13.2.10.1 - Stainless Steel Alternatives
Good afternoon everyone,
My team and I are in the process of replacing all of our processing tables. Currently, we have a lot of wooden tables which is a big risk in the food safety world. We are a packaging manufacturer that is trying to supply the food industry and when the company was started wood was never a concern for the given markets.
The SQF standard states "13.2.10.1 Equipment and utensils shall be designed, constructed, installed, operated and maintained so as not to pose a contamination threat to the product. "
These tables are used mainly for packaging and folding. Some light trimming may be performed on these tables as well, so we don't want to generate fragments either.
We have done some research on stainless steel tables (which is ideal) and they can be pricey for the amount we are going to need to purchase. Has anyone had any experience with any other surfaces as an alternative?
Thank you
Joe
Hi Joe,
I think you will find that it's no accident that quality SS is food-use popular despite being not cheap.
On the other hand, cheap SS may be equally low quality.
Hi Joe,
:welcome:
13.2.10 Implementation Guidance
Product processing equipment shall be designed, constructed and maintained in accordance with manufacturer and/or industry standards. Metal frames, supports and brackets supporting sinks, wash basins, benches, tables and shelves are generally constructed of solid materials such as hot dipped galvanized iron, stainless steel or aluminium and securely fixed to the walls or on metal frames.
Kind regards,
Tony
How about powder-coated steel or similar metal? Then I would look for nice welding lines to avoid "dead spots" when it comes to cleaning.
Another nice option would be stainless steel but of lower grade (i.e. SS304).
Thank you for the input. I was able to meet with a local stainless steel fabricator yesterday and he seems rather knowledgeable about the food industry needs. He recommended using stainless steel tops with aluminum bases to help with the cost.
Rizn, we are able to use SS304 on some of our lower activity surfaces. For the highly used surfaces we have decided to go with SS316.
We will see how the quote looks and hopefully go from there.
Joe