• H1 lubricants are considered safe for incidental contact in the equipment used for manufacturing products for human consumption.
• HT-1 lubricants comprise of heat transfer fluids that are deemed suitable for use in heating and cooling systems used for the manufacturing of products for human consumption.
• H3, whilst not strictly lubricating materials, per se, comprise of soluble oils used in the cleaning of equipment and the removal and prevention of rust and other unwanted residue on equipment.
• 3H lubricants comprise of oils that are used to prevent the foodstuff from adhering to hooks, grills and other preparatory equipment in the manufacture and transport of products for human consumption.
• H2 are substances that are not suitable for contact with products for human consumption and are used in areas where there is no possibility of contact of any kind with foodstuffs.
Following the launch of NSF standards in 1999, the Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI, 2000), and later the International Organization for Standardization (ISO, 2006) were created with the purpose of defining standard food safety requirements throughout the international supply chain, as well as taking into account specific local or cultural considerations that may also need to be met (e.g.: Halal preparation of meat).
End users require that FGLs they use in their operation to be approved and classified by NSF if they are to come into contact with foodstuffs.
Oil majors do not tend to actively participate in the FGL market due to the small quantities involved compared to other industrial lubricants. FGLs therefore constitute a consolidated market led by five players which account for more than half of the total market share in the six countries/regions covered in Kline’s report.
FUCHS is the largest supplier of FGLs in the six countries/regions covered in the report (having acquired FGL businesses from both Shell and Chevron), followed by Klueber Lubrication, Jax, ExxonMobil and TotalEnergies (the two majors which are the exception to the trend).
Classification and demand for food-grade lubricants Typically, FGLs are divided into two major categories: Mineral oil based and synthetic oil based, however it is also possible to formulate them from bio-derived basestocks.
Mineral oil based FGLs are priced lower than their synthetic counterparts, resulting in them accounting for a higher share of FGLs. Of these, the majority are Group II derived formulations, due to the balance that Group II materials strike between quality and cost effectiveness (outside of Europe, use of Group I based lubricants is very low).
Of the synthetic oil-based FGLs, which are largely used in high temperature, higher pressure or similar extreme condition applications, polyalphaolefin (PAO) based formulations are most common. This is due to their miscibility with mineral oils, allowing facilities to switch from mineral oil-based formulations to synthetic formulations with little-to-no retooling or inconvenience.
In a recent study conducted by Kline, of the lubricant types that meet food-safety standards, the greatest demand is for food-grade hydraulic oils, due to the propensity of hydraulic systems to leak. Demand for food-grade hydraulic oils is almost one and a half times the demand for the next largest category, gear oils.
Chain oils, used in industrial ovens, also represent one of the most highly demanded food-grade oil types, although chain oils are not used as widely internationally as some other lubricant types. This is because in many areas it is preferable to use a multi-purpose lubricant to fulfil the functions of chain oils rather than bespoke product.
With this in mind, food-grade white oils are in demand primarily for their versatility, with the correct formulation and additives allowing them to fulfil the functions of gear oils and chain oils in the right circumstances.
Greases are often also required to meet food-grade specifications due to their use in lubricating valves and seals across industries in which edible products are either manufactured or transported.
Continued on page 12 LUBE MAGAZINE NO.167 FEBRUARY 2022 11
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