2 tips to keep in mind when buying industrial gaskets for a food manufacturing facility

Industrial gaskets are frequently used in food manufacturing facilities to form seals around sections of pipes that have been joined together. Here are some of the most crucial things that a person should keep in mind when buying this type of industrial supply for their food manufacturing facility.

1. Make sure the gasket is suitable for use in a food processing environment

There are a wide variety of industrial gaskets available today. When buying one that will be used in a facility that processes food, it's essential for the person making this purchase to ensure that the one they choose is suitable for use in this specific type of manufacturing environment.

For example, if the gasket will be placed between two pipes that will be used to transfer food ingredients, the gasket must be made from a food-safe material that will not emit any chemicals that could interfere with the flavour, shelf life, safety or smell of the edible ingredients that pass through these pipes.

Additionally, a gasket that will be used in this environment must be made from a material that will not degrade or react with the acidic, oily or watery food substances that travel through the pipes that it is being used to seal. This is crucial as if for example, a gasket becomes softer or thinner after coming into contact with a particular food substance and then loses its functionality, the foods that pass through the pipes it is connected to could leak out. Leakages of this kind could result in the food that seeps out going to waste and could also lead to sanitation problems if the leaking food is not noticed and cleaned up quickly enough (as the spilt food could rot).

2. Opt for light-coloured gaskets

In an industrial building where food is processed, it is best to use light-coloured gaskets. The reason for this is quite simple: as explained above, this type of industrial supply is designed to seal two connected pipes or other components. If the gasket that is acting as a seal between two pieces of piping through which food is transferred, degrades and allows the food to leak out, the colour of this gasket will play a determining role in how quickly this leak is found and then repaired.

For instance, if a green chutney sauce or a red tomato sauce is travelling through these pipes and a little bit of this fluid seeps out via some holes in the damaged gasket, it will be much easier for the staff member who inspects these pipes to notice the leakage if the gasket is white, as the red or green food stains on this component will stand out against the white background and will be far more noticeable than if the gasket were black.

To learn more, contact a company like Renseal today.