A production manager from the same industry, with the same application, told me: "For us, this is "only" an indirect contact. It is important what the responsible manufacturer describes in his in-house specification. Because this is traceable and verifiable.
Since when have compressed air applications and their compressed air quality been covered by the IFS guidelines for e.g. hazard analyses in food production?
Well, compressed air has always been part of HACCP. If you look in the guidelines, AIR in general (and compressed air is part of this) has to be checked, or even monitored and, if necessary, controlled. The IFS also points this out in its documents.
Are there special audits for compressed air quality in food-producing companies?
Yes, first of all there are the "internal audits" of the companies. But I think you are referring to the external auditors? The TÜV and the food inspectors are certainly part of this. On the other hand, the wholesalers with their own auditors also carry out very precise checks in production - and this concerns the entire production and supply chain (upstream suppliers, transport etc.).
What can happen in the worst case if an audit is not passed?
Then there is usually a chance for improvement - the worst case scenario would be that production is no longer allowed. In the past, we have already heard in the media about one or the other case where germs, bacteria or other contaminants have contaminated food.
Now another very important question in times of energy crisis: can compressed air treatment be used to produce the quality of compressed air that meets the requirements and is economical? If so, how?
Here, an old rule applies: achieve the most with the given means. By this I mean that the investment of a new acquisition with a modification to the current state of the art should always be clarified on site with the respective circumstances. Many companies today still do not make use of the core competence of compressed air treatment producers. We, as experts in compressed air treatment, have the possibility to reduce and save compressed air and energy costs with our different components. This can be with flow-optimised filter housings and the right sizing. With suitable sized dryers and, last but not least, with the right monitoring to receive information about unwanted changes at any time and to be able to intervene immediately.
