The Role of Compressed Air in Food Safety Compliance
In food and beverage manufacturing, you assess every ingredient. You control every surface.
But one critical component is often treated as a utility, just another necessary expense: compressed air. This is no longer the case. Auditors in the UK and all over the world are updating their guidance to make it clear: compressed air is a direct food contact surface.
The quality of your compressed air is a formal requirement of your food safety management system.
A neglected or poorly maintained compressed air system is a direct pathway for contamination. If you don’t treat it as part of your food safety system, it is a liability and direct threat to your product, your brand, and your food compliance status.
In this guide, we provide you with no-nonsense, audit-ready advice to help you, as a plant manager and quality assurance professional, understand the risks, regulations, and technology options that will ensure your compressed air supports your production, rather than threatening it.
The Critical Risks: Why Compressed Air Quality is a Control Point
Incoming ambient air is not sterile. The process of compression packs particles in and creates a nice moist environment for microorganisms to multiply.
Your air lines are a contamination delivery system. A well-written HACCP plan will require its recognition and control.
The Four Key Contaminants Lurking in Your System
- Solid Particles: Atmospheric dust, rust, and pipe scale, which result in direct physical contamination that changes product texture and results in consumer complaints.
- Water: Ambient humidity is compressed and condensed as water vapour in your system. Water condensation provides moisture for microbial growth, product spoilage, and clumping of dry products such as flour and spices.
- Oil: Aerosols and vapours of oil are an unavoidable by-product of lubricated compressors. They create unacceptable tastes and odours that result in expensive batch rejections and potential health risks.
- Microorganisms: Bacteria, yeasts, and moulds are drawn into your process from the surrounding air. They are able to multiply rapidly in the warm, dark and moist environment within your pipework, directly introducing pathogens into the food chain.
Where Contaminated Air Puts Your Product at Risk
Compressed air is used in numerous applications where purity is paramount:
- Pneumatic conveying of powders (flour, sugar, cocoa).
- Bottle blowing (PET) and Modified Atmosphere Packaging (MAP).
- Cleaning of surfaces and direct food contact areas.
- Fermentation and aeration processes.
- Drying of containers and products prior to filling.
Navigating the UK’s Food Safety Compliance Framework
For UK food manufacturers, compliance follows a clear hierarchy of standards. An auditor will expect you to demonstrate control at every level.
From BRCGS Requirements to ISO 8573-1 Purity Classes
The BRCGS Global Standard for Food Safety (Clause 4.5.3) mandates that compressed air in direct contact with products “shall be monitored” and “filtered at point of use” to prevent contamination.
While BRCGS sets the requirement, it does not define the technical specifications.
The specification of the required compressed air purity in this way is intended to be met by reference to the British Compressed Air Society (BCAS) “Food and Beverage Grade Compressed Air Best Practice Guideline”.
This document, in turn, defines the BRCGS requirement in terms of specific and measurable air purity targets in accordance with the international standard ISO 8573-1:2010.
The BCAS Guideline: Defining Air Purity
ISO 8573-1 uses a three-digit code – [P:W:O] – to classify purity for Particles, Water, and Oil. The BCAS guideline recommends the following minimum standards for the food industry:
- Direct Contact: Class [2:2:1]. This requires highly filtered air with a -40°C pressure dew point (PDP) to inhibit microbial growth and an extremely low oil content of just 0.01 mg/m³.
- Indirect Contact: Class [2:4:2]. This requires the same stringent particle filtration but allows for a +3°C PDP and a total oil content of 0.1 mg/m³.
What is ISO 8573-1 Class 0?
For ultimate risk mitigation, many facilities specify Class 0 for oil. This class is more stringent than Class 1 and signifies a commitment to zero risk of oil contamination from the compressor itself. It is the highest level of assurance for food safety and is achieved using certified oil-free air compressors.
Engineering a Compliant, Audit-Ready Compressed Air System
Achieving the required ISO class doesn’t depend on just one single component; it’s about having a correctly designed system.
The Foundation: Oil-Free vs. Oil-Lubricated Compressors
The most fundamental decision is the choice of a compressor. While oil-lubricated units may have a lower initial cost, they introduce an inherent risk of oil contamination that must be managed with extensive filtration and food-grade lubricants.
Certified Class 0 oil-free compressors, pioneered by manufacturers like Atlas Copco, eliminate this risk at the source. For any high-risk food application, they represent the safest and most reliable long-term investment in brand protection.
The Role of Compressed Air in Food Safety Compliance
Essential Air Treatment: Drying and Point-of-Use Filtration
To meet the BCAS guidelines, specific air treatment is mandatory.
- Dryers:
- Desiccant Dryers: Achieve a -40°C PDP (Class 2 Water) for direct contact applications, a critical level of dryness that prevents microbial growth.
- Refrigerant Dryers: Achieve a +3°C PDP (Class 4 Water), suitable for preventing bulk moisture in indirect contact applications.
- Filtration Train: BRCGS requires filtration as close as possible to the point of use. A high-purity setup includes:
- Water Separator: Removes bulk liquid moisture to protect downstream equipment.
- Coalescing Filter: Captures fine oil and water aerosols.
- Sterile Filter: The final, non-negotiable barrier for direct contact, providing a 99.999% microbial barrier.
Proper condensate management is also vital to handle the waste removed by this equipment.
Modern Enhancements: Monitoring and Energy Recovery
Modern systems from brands like Atlas Copco offer advanced capabilities. SMARTLINK remote monitoring allows you to see how your system is performing in real time and with predictive maintenance, system downtime can be avoided.
Energy recovery is another added bonus. For full time operating facilities, using waste heat from compressors to provide heating for sanitisation water, CIP systems or HVAC can pay for itself in short order by lowering utility costs and carbon footprint.
With the cost of energy these days, it is no longer a nice-to-have but a real-world practicality.
Maintaining Compliance: A Framework for Testing and Maintenance
Installing a compliant system is only the beginning. Maintaining that compliance requires disciplined processes and documentation.
Verification Through Air Quality Testing
Regular testing is the only way to verify that your system is delivering air of the specified purity. BCAS recommends a testing frequency of twice annually, and also after any significant system maintenance or modifications.
A professional service for compressor air quality testing provides the validation documents and logs required to pass GFSI and BRCGS audits.
A Proactive Maintenance Schedule
Preventative maintenance is critical. Without it, filters clog, drains fail, and contamination risks return. Search Air’s customised maintenance plans and 24/7 emergency service keep food manufacturers up and running, ensuring they are audit-ready.
A comprehensive plan ensures that each component of the chain, from the compressor to point-of-use filters, functions as engineered.
The Business Case for Purity
A well-designed system is central to any modern approach to food safety. It protects the consumer, improves product quality and shelf life and ensures continuous compliance with legislation.
It’s your passport to major UK retailers and is integral to demonstrating your commitment to best practice.
For UK manufacturers, understanding the role of compressed air is no longer optional.
Book a no-obligation compressed air compliance audit with Search Air today.
As a Premier Distributor for Atlas Copco, Search Air provides the full range of air compressors for the food and drink industry, including industry-leading Class 0 oil-free technology.
Contact our experts to discuss your requirements, or download our compressed air compliance checklist to start your self-assessment.