What Three Characteristics Must Food Contact Surfaces Have?

Stainless steel is one of the most popular materials for food contact surfaces because it has a high level of anti-wear and anti-corrosion, as well as a smooth finish. It also doesn’t suffer from CBR (cold binding sites), making it a reliable material for areas that come into contact with cold liquids and foods.

The minimum radius of corners in a food contact area is 3 mm.

Food contact surfaces are typically surfaces that come into contact with food products during production, processing, and packaging. There are many types of food contact surfaces, including stainless steel, plastic, wood, rubber, ceramic, and glass. Food contact surfaces are important because they can come into contact with contaminated food and produce health risks for workers and consumers.

Food contact materials can migrate from the materials into food. The materials must be manufactured in compliance with EU regulations, including good manufacturing practices, so that any potential transfer to foods does not raise safety concerns, change the composition of the food, or create environmental concerns.

Process contact surfaces: These are the surfaces that come into contact with chemical or other (process) fluids or materials, such as a refinery furnace's walls and roof. Product contact surfaces: These are the surfaces that come into contact with a product. The product can be something you eat or wear, a car that you drive, or a molecule in a laboratory test tube. Nonprocess contact surfaces: These are the surfaces that do not come into direct contact with chemicals or other (process) fluids or materials but may still play an important role in manufacturing and processing, such as work areas where products are packaged or assembled. Product containing surfaces: These are the surfaces of containers, foils, needles, and similar objects used to hold products.