In celebration of World Food Day on 16 October, FUCHS LUBRICANTS SOUTH AFRICA is showcasing its safe and efficient lubrication solutions for the food and beverage industry. “As one of the few companies in South Africa to have ISO 21469 accreditation in our manufacturing plant, we set the benchmark in safe food lubrication solutions,” comments Ashleigh Pollen, Industry and Specialty Manager.

ISO 21469 is an international standard that specifies the hygiene requirements for lubricants that may come into incidental contact with products during manufacturing and processing. It includes industries such as food and beverage, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and animal feed. The standard ensures that these lubricants are formulated, manufactured, used, and handled in a way that minimises the risk of contamination.

It covers aspects like formulation to ensure the ingredients used are safe and suitable for incidental contact, implementing good manufacturing practices to prevent contamination, and proper storage and handling to maintain hygiene standards. “ISO 21469 certification is particularly important for food-grade lubricants, as it provides assurance that the lubricants meet stringent hygiene requirements,” highlights Jaco Kriel, Industrial & Specialty Sales at FUCHS.

FUCHS offers a comprehensive food-grade lubricants, including the CASSIDA FLUID range, based on fully synthetic oils, and the CASSIDA FM range, based on semi-synthetic and white oils, for various applications in the food and beverage industry. All CASSIDA products are NSF H1 registered.

CASSIDA FM MACHINE OIL 15 is a multipurpose food-grade penetrating and airline lubricant for food and beverage processing equipment. Performance features include good protection against corrosion of all metal working surfaces, a neutral odour and taste, and easy application.

Another product suitable for the food and beverage industry is FUCHS BIO CLEAN. This environmentally friendly, water-based heavy-duty cleaner is offered in both a concentrate and premix. It assists facilities to meet the highest food industry standards, especially HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point) and ISO 22000.

“It is a solvent-free industrial cleaner for both commercial and industrial cleaning and works especially well on greasy surfaces. It can be used diluted or in its concentrated form without significant loss of cleaning power,” adds Kriel.

Food-grade lubricants are needed in sectors like dairy, beverage and brewing, bakery and confectionery, meat and poultry, animal feed and edible oil processing. “We provide lubricants for all these sectors. The CASSIDA range may not have as many products as mineral and synthetic lubricants for non-food industries, but we offer products for all food and beverage applications,” says Kriel.

FUCHS’ complete solutions for the food and beverage sector includes a free value-added service for customers known as a Lubrication Critical Control Point (LCCP) survey. “We begin by analysing different stages of the production process,” outlines Kriel.

For example, in the beverage industry, companies might manufacture their own preforms, which requires moulding machines using hydraulic oil. Then there is blow moulding, fillers, shrink-wrapping, and robotic stations, all of which have specific lubrication needs. “We have a lubricant solution for each step, including compressors. From hand cleaners to degreasers, we cover everything, even non-food products for vehicle fleets,” points out Kriel.

The theme for World Food Day 2024 is ‘Right to foods for a better life and a better future’. The focus is on ensuring that everyone has access to diverse, nutritious, safe, and affordable foods. The theme highlights the importance of food diversity, nutrition, affordability, and safety, aiming to raise awareness about the need for a greater variety of nutritious foods in our fields, markets, and on our tables.