Requirements for compressed air levels for food production enterprises

In food production companies, the grade requirements for compressed air need to be classified according to its contact mode with food (direct contact, indirect contact or non-contact), and must meet the core requirements of international standards (such as ISO 8573-1:2010) and industry specifications (such as ISO 22000, BRC/BCAS Code of Practice). The following is a specific analysis:

1. Requirements for compressed air levels in direct contact with food

application scenarios：
Directly involved in food production processes, such as ingredients, fermentation, mixing, bagging, cooling, pneumatic transportation, etc., or compressed air that comes into direct contact with finished food and its ingredients.

Core Standards：

1. solid particles：
   • ISO 8573-1:2010 Class 1：
     • ≤0.1μm particulate matter ≤20,000 pieces/m³
     • 0.1-0.5μm particulate matter ≤400 pieces/m³
     • 0.5-1μm particulate matter ≤10 pieces/m³
   • industry requirements: Dust, microorganisms and other impurities need to be removed through a high-efficiency precision filter (filtration efficiency ≥99.99%, accuracy 0.01μm).
2. moisture content：
   • ISO 8573-1:2010 Class 2：
     • Pressure dew point ≤-40℃
   • industry requirements: Use adsorption dryers (such as mold core adsorption dryers) to ensure deep drying and prevent moisture from breeding mold or causing moisture to food.
3. oil content：
   • ISO 8573-1:2010 Class 1：
     • Oil residue ≤0.01mg/m³
   • industry requirements: Oil-free compressors (such as food grade water-lubricated screw machines) must be used or equipped with catalytic oxidation oil removal equipment to avoid lubricating oil contaminating food.
4. microbial control：
   • Total bacterial count ≤100CFU/m³：
     • It needs to be further purified through HEPA filtration (filtration efficiency ≥99.97%) or ultraviolet sterilization (UV) to ensure sterility.
   • industry requirements: The compressed air system needs to be included in the HACCP plan and conduct regular microbial testing (such as settling bacteria method and floating bacteria method).

2. Requirements for compressed air levels for indirect contact with food

application scenarios：
Compressed air discharged into the food production environment (such as packaging workshops, bottle blowing, equipment activation valves, etc.) that does not directly contact food but may affect its sanitary environment.

Core Standards：

1. solid particles：
   • ISO 8573-1:2010 Class 2：
     • ≤0.1μm particulate matter ≤400,000 pieces/m³
     • 0.1-0.5μm particulate matter ≤6,000 pieces/m³
     • 0.5-1μm particulate matter ≤100 pieces/m³
   • industry requirements: Remove most particulate matter through a precision filter (accuracy 0.1μm).
2. moisture content：
   • ISO 8573-1:2010 Class 4：
     • Pressure dew point ≤+2℃
   • industry requirements: Use a freeze dryer (cold dryer) for preliminary water removal.
3. oil content：
   • ISO 8573-1:2010 Class 2：
     • Oil residue ≤0.1mg/m³
   • industry requirements: When using a micro-oil compressor, a high-efficiency oil removal filter (such as catalytic oxidation oil removal equipment) is required.

3. Requirements for compressed air levels for non-contact foods

application scenarios：
Compressed air that is completely out of contact with food or food packaging machinery, such as factory pneumatic tools, equipment maintenance, etc.

Core Standards：

• industry requirements: Although there are no strict international standards, it needs to meet the internal control requirements of the company. It is usually necessary to control particulate matter, moisture and oil content to avoid pollution to the production environment.

4. Industry specifications and additional requirements

1. ISO 22000 Food Safety Management Systems：
   • Compressed air systems are required to incorporate HACCP plans to identify and control risks such as microorganisms and chemical residues.
2. BRC/BCAS Food Grade Compressed Air Code of Practice：
   • Provide minimum purity and quality standards for the food and beverage industry, emphasizing regular risk assessment and equipment maintenance.
3. Equipment and piping requirements：
   • Use 316L stainless steel or food grade plastic pipes to avoid dead corners and water accumulation points, and the slope is ≥1:100.
   • Food contact pipes are separated from non-contact pipes to prevent cross-contamination.
4. monitoring and verification：
   • regular testing: Check oil content, moisture, and particulate matter every week; conduct microbial testing every month.
   • on-line monitoring: Install dew point meters, oil content detectors and other equipment to achieve real-time early warning.
   • third-party verification: Entrust the health technical service agency to conduct integrity verification every year to ensure that the filter component efficacy certificate is consistent with the actual consumable label.