Sealed with safety in mind
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ROCOL, UK manufacturer of industrial lubricants and fluids, details the benefits of effective food-grade lubricants in can seaming
Food and beverage manufacturers are under more pressure than ever to ensure almost surgical levels of hygiene within their manufacturing plants, to protect both consumer wellbeing and the company’s reputation from harm.
The correct maintenance and lubrication of machinery in these environments forms a major part of ensuring that the risk of contamination is minimised, and any downtime is kept to an absolute minimum.
The correct lubrication of can seaming machinery using a food-safe lubricant is vital for secure can sealing. It also greatly reduces the risk of contamination from a seaming machine flinging lubricant when in operation. Further to this, using the correct product in the right way will help prevent costly audit failures.
Preventing irregular seams
Poor quality or incorrect seaming can lead to premature product deterioration and potential contamination. Poor and incorrect seams are often an early sign that there is an issue with your equipment. Contamination risk from poorly applied lubricant does not always offer the same warning signs.
Effective lubrication helps to reduce the corrosion of parts on the seamers, which in turn offers protection from rust contamination. Using a non-food grade lubricant can negate these benefits, which is why ROCOL developed its FoodLube Seamer Fluid 150.
Meeting stringent audit requirements
One of the key reasons for using a specialist food grade lubricant is to ensure food safety. If a product displays the NSF H1 logo, its formulation has been verified as safe for use in food, beverage and pharmaceutical production environments.
As of February 2023, the BRC Global Standard Food Safety (Issue 9) is in effect, with manufacturers being audited accordingly. BRCGS Issue 9 puts an increased focus on creating a strong product safety culture across food manufacturing facilities. It specifies the safety, quality and operational criteria that manufacturing organisations are measured against to ensure legal compliance and the protection of the end consumer.
It extends food safety criteria across a wider range of companies, which means that more facilities that operate at every point in the food manufacturing supply chain are being audited to the same stringent criteria. A food packaging provider must now show the same stringent food safety performance as a chocolate maker.
FoodLube Seamer Fluid 150 from ROCOL works with both total loss and recirculating systems, carries the NSF H1 logo and is also certified by the Vegan Society. Using FoodLube products will help when a facility is audited to BRCGS standards.
Why use a specialist lubricant?
A dedicated seamer lubricant should boost the performance and adhesion of your seamer and provide excellent corrosion protection, prolonging the equipment life.
With either a total loss or recirculating lubrication system, excess lubricant and grease can gather above the open cans on the seamer roll bearings or upper turret. This presents an increased risk of lubricant or grease dripping, being flung or tossed from moving parts. If a non-food grade lubricant is used and enters the can during the seaming process, the product is contaminated and unfit for sale or consumption.
Andy Howard, food segment specialist at ROCOL, says, “Open cans and fast-moving seamer components all increase the risk of accidental contamination.
“Effective lubrication helps improve seamer performance and achieve a higher quality end product without compromising on food safety. Add in the reduced risk of production downtime, and it’s easy to see why a high-quality seamer fluid is a must for your production line.”
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