Climate control solutions are vital to the success of any food processing facility. From the large ready-to-eat food processing plants to the small, family-owned bakery on Main Street, all food processing operations must ensure products taste great while being free from unwanted allergens or microbes that could make people sick. Processors also have to ensure the safety of those working or visiting a food processing facility. All of this can be accomplished through proper food processing plant climate control systems.
Having the right heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) solutions in place can help you optimize the quality and safety of your food processing efforts. Read on to explore five ways HVAC can help optimize your food processing facility.
The Importance of Food Processing Plant Climate Control
When you think of food safety, you may think of how the food is handled, cooked and refrigerated. You also likely know that the ingredients need to avoid cross contamination with allergens and microbes and avoid the “danger zone” of food temperature, where bacteria grows quickly on food that’s between 40° to140°F (8° to 60°C).
What you may not realize is the important role that your building’s air quality, air flow, temperature and humidity play in ensuring the quality and safety of your operation. If your facility is too hot or humid, bacteria and mold are more likely to flourish. Also, staff could experience heat stress. Alternatively, if the facility is too cold or dry, food could become stale or cooking processes could be interrupted.
Additionally, if the facility has poor air quality and circulation, airborne pathogens and allergens can contaminate ingredients without drawing obvious employee attention. Mitigating airborne contamination is so important that the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires adequate ventilation and climate control solutions to be in all food processing plants.
5 Ways HVAC Can Optimize Your Food Processing Plant Climate Control
Let’s take a closer look at exactly how climate control solutions, such as food processing plant air conditioning and filtration, can maintain proper food processing plant temperature and climate.
1. Improve Air Quality to Avoid Cross Contamination
When the air in a food processing plant is unfiltered, or under-filtered, unwanted particles, pathogens and odors can contaminate the food. For example, smoke particles from a fire outside can change how the food tastes or allergens from another section of the facility could enter an allergen-free zone, causing dangerous cross contamination. Both situations could be costly, leading to wasted product, fines or lost revenue.
Air scrubbers, HEPA filters, air purifiers and negative air machines can all be used to help remove harmful particulates from the air and keep unfiltered air from entering clean rooms.
2. Control Air Flow to Ensure Consistency
A lot of things happen in a food processing plant that could change the concentration of allergens and contaminants in the air. If the ventilation is inadequate, air quality could change any time someone opens a door or production ramps up, potentially leading to inconsistent product quality.
For food processing plants, there are two aspects to ventilation to pay attention to:
- Air Changes Per Hour (ACH): The HVAC system should provide at least 15 air changes per hour (ACH). This means all of the air will be filtered through the HVAC system 15 times in 1 hour, keeping the concentration of contaminants low.
- Positive vs. Negative Air Pressure: Some food processing plants will need zones of positive air pressure. This means the zone has higher air pressure than the areas around it. When a door is opened, the positive air pressure will push the clean air out. It also prevents contaminated air from coming in.
3. Manage Temperature to Avoid the “Danger Zone”
Temperature monitoring is a fundamental aspect to food safety—and worker safety. In a food processing facility, temperatures can rise quickly once the building is full of staff and all equipment is running. Adequate food processing plant air conditioning systems can help eliminate hot spots. Systems can keep food out of the danger zone for bacteria and staff from succumbing to heat stress, as well. This is especially important during a heat wave or in hot climates.
- Learn More: Heat Stress and Workers from the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
4. Balance Temperature and Humidity to Ensure Food Quality
In addition to air quality and temperature, humidity plays a major part in food quality. A well-maintained, properly designed HVAC system should enable you to balance the temperature and humidity of the facility to avoid mold and microbial growth while keeping food from drying out.
If there are pockets of extreme humidity or moisture due to extended periods of heavy rain, a flood or equipment malfunction, dehumidifiers can be added to your climate control plan to dry out the area. Similarly, temporary heating and cooling solutions can be brought in to help maintain this delicate balance.
5. Minimize Condensation to Keep Products and Workers Safe
If temperature and humidity are not monitored and managed, condensation can become a real problem. In freezer areas and cold rooms, too much condensation can result in ice. Leaky ventilation ducts can allow condensation to drip onto products and surfaces. All this water and ice can spoil products, cause staff to slip and fall, or lead to mold and mildew.
Close monitoring and regular system maintenance are key to preventing condensation issues. If condensation does occur, dehumidifiers or other portable climate control solutions can help remedy the situation.
When to Consider Additional Climate Control Solutions
Maintaining adequate food processing plant climate control is a challenge for many reasons, and there may be times when backup or temporary climate control solutions can save the day. Planning ahead for additional equipment can help keep your facility fully operational even in the event of the following scenarios. Consider equipment rental …
- If HVAC systems are outdated or inadequate. If your food processing facility is older, it might not have an HVAC system that aligns with latest guidelines for ventilation or have features that make automated or remote temperature monitoring possible.
- If your area is prone to unpredictable weather conditions. Extreme weather events are on the rise, leading to unpredictable power outages, floods and facility damage that can disrupt climate control.
- When there’s a change in food processing operations. Your main climate control system may struggle to keep up with a sudden spike in operations. It may also lag with the addition of new manufacturing equipment.
- During renovations or maintenance. Temporary climate control solutions can keep operations moving when the main HVAC system is down for maintenance or renovation.
- When cost-effectiveness and flexibility are important. Installing, upgrading, or maintaining an entire climate control system requires significant upfront investment. Renting temporary HVAC equipment from a reputable equipment provider can reduce the costs and maintenance hassles that come with ownership.
Keep Food Safe with Climate Control Solutions from Herc Rentals
If your food processing facility is struggling to maintain proper temperatures or gearing up for a surge in production, renting reliable, high-quality climate control solutions from Herc Rentals can help keep your valuable ingredients and team members safe.
Herc Rentals offers a variety of specialized equipment rentals for both emergencies and everyday climate control needs. With Herc Rentals, you’ll get access to the latest technology and high-quality well-maintained equipment from leading manufacturers.
Explore our wide range of cooling, heating, and air quality solutions. You can also reach out to your local Herc Rentals branch. Contact us to discuss options with an expert today.
