H2 category may not be in contact with the food you eat
industry would be acceptable.” There are a few categorically unacceptable substances, but unless a compound is known to be highly toxic, it is acceptable as an H2 lubricant without further review. H2 lubricants are chemical hazards under HACCP and must be managed carefully.
In the author’s opinion, the H2 category causes significant confusion because H2 products are often considered ‘food grade’ lubricants, but do not have approval for any food contact. Once a lubricant is called ‘food grade’, people at the plant level may think food contact is acceptable.
Performance requirements of food grade lubricants Modern food plants are truly industrial in their size, scope and equipment demands. They require lubricants that meet all of the industrial performance requirements with the added provision that they are food safe in use. When the regulations were introduced, manufacturers often had to choose between food safety and effective lubrication. Today, the lubricants industry has introduced H1 category lubricants that perform as well as their industrial counterparts, and manufacturers no longer need to compromise.
Trust is the final word Consumers must trust every part of the supply chain before they will purchase a food product. To be sure, the quality and appearance of the food is part of the trust equation. A product that looks dirty, burned or broken will not make it into our shopping trolley. Commercially produced foods rely heavily on the manufacturing process to consistently meet the aesthetic requirements. Of course, the manufacturing process relies heavily on lubricants to consistently maintain production quality standards.
Many consumers pay a premium because they trust the brand, and brand managers spend vast sums of money advertising their product to build familiarity so that the consumer will feel good about the experience at both point of sale and point of consumption. Without naming names, my wife actually pays a lot of money for dog food that she trusts even though the dog will gladly eat a piece of bread he finds in a mud puddle. Sadly, we aren’t selling our products to dogs, but to humans that need to trust we have done everything possible to make our products safe.
i) Codex Alimentarius welcome page
www.codexalimentarius.net
ii) US Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Quality Service Agriculture Handbook No. 562, September 1979.
iii) NSF International Nonfoods Compounds main page
www.nsf.org/business/nonfood_compounds
iv) InS Services home page
www.insservices.eu v) U.S. Food and Drug Administration food safety main page
www.fda.gov/food/foodsafety
Tyler Housel CLS, Business Director, Lexolube Div. Inolex Chemical
LINK
www.inolex.com
30
LUBE MAGAZINE No.110 AUGUST 2012
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