![\"Food](\"https:\/\/www.sentryair.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/07\/people-factory-standing-by-table-sm.jpg\")
<\/a>Food processing facilities, like the one pictured above, can benefit from using fume extractors and air filtration systems to improve the indoor air quality.<\/p><\/div>
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\nIn the food processing industry, monitoring indoor air quality (IAQ) plays a vital role in helping to prevent food contamination and preserving employee health. Poor indoor air quality in food processing or production facilities can lead to foodborne illnesses for consumers and occupational asthma for workers. Food processing facilities can benefit from improving indoor air quality using portable fume extraction systems.<\/p>\n
Food Processing Facilities Indoor Air Quality Concerns<\/h2>\nFood Contamination<\/h3>\n
Poor indoor air quality can lead to contaminated food due to airborne contaminants such as bacteria (salmonella, e. coli, listeria, etc.), viruses, pollen, mold, and dust (WHO 2024)<\/a>. Airborne microbes can drastically affect the food\u2019s quality and shelf life. Eating contaminated food can lead to foodborne illnesses. According to WHO, foodborne diseases are caused when food becomes contaminated during production, delivery, and consumption (WHO 2024)<\/a>. WHO estimates that 1 in 10 people fall ill from contaminated food every year which has led to 420,000 deaths. To protect the customer\u2019s safety and company reputation, precautions must be taken to prevent food contamination.<\/p>\n The food production process exposes employees to harmful particulate such as spices, flour, and other food dust as well as fumes such as pesticides, fumigants, and other VOCs (Piab 2023)<\/a>. Exposure should be minimized to protect employees’ respiratory health and reduce the chance of developing occupational asthma. The leading factors that cause occupational asthma in food processing facilities are poor ventilation systems, lack of safety training for PPE, and individual risk factors (Md Zamari 2023)<\/a>.<\/p>\n FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act suggests that food processing facilities implement preventative contrls to help prevent food contamination.<\/p><\/div>\n The FDA enacted the Food Safety Modernization Act in 2015 to help prevent foodborne illnesses and improve overall food safety. In this law, the FDA recommends food processing facilities evaluate potential hazards that affect food quality (FDA 2017)<\/a>. Once the risks are identified, facilities should implement preventative controls to minimize occurrence (FDA 2017)<\/a>. Air filtration systems can act as a preventative measure by removing airborne contaminants from the airflow such as biological, physical, chemical, natural toxins, allergens, and more.<\/p>\n Food processing workers using a portable fume extractor to help remove irritating airborne particulate such as spice dust.<\/p><\/div>\n Fume extractors, air filtration systems, and ductless fume hoods can help facilities maintain safer indoor air quality and reduce the chance of food contamination and employee respiratory exposure. These systems draw airborne contaminants into the filtration systems and release filtered air back into the workspace. The filtration system utilizes high-quality filters such as HEPA, ASHRAE, and ULPA for particulate and Activated Carbon and specialty blended filter media for odors and chemical fumes. A combination of both can be used for applications that emit both particulate and fumes. For the food processing industry, Sentry Air Systems offers a food-grade stainless steel fume extractor and ductless fume hood.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The Stainless Steel Fume Extractor and Ductless Fume Hood from Sentry Air are constructed of food-grade stainless steel similar to this food processing equipment from a wine processing facility.<\/p><\/div>\n Food-grade stainless steel (316 & 304) offers many benefits to food processing facilities. 316 & 304 stainless steel provides a strong and versatile option that helps prevent food contamination (Carter 2023)<\/a>. Most food processing equipment (like the picture on the right) uses stainless steel making it a great choice for food processing fume extractors. Other benefits include (Carter 2023)<\/a>: Sentry Air offers reliable air cleaning tools constructed of food-grade stainless steel ideal for the food processing industry. Our popular Model 300 and Model 400 Portable Fume Extractors are now available in 316 Stainless Steel (food and medical grade). Similarly, our trusted ductless fume hood is available in food-grade\/medical-grade stainless steel in the most popular widths \u2013 30\u201d, 40\u201d, and 50\u201d. These robust systems offer the same powerful airflow as the original models but provide additional benefits to the food processing industry.<\/p>\n Stainless Steel Engineering Controls Benefits<\/b> Stainless Steel Engineering Controls Applications<\/b> Model 300 Stainless Steel Fume Extractor<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n The Model 300 and 400 Stainless Steel Portable Fume Extractors<\/a> utilize an adjustable self-supportive capture hose that can easily be maneuvered near the fume or particulate source. These systems move easily to a different location due to portability features including heavy-duty casters and a portability handle. The Stainless Steel Fume Extractor includes a variable speed controller and a quick \u201cno tool\u201d filter change. This easy-to-use fume extractor provides flexibility and reliable performance.<\/p>\n <\/p>\nEmployee Respiratory Health<\/h3>\n
Food Safety Modernization Act<\/h3>\n
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\nPreventative Engineering Controls for Food Processing Facilities<\/h2>\n
<\/a>Stainless Steel in the Food Processing Industry<\/h3>\n
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\n\u2022 Easy to clean smooth surface
\n\u2022 High quality and reliable
\n\u2022 Able to handle acids and resistant to acid corrosion
\n\u2022 Neutral surface that doesn\u2019t pick up odors
\n\u2022 Antibacterial
\nFor fume extractors and ductless fume hoods, food-grade stainless steel construction provides a smooth surface for easy cleaning and disinfecting. Also, the surface offers antibacterial properties that help prevent food contamination.<\/p>\n
\nStainless Steel Engineering Controls for the Food Processing Industry<\/h2>\n
\n\u2022 Easy to clean and disinfect
\n\u2022 Meets food industry standards with 316 and 304 stainless steel construction
\n\u2022 Durable for acid-based environments
\n\u2022 Ideal for sensitive applications
\n\u2022 Quick lead times \u2013 5 business days
\n\u2022 Made in the USA
\n\u2022 High quality filtration options
\n\u2022 Backed expert support \u2013 application specialists with years of experience will consult you to determine the best-suited solution and ensure filter efficiency.<\/p>\n
\n\u2022 Ingredient food labs
\n\u2022 Food production and processing
\n\u2022 Applications that use corrosive chemicals
\n\u2022 Pharmaceutical powder transfer
\n\u2022 Variety of medical applications involving fumes and dust<\/p>\nStainless Steel Portable Fume Extractor<\/h3>\n
<\/a>Technical Specifications<\/h5>\n