Air Compressors for the Food and Beverage Industry
Compressed air is the fourth utility in the modern food and beverage (F&B) facility. It is just as essential as electricity, water, and gas – after all, there would be no packaging lines, pumps, blowers, or pneumatic conveying systems without compressed air. However, where most utilities do not come into direct contact with the product, its packaging, or food-contact surfaces, compressed air does. This means compressed air quality is no longer a “nice to have”.
The absence of oil, water, bacteria, and other contaminants in compressed air is now a fundamental component of product safety, regulatory compliance, and brand integrity. This guide will explain why specialised air compressors for the food and beverage industry are crucial, and how to design a safe, compliant, and efficient system.
Why Air Quality is Mission-Critical in Food and Beverage Production
The air drawn into a compressor from the atmosphere contains particles, water vapour, and hydrocarbon vapours. If a compressor is not equipped with a strong purification system, the pollutants will be discharged directly into the production process, potentially causing harm.
Common Contaminants in Compressed Air:
- Particles: Dust, rust, bacteria, and other microorganisms, as well as spores of mould or fungi, may alter the texture or appearance of a product, cause it to spoil, or pose a direct health hazard.
- Water: Water vapour condenses to form liquid water. It is the optimum medium for micro-organism growth in pipework and greatly increases corrosion rates.
- Oil: The most serious contaminant. Oil aerosols can originate from lubricated compressors or from oil vapours in the atmosphere. It is a direct health hazard, may alter the flavour and odour of products, and damage sensitive production equipment.
Audit and Compliance Risk
They not only impact product quality but also result in audit failures of BRCGS, HACCP, and ISO 22000 food safety management schemes. Failure of any of these can result in Non-conformance Reports (NCRs) from the scheme, batch recalls, and damaged reputations.
Achieving the Gold Standard for Air Purity: ISO 857-1 Class 0
ISO 8573-1 is the international standard for the purity of compressed air. It grades air according to the concentration of particles, water, and oil. For food and beverage safety, Class 0 for oil is the gold standard.
Critically, Class 0 is achieved by using a certified oil-free air compressor, where no oil is introduced into the compression chamber. This eliminates the risk at the source. No oil. No filters. No chance of contamination.
Note: Class 0 refers only to oil content. For food-grade compressed air, the recommended best practice specification is [1:3:0] = Class 1 (particles) + Class 3 (water) + Class 0 (oil), to provide the maximum margin of safety.
Meeting UK Regulatory and Industry Standards
In the UK, the British Compressed Air Society (BCAS) has its own separate recommendations, outlined in its “Food and Beverage Grade Compressed Air Best Practice Guideline 102“. The Guideline states minimum purity requirements; however, best practice for high-risk applications should be to target a higher specification to achieve a greater margin of safety.
Additionally, all operators of compressed air systems are legally responsible under the Pressure Systems Safety Regulations 2000 (PSSR) to ensure the mechanical integrity of the equipment. This includes having a certified Written Scheme of Examination (WSE) in place to mitigate against catastrophic failure. Guidance must come from an expert partner on air purity to protect products and also on PSSR to achieve legal compliance.
Designing the Optimal Compressed Air System for Food and Beverage Applications
A safe and efficient system requires more than just a compressor; it demands a holistic approach to design, installation, and lifecycle management.
Recommended Equipment for Food & Beverage Applications:
- Atlas Copco ZR/ZT Series: These are Class 0 certified, oil-free air compressors from Atlas Copco, available with Variable Speed Drive (VSD) technology to match energy use to demand.
- SF Series Scroll Compressors: A quiet, compact solution ideal for laboratories or dedicated food packaging lines.
- ZB VSD+ Turbo Blowers: Used for low-pressure applications like aeration, fermentation, and Clean-in-Place (CIP) systems.
- Air Dryers: Refrigerant and desiccant dryers are essential for removing moisture to inhibit microbial growth, achieving dew points as low as -40°C.
- Multistage Filtration: A final line of defence, including sterile filters to remove microbial contamination at the point of use.
- AIRnet Aluminium Piping: Corrosion-resistant, hygienic piping ensures the purity generated by the compressor is maintained throughout the distribution network.
- SMARTLINK Remote Monitoring: This technology provides real-time data on system health, enabling predictive maintenance and optimising energy management.
- On-site Nitrogen Generation: For food packaging applications that utilise nitrogen to extend shelf life, an on-site generator offers a reliable and cost-effective alternative to bottled gas. We can integrate an on-site nitrogen generation system that uses your pure compressed air supply to produce food-grade nitrogen at the point of use.
Maximising Uptime with Proactive Maintenance and Multi-Brand Expertise
A preventative maintenance program is also key to ensuring your system is reliable and compliant. Although we are premier Atlas Copco specialists, our main strength lies in our factory-trained engineers’ ability to service and repair all major brands. This is ideal for facilities that operate a mixed fleet of equipment, as you can have one all-inclusive service contract, making vendor management much easier and ensuring you receive a high quality of care across your entire system.
We offer verification testing to provide proof for BRC and other audits. This includes a formal ISO 8573.1 Air Quality Test and a comprehensive Food Grade Compressed Air Audit to demonstrate that you are meeting the necessary purity levels required. Read more about our ISO 8573.1 Air Quality Testing.
From Cost Center to Profit Center: Driving Energy Efficiency
Energy can account for up to 80% of a compressor’s total lifetime cost. A strategic approach to efficiency can transform this cost centre into a source of significant savings.
- Variable Speed Drive (VSD): VSD compressors automatically adjust their motor speed to match real-time air demand, reducing energy consumption by up to 60% in facilities with fluctuating loads.
- Energy Audits & Leak Detection: A Compressed Air Energy Audit can identify significant savings. Leaks can account for 30-40% of all compressed air generated. By using ultrasonic detectors, we pinpoint and quantify every leak, enabling a rapid return on investment. Book a Compressed Air Energy Audit.
- Waste Heat Recovery: Up to 94% of the electrical energy used by a compressor is converted into heat. This thermal energy can be reused to generate hot water for CIP, boiler pre-heating, or space heating, directly offsetting fuel costs.
Your Local Partner for Purity and Performance
The company you choose as your compressed air partner can have a direct effect on the safety of your product, your audit scores, and your ongoing operational costs. Partnering with a company that understands the entire compressed air lifecycle is key to system success.
Design Air (Scotland) Ltd specialises in having the skills in-house to support you in managing every stage of your system’s lifecycle. We offer the experience and expertise needed to assist you from the initial design stage through to maintenance, ensuring your system meets legal compliance requirements.
Our convenient base in Airdrie provides us with access to sites across Scotland, offering 24/7 emergency cover to food and drink businesses, from Glasgow, Edinburgh, and Aberdeen, to Dundee, Stirling, Fife, Ayrshire, and everywhere in between.
If you have a dairy in Stirling, a distillery in Fife, or a bakery in Dundee, we’re on hand to give you expert support with a local face who understands your production environment.
Schedule Your System Assessment Today
There are considerable savings to be had, but protecting your product, ensuring compliance, and cutting your operational costs always begin with a conversation.
Contact us now to book an obligation-free site survey. Our technical experts will assess the performance of your current system and check its legal compliance status. We’ll work with you to identify and quantify how we can improve your system.
What You’ll Receive:
- A complete system health check
- Audit of your compressed air purity and compliance
- ISO 8573.1 test report (if required)
- Energy savings recommendations
- Expert advice tailored to your facility
Frequently Asked Questions
For indirect contact points, an annual review is usually sufficient. For direct-contact systems, we recommend testing every six months or after any major maintenance event.
Yes, while we’re Atlas Copco specialists, our engineers are trained to service all major compressor brands, allowing us to manage mixed-equipment fleets under a single support plan.