Food-grade lubricant goes beyond food safe

Lubricants company FUCHS Lubricants South Africa offers food-grade Renolin SJL Heavy and Renolin SJL Winter lubricants for the sugar processing industry, with a range of benefits to ensure equipment longevity and food safety.

FUCHS Lubricants South Africa KwaZulu-Natal technical sales representative Allan Fabian explains that bitumen-based lubricants, which are not safe for human consumption, are commonly used in the food industry and since they are used in the processing of food, it is possible that contamination can occur.

Fabian explains that bitumen-based products, are not permissible in the food processing industry. However, owing to its easy accessibility and low cost, it continues to be used. He adds that regulations prohibiting bitumen-based products are also not strictly enforced, which leaves loopholes that enable food processors to continue to use these products.

Moreover, imported bitumen-free products are significantly more expensive and subject to availability challenges.

Fabian adds that food processing manufacturers who use food-grade products benefit from and obtain good audit score cards. Noncompliance with regulations can result in various consequences, including substantial fines.

As a result, engineers at the sugar mills approached FUCHS Lubricants South Africa to develop a product that would eliminate the use of journal lubricants, ensuring that the processed product would not be exposed to harmful chemicals. FUCHS developed bitumen-, lead-, chlorine- and solvent-free journal lubricants to meet the needs of sugar processors.

Fabian adds that the products were also designed to take into account the operating temperature requirements of the bearings used in sugar processing, as these cannot run at high temperatures.

The products vary in viscosity with the Renolin SJL Heavy designed for use in the warmer months while Renolin SJL Winter is specially designed for use in cooler winter temperatures.

The products are pumped through automated lubrication systems and so the mills need alternate between the two products depending on the ambient temperature. The products are also environment-friendly, which is important in that sugar mills are often located in ecologically sensitive areas with a variety of fauna and flora.