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Air Compressors for the Food and Beverage Industry
The fourth utility in food and beverage production, compressed air, is as essential as electricity, water, and gas. It drives pneumatic conveying and processing, as well as mixers, blending equipment, plant filling lines, and the packaging that keeps your product safe and secure.
However, unlike other utilities, quality isn’t guaranteed – a poorly specified compressed air system can compromise the safety of your product and damage your brand through contamination risks, as well as reduce uptime due to energy inefficiencies.
We examine how to select, install, and maintain the compressed air required to meet the stringent requirements of the food and beverage industry – delivering guaranteed, absolute purity, auditable compliance, and maximum energy efficiency.
Why Air Purity is Non-Negotiable in Food and Beverage Production
As air enters a compressor, it contains various contaminants that become concentrated during compression. Failure to remove these concentrated contaminants can lead to severe consequences.
The main culprits are:
- Solids: Dust, rust, and pipe scale, which can physically contaminate product and which can damage sensitive pneumatic equipment.
- Water: Humidity in the form of liquid water and aerosols, which provide ideal conditions for damaging micro-organisms to breed and which also promote corrosion of pipework.
- Oil: Carryover from compressor lubricants or hydrocarbon vapours from ambient air can spoil the taste and odour of products, leading to entire batches being rejected.
- Micro-organisms: Bacteria, yeasts, and moulds, which can be sucked into the compressor and then find themselves in a warm, moist environment in which to flourish. A single compressor can ingest large volumes of airborne microbes. Without sterile point-of-use filtration and a low pressure dew point (≤-40 °C) to inhibit growth, microorganisms can enter product contact air.
These contaminants lead to product spoilage, reduced shelf life, and serious health hazards for consumers. The resulting product recalls can be financially crippling and cause irreparable damage to your brand.
The Gold Standard of Air Purity: Understanding ISO 8573-1
To keep these problems under control, the industry relies on ISO 8573-1:2010, the international standard for compressed air purity. It has defined an obvious classification system for the three principal contaminants of concern: solid particles, water, and total oil content. Purity levels are designated using a three-digit code, such as [A:B: C], with each letter denoting a specific purity class.
| Purity Class | Max Particles per m³ (0.1-5.0 µm) | Water (Pressure Dew Point) | Total Oil (mg/m³) | Typical Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Class 0 | As specified by the user & more stringent than Class 1 | As specified by the user & stricter than Class 1 | As specified by the user & more stringent than Class 1 | Critical Food Contact |
| Class 1 | ≤20,410 | -70°C | ≤0.01 | High-Risk Food/Pharma |
| Class 2 | ≤406,100 | -40°C | ≤0.1 | Direct Food Contact |
| Class 4 | Not Specified | +3°C | ≤5.0 | General/Indirect Contact |
For the food and beverage industry, Class 0 for oil represents the highest level of purity. It is not a measure of zero contamination; it is a user-defined class, certified by a third party, that is more stringent than Class 1. Atlas Copco was the first manufacturer to receive third-party TÜV certification for Class 0 oil-free compressors, providing guaranteed performance.
Industry best practice, guided by the British Compressed Air Society (BCAS), recommends a minimum of Class [2:2:1] for direct product contact, requiring a -40°C pressure dew point (PDP) to inhibit microbial growth.
The Fundamental Choice: Oil-Free vs. Oil-Injected Compressors
Your most critical decision is whether to eliminate the risk of oil contamination at its source or attempt to manage it downstream.
Oil-Free Compressors: The Only Fail-Safe Solution
For any application involving direct or indirect product contact, an oil-free compressor is the only truly safe choice. These machines are engineered to ensure no oil can enter the compression chamber, guaranteeing 100% oil-free air delivery.
Benefits of oil-free compressors include:
- Complete Risk Elimination: You remove the single biggest contamination threat at its source.
- Simplified Compliance: Achieving Class 0 purity simplifies your HACCP plan and ensures you are prepared for BRCGS audits.
- Lower Total Cost of Ownership: Although the initial investment is higher, you avoid recurring costs associated with replacement filter elements, energy losses due to pressure drops across filtration, and the disposal of oily condensate.
Search Air specialises in the design and installation of oil-free systems from Atlas Copco, providing the ultimate assurance of air purity.
Oil-Injected Compressors: A Risk Containment Strategy
An oil-injected compressor with multi-stage filtration is a risk containment strategy, not a long-term solution. This approach is suitable only for low-risk utility air where there is no chance of product exposure. It relies on a chain of coalescing and activated carbon filters to remove oil.
However, every filter is a potential point of failure. A blocked drain or ruptured element can release oil downstream, contaminating your entire system and potentially affecting your product.
Building a Complete System for Guaranteed Purity
A high-performance compressor is just the start. The entire system must be designed to maintain air quality throughout its entire use.
Moisture Removal
Effective air drying and filtration solutions are essential for controlling microbial growth. Refrigerant dryers are suitable for general plant air (+3°C PDP), while desiccant dryers are necessary to achieve the -40°C PDP required for direct contact applications.
Multi-Stage Filtration
A cascade of filters removes remaining contaminants. This includes particulate filters for solid particles, coalescing filters for aerosols, activated carbon filters for vapours and odours, and sterile filters at the point of use as a final guarantee.
Food-Grade Pipework
Traditional galvanised or black iron pipes corrode, re-contaminating clean air with rust. Modern stainless steel or aluminium piping systems, such as those from AIRnet, prevent this, maintaining purity throughout your facility.
On-Site Nitrogen Generation
For Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP), on-site nitrogen generators use oil-free compressed air to produce a continuous supply of high-purity packaging gas. Search Air supplies and maintains Atlas Copco nitrogen generators tailored to your MAP applications, helping you reduce packaging gas costs by up to 50%.
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Moisture Removal
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Multi-Stage Filtration
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Food-Grade Pipework
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On-Site Nitrogen Generation
Beyond Purity: Driving Efficiency and Reducing Costs
An optimised compressed air system doesn’t just protect your product, it reduces your operational expenditure.
- Variable Speed Drive (VSD) Compressors: Atlas Copco’s VSD+ compressors dynamically adjust output to match real-time demand, cutting energy use by up to 50%. This reduces both electricity bills and carbon emissions, especially important as energy costs continue to rise across the UK manufacturing sector.
- Heat Recovery: Up to 94% of the energy consumed by a compressor is converted to heat. Heat recovery systems capture this thermal energy to produce hot water for washdowns or space heating, dramatically slashing your utility bills.
- Ultrasonic Leak Detection: Even a single 3mm leak can cost over £1,000 per year in wasted energy. Search Air uses ultrasonic detection to pinpoint invisible leaks, saving energy without interrupting production.
Food Safety Compliance: ISO, HACCP, PSSR & BRCGS
Meeting food safety standards is non-negotiable. Your compressed air system is a Critical Control Point (CCP) in your HACCP plan and will be scrutinised during BRCGS audits. It is not enough to have the right equipment; you must prove it is performing correctly.
William G. Search Ltd. offers formal ISO 8573-1 compressed air quality testing, accompanied by documented certification. This provides the tangible evidence required to pass third-party audits and satisfy major retailers, demonstrating your commitment to ensuring compressed air meets food safety compliance standards. We also manage your legal obligations under PSSR 2000 by creating and executing a Written Scheme of Examination for your pressure system.
Your Expert Partner for Food-Grade Compressed Air in the UK
Search Air is a Premier Atlas Copco Distributor and 2022 Distributor of the Year with over 78 years of experience in specifying, installing, and maintaining compressed air systems for the food and beverage industry.
We can provide a bespoke system for your new production facility or maintenance for your existing system. Our experienced team will ensure your processes are pure, compliant, and efficient. We specialise in supplying compressed air systems to the UK’s breweries – one of the few industries that has specific purity requirements.
Investing in the right oil-free compressed air system for your food or beverage business is a crucial decision that helps keep your brand safe, compliant, and profitable. Partner with a true expert who will make sure every component in your system is working perfectly to achieve the highest purity and performance.
Protect your product. Prove your compliance.
Contact the Search Air team for a free, no-obligation site survey and compressed air audit.
📞 Call us on 0113 263 9081 or 📧 email air@wgsearch.co.uk.
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