Food factory environment

The lighting equipment used in food and beverage plants is of the same type as in ordinary industrial environments, except that certain fixtures must be carried out under hygienic and sometimes dangerous conditions. The type of lighting product required and the applicable standards depend on the environment in a particular area; food processing facilities typically contain a variety of environments under one roof.

Factories may include multiple areas such as processing, storage, distribution, refrigerated or dry storage, clean rooms, offices, corridors, halls, restrooms, etc. Each area has its own set of lighting requirements. For example, lighting in food processing areas typically must withstand oil, smoke, dust, dirt, steam, water, sewage, and other contaminants in the air, as well as frequent flushing of high-pressure sprinklers and harsh cleaning solvents.

NSF has established criteria based on regional conditions and the extent of direct contact with food. The NSF standard for food and beverage lighting products, called NSF/ANSI Standard 2 (or NSF 2), divides the plant environment into three regional types: non-food areas, splash areas, and food areas.

Lighting specifications for food processing

Like most lighting applications, IESNA (North American Lighting Engineering Association) has set recommended lighting levels for a variety of food processing activities. For example, IESNA recommends that the food inspection area has an illumination range of 30 to 1000 fc, a color classification area of ​​150 fc, and a warehouse, transport, packaging, and restroom of 30 fc.

However, since food safety also depends on good lighting, the US Department of Agriculture requires adequate lighting levels in Section 416.2(c) of its Food Safety and Inspection Service Manual. Table 2 lists the USDA illumination requirements for selected food processing areas.

Good color reproduction is critical for accurate inspection and color grading of foods, especially meat. The US Department of Agriculture requires a CRI of 70 for general food processing areas, but a CRI of 85 for food inspection areas.

In addition, both the FDA and the USDA have developed photometric specifications for vertical illumination distribution. Vertical surface illumination should measure 25% to 50% of horizontal lighting and there should be no shadows where it is possible to compromise critical plant areas.

Food Processing Lighting futures:

• In view of the many hygienic, safety, environmental and luminosity requirements of the food industry for lighting equipment, industrial LED lighting manufacturers should meet the following key design elements:
• Use non-toxic, corrosion-resistant and flame-retardant lightweight materials such as polycarbonate plastic
• Avoid using glass if possible
• Design a smooth, dehydrated outer surface with no gaps, holes or grooves that may retain bacteria
• Avoid paint or coating surfaces that may peel off
• Use tough lens material to withstand multiple cleanings, no yellowing, and wide and even illumination
• Uses efficient, long-lasting LEDs and electronics to operate well in high temperatures and refrigeration
• Sealed with NSF-compliant IP65 or IP66 lighting fixtures, still waterproof and prevent internal condensation under high pressure flushing up to 1500 psi (splash zone)
• Since food and beverage plants can use many of the same types of lighting, standing industrial LED lighting products may also be an alternative to NSF certification, including:
• Equipment with IP65 (IEC60598) or IP66 (IEC60529) protection rating

LED food lighting advantages

For the food and beverage industry, properly designed LEDs have many advantages over most traditional lighting, such as the absence of glass or other fragile materials that may contaminate food, improving light output, and low-temperature conditions in cold storage. Efficiency, low maintenance costs, longer life (70,000 hours), non-toxic mercury, higher efficiency, wide adjustability and control, instant performance, and wide operating temperature.

The emergence of efficient solid-state lighting (SSL) makes it possible to apply smooth, lightweight, sealed, bright, high-quality lighting for many food industry applications. Long LED life and low maintenance can help transform the food and beverage industry into a clean, green industry.