When you are manufacturing food, there are many considerations to make regarding the machinery that you use to complete your process. Not only does the equipment you use need to have the highest standards regarding functionality, but it also all needs to have been made following strict health and safety regulations.
It isn't enough to find parts and pieces that fit a specific size requirement for your application. Instead, they are deemed safe for processing and manufacturing food sets them apart from similar pieces that might be applicable for other purposes.
One piece of the equation that can be tough to find when you are looking to meet the standards of functionality and safety is that of a food grade hose. The hose conveys your product from one place to another during the manufacturing process. Because these pieces are constantly providing for the transfer of food products from one place to another, they must be in such a way as to prevent dangerous contamination of said food product.
If you are currently looking for the proper food grade hose for your application, here are a few tips to bear in mind that can help you find the perfect item for your purposes.
Consider Safety First
Being in the food manufacturing business means that your final products need to meet the highest health and safety standards. The customers who will be purchasing and consuming your final product place their trust in your brand to deliver food that is tasty and safe to eat.
If the food grade hoses you choose to incorporate into your manufacturing process don't meet the proper standards of safety, the contamination of your product is at risk. Therefore, the first thing to look into when looking for food grade hoses is the health and safety standards they meet.
Depending on the product you manufacture, the hoses you need to design for a specific purpose. For instance, the range of Food Grade Hoses from Holmes Hose allows you to choose from products intended for various types of liquids or alcohol-based beverages and general purposes.
Consider the product that your hoses will be conveying, and make sure that the ones you go with have been created specifically with the safety of that product in mind.
Specific Properties
Once you are confident that the hose you have selected meets the correct safety standards for your product, you will need to consider the other properties that will come into play. Things like the flexibility of the hose, durability and resistance to odors will all need to consider in your decision-making process.
The tubing that you select needs to be adequately flexible for your purposes. The rest of your machinery will be set up in specific ways essential to the production of your food. If the tubing you select can't bend in the right ways, then it won't exactly be fit for purpose.
The hose you choose must also be durable enough to withstand general wear and tear for as long as possible. Not only will this help to protect the investment that you are making in purchasing such tubing, but a hose that will start to crack or leak too easily will result in loss of product or in the contamination of the food being conveyed through it.
Lastly, the food grade hose that you use to manufacture your product needs to be resistant to odors. This is because the transferring of odors from one product to another will not only spoil the final effect you are trying to achieve regarding flavor, but odors are also indicative of bacteria.
If a hose holds onto a particular odor, it is because food particles and traces of food have been able to permeate its surface. So the next time a food product is run through that same hose, there is a risk that those particles will transfer into the food, thus contaminating it.
Cost
As with anything that has to do with your business, you must find food grade hoses that fit your budget. Bear in mind that these are products that will eventually need to be replaced due to normal wear and tear. Because of this, make sure that you find hoses that not only fit your budget now but that you will be able to afford in the future as well.
