Jump to content

  • Quick Navigation
Photo

Air Filtration Requirements for RTE Leafy Greens - New Facility

Share this

  • You cannot start a new topic
  • Please log in to reply
11 replies to this topic

Farm Mom

    Grade - Active

  • IFSQN Associate
  • 14 posts
  • 2 thanks
1
Neutral

  • Earth
    Earth

Posted 08 January 2018 - 08:29 PM

We are in the process of building a new packing facility with a value added room for RTE products ie; leafy greens.

I am having a difficult time locating information regarding requirements for micron filtration.

We have been Primus, but will be SQF.

Any ideas please on where I can find information, much appreciated!  :shades: 



Charles.C

    Grade - FIFSQN

  • IFSQN Moderator
  • 20,542 posts
  • 5662 thanks
1,544
Excellent

  • Earth
    Earth
  • Gender:Male
  • Interests:SF
    TV
    Movies

Posted 08 January 2018 - 09:50 PM

We are in the process of building a new packing facility with a value added room for RTE products ie; leafy greens.

I am having a difficult time locating information regarding requirements for micron filtration.

We have been Primus, but will be SQF.

Any ideas please on where I can find information, much appreciated!  :shades: 

 

Hi farm Mom,

 

Afai can recall, SQF/7.2 only discuss this for compressed air. Or is there a specific mention for general air now ?

 

I presume this is some kind of Packinghouse.

 

Not my product area but some basic principles of choice of air filtration are discussed in this document -

 

Attached File  ECFF_Recommendations_2nd_ed_18_12_06.pdf   402.26KB   46 downloads

(pg 84-6)


Kind Regards,

 

Charles.C


Farm Mom

    Grade - Active

  • IFSQN Associate
  • 14 posts
  • 2 thanks
1
Neutral

  • Earth
    Earth

Posted 08 January 2018 - 10:03 PM

That's correct, it is for a vale added room inside a packinghouse for leafy greens...and true,  SQF only shows compressed air requirements, but the contractor needs to know the filtration requirements. The only information I see on SQF is for compressed air, but we want environmental information...

Is there somewhere on the FDA FSMA that I am not seeing, that specifically provides that information?

 

Thank  you for your help!



Charles.C

    Grade - FIFSQN

  • IFSQN Moderator
  • 20,542 posts
  • 5662 thanks
1,544
Excellent

  • Earth
    Earth
  • Gender:Male
  • Interests:SF
    TV
    Movies

Posted 08 January 2018 - 10:09 PM

That's correct, it is for a vale added room inside a packinghouse for leafy greens...and true,  SQF only shows compressed air requirements, but the contractor needs to know the filtration requirements. The only information I see on SQF is for compressed air, but we want environmental information...

Is there somewhere on the FDA FSMA that I am not seeing, that specifically provides that information?

 

Thank  you for your help!

 

IMHO the contractor should be advising you.

 

Hopefully there's a leafy green processor here reading this.


Kind Regards,

 

Charles.C


Farm Mom

    Grade - Active

  • IFSQN Associate
  • 14 posts
  • 2 thanks
1
Neutral

  • Earth
    Earth

Posted 08 January 2018 - 10:15 PM

I think, the general opinion is, that since I am the Food Quality lady that I should know everything:-)

 

Thanks!



Thanked by 1 Member:
Charles.C

Ryan M.

    Grade - FIFSQN

  • IFSQN Fellow
  • 1,327 posts
  • 479 thanks
290
Excellent

  • United States
    United States
  • Gender:Male
  • Location:Birmingham, AL
  • Interests:Reading, crosswords, passionate discussions, laughing at US politics.

Posted 10 January 2018 - 08:19 PM

No FDA or FSMA requirement.

 

I would discuss with the contractor what they have used in previous construction for similar type of application.  I would think for environmental (not clean room I'm assuming?) a 99% filtration device is sufficient.



Farm Mom

    Grade - Active

  • IFSQN Associate
  • 14 posts
  • 2 thanks
1
Neutral

  • Earth
    Earth

Posted 10 January 2018 - 10:16 PM

This is our first build out, and the contactor has been told that the new FSMA requirements are strict for RTE produce?, I have searched..reviewed any documentation I can find with regard to RTE processing requirements,  and also spoken to a main preferred supplier,  I can't get a definitive answer. Your advice on 99% filtration is excellent and helpful. 

I will forward this on today at our weekly meeting.



Timwoodbag

    Grade - MIFSQN

  • IFSQN Member
  • 210 posts
  • 68 thanks
33
Excellent

  • United States
    United States
  • Gender:Male

Posted 10 January 2018 - 11:51 PM

As far as I understand there are no specifics laid out in SQF or FSMA for air quality.  I've been told stuff like this would fall under your environmental monitoring program.  If an auditor thinks the air is unfit for your RTE food then the filtering systems would be your control.  Prove that your filters are effective if air quality is assessed as a risk.  



Charles.C

    Grade - FIFSQN

  • IFSQN Moderator
  • 20,542 posts
  • 5662 thanks
1,544
Excellent

  • Earth
    Earth
  • Gender:Male
  • Interests:SF
    TV
    Movies

Posted 10 January 2018 - 11:59 PM

This is our first build out, and the contactor has been told that the new FSMA requirements are strict for RTE produce?, I have searched..reviewed any documentation I can find with regard to RTE processing requirements,  and also spoken to a main preferred supplier,  I can't get a definitive answer. Your advice on 99% filtration is excellent and helpful. 

I will forward this on today at our weekly meeting.

 

Hi farm Mom,

 

I predict the first meeting question (and possibly from the Contractor also) will be 99% of what ?

 

I deduce you assess yr intended process area to be required to be sort of "High Care" capable in European Lingo.

 

Based on the few snippets attached below the consensus seems to be filter of grade F7 - H11 (hopefully intelligible to yr Contractor)

 

Post6  suggests a rather more efficient system than above but if cost permits, why not ?

 

PS - the detailed meaning of F7-H11 is in attachment in Post 2 of course

 

Attached File  ven1 - Tesco ventilation high care.pdf   39.01KB   30 downloads

Attached File  ven2 - BRC ventilation high risk.pdf   142.5KB   31 downloads

Attached File  ven3 - ECFF ventilation high care.pdf   33.25KB   23 downloads


Edited by Charles.C, 11 January 2018 - 11:15 AM.
F11 > H11, sorry for typo

Kind Regards,

 

Charles.C


Thanked by 2 Members:
chu lin , Farm Mom

Farm Mom

    Grade - Active

  • IFSQN Associate
  • 14 posts
  • 2 thanks
1
Neutral

  • Earth
    Earth

Posted 12 January 2018 - 11:14 PM

Charles,

 

Could you provide the full report from Tesco ventilation, please?

 

Thank you,

 

Michelle



Charles.C

    Grade - FIFSQN

  • IFSQN Moderator
  • 20,542 posts
  • 5662 thanks
1,544
Excellent

  • Earth
    Earth
  • Gender:Male
  • Interests:SF
    TV
    Movies

Posted 13 January 2018 - 01:50 AM

Charles,

 

Could you provide the full report from Tesco ventilation, please?

 

Thank you,

 

Michelle

 

Hi Michelle,

 

A slightly updated source version of my extract is here -

 

http://www.ifsqn.com...n-5/#entry57267


Kind Regards,

 

Charles.C


Esther

    Member

  • IFSQN Member
  • 232 posts
  • 17 thanks
2
Neutral

  • Spain
    Spain
  • Gender:Female
  • Location:La Coruña- Spain
  • Interests:Local and international food law; food industrial processes; food safety management systems;GMP; lean manufacturing; share knowledge

Posted 14 January 2018 - 08:20 AM

Dear Farm Moon

 

I had the same question months ago when advertising a packaged RTE owner.

 

I hired a device to check the initial air contamination from a laboratory provider. Since I did no find any reference about micro air contamination values I got as a reference the values used in the laminar flow hood used in said lab.

 

Hope this could be useful in same way

 

Regards

Esther





Share this

0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users