We all enjoy spices from around the world in our neighborhood groceries and corner stores for our Holiday meals and New Years celebrations. The security of this industry, as in other food and beverage sectors, rests in quality control in the manufacture, shipment, and storage.

International standards and guidance documents, supported and confirmed by compressed air purity testing, play a major role in keeping spices fresh and safe.

THE LIFE OF A SPICE

Clean compressed air keeps the lines of production operating safely and efficiently, keeping out contaminants such as water and oil.Compressed air is an important component in how food and beverage products are manufactured, moved, stored and shipped. Compressed air plays a role in all major aspects of production: conveyors, generators, blowing out packaging (such as spice bottles), regulation of cool air in storage and shipment, etc. For the production and handling of spices, compressed air management helps regulate the moisture content.

The many steps taken to ensure safety—such as understanding more than 1000 standards from ISO that impact food and beverage production—include regular testing of compressed air purity. The difficulty for any manufacturer here, however, is in the absence of a blanket specification for how all facilities must operate in regards to their compressed air quality. This isn’t an oversight in the world market. Indeed, the needs of production are so varied that a single specification is impossible. The air quality needs in spice production differ deeply, for example, from the air quality needs for the production of pharmaceuticals or cosmetics, just as they differ from air quality needs in the operation of breathing air apparatuses such as in the recreational dive field or for fire department equipment.

How can a company find its most efficient level of safe operation? Spice companies utilize compressed air testing equipment from TRI Air Testing to take samples directly at the source in production/packaging/storage and to verify that safe, clean compressed air at the level needed for their specific production and consumer safety is being used.

Compressed air testing is a key piece of the food and beverage industry, and we would not have it any other way. Our barbecues, curries, holiday meals and much more depend on it.

Happy New Year!