Pollution Control Engineering in Food Processing
Food processing dust collectors could handle a variety of products such as grains, flour, dairy, cocoa, sugar and starches. Certain special considerations are needed for each.
Many raw agricultural products can be explosive. Among these are included flours, grains, starches and sugar. For these type dusts, a collector with explosion relief vents is indicated. NFPA 654 should also be reviewed for ways to mitigate the potential for a dust explosion.
Other food products can be sticky or hygroscopic. Notable among these are sugar and various oils and fats. Special oleophobic bag finishes are available to provide good cake release for these products. It’s especially important to stay well above dew point when handling these materials, which often are free-flowing when dry.
It’s often desirable to recover the product in a food processing collector. In those cases, meeting sanitary standards is essential. This would include FDA approved materials of construction for all dust contact surfaces, including filter bags. Options include stainless steel or FDA-approved white epoxy dust contact. Additional standards, such as 3A, may be required for dairy and other products where a high degree of sanitation is needed.