Air monitoring in food products

Air Monitors, has launched a new division to cater specifically for the air monitoring requirements of the food industry. Sales Manager Colin Craggs says “This initiative has been taken in response to a recent rise in enquiries from the food and beverage markets, combined with advances in measurement technology.”

The new division will focus on four areas: dust in the workplace, bioaerosol hazards, gas mixers/blenders and packaging gas.

A range of leading dust monitors has been assembled to cover every application. Portable particulate monitors enable occupational safety managers and consultants to conduct accurate surveys in order to assess the levels of risk and to identify potentially dangerous areas, and fixed monitors help to ensure the protection of staff and visitors in those areas of greatest risk.

Air Monitors recently launched a new advanced technology for the sampling of bioaerosols and Colin says “The Coriolis µ is a very important technology for the food sector because airborne biological hazards are a particular concern for workers in many processing plants.”

The Coriolis µ has a new wet-walled cyclone technology that improves bioaerosol sampling for bacteria, pollen, endotoxins, viruses and fungal spores. Traditional techniques rely on the impact of biological particles on a solid growth medium, but the Coriolis µ collects the particles in a liquid at a high flow rate (300 l/m) with validated efficiency that surpasses traditional methods. Importantly, the liquid containing the particles is compatible with a number of the latest rapid microbiological analysis methods.

The third group of instruments includes a range of highly accurate gas blenders and mixers which are designed for modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) applications. It is common for MAP to contain two or three gases or more, so the major advantage of these gas mixers is the cost saving from pure gases in comparison with premixed cylinders. However, these systems also provide gas mixtures with greater accuracy and repeatability.

The accuracy of gas concentrations is further protected by a range of gas analysers for non-invasive oxygen measurement and permeation testing.

Summarising Colin says: “In addition to the applications described above, we also offer gas detection equipment for confined space, toxic gases, combustibles, oxygen depletion etc. So, as a result of this initiative, we hope to become a one-stop-shop for air quality products in the food and beverage sector.”