In the past, food grade lubricants have not been the first port of call for most people, simply because they were unable to deliver the same level of performance as other oils such as compressor and gear oils, which were able to offer increased performance and longevity.
However, using non-food grade lube has always been, and still is, a risk because it is so easy for food and beverage products to become contaminated with industrial oils and lubricants, and this can cause no end of problems for any companies affected.
Luckily, those in the food industry no longer need to worry about the trade-off between lube and machinery performance and safety because food grade lubricants, made by the likes of well-known oil manufacturers Fuchs, have never been better or abler to compete with other industrial lubricants.
Synthetic food grade lubricants
The game changer in terms of food grade lubricants has been the invention of high quality synthetic food grade lubes, which are able to equal, if not outdo the performance of high performing synthetic industrial grade products.
As you will probably know, synthetic lubricants tend to have a much higher performance compared to most mineral-oil based lubricants, as well as a useable service life that is two to three times longer than mineral oils. This means that synthetic food grade lubricants should now be the natural choice for anyone in the food and beverage industry.
No more product recalls
Perhaps the best reason to switch to these new food grade lubricants is that they can seriously cut down on the number of product recalls any one company will need to make, because if they should find their way into food or beverages, providing they do not reach levels above 10 parts per million, they pose no risk to health.
Affordable
As well as the obvious benefits of food grade lubricants in regards to contamination, they are also great for a company’s finances because they are of such a high quality that they will not oxidise or degrade as quickly as many alternatives, nor does as much oil need to be used.
We should, however, warn you that it is important to purchase the highest quality food grade lubricant you can afford, based on manufacturer recommendations, your research and your equipment. Sticking to well-known names in the industry, like Fuchs and Mobil, is also a good way of ensuring you get a good quality oil for your money.