From Farm to Fork: The Key to Sanitary Food and Beverage Processing

As an industry, food and beverage production relies on sanitation and safety. From farm to fork, every step of your operation works together seamlessly to prevent contamination and maintain product quality. The hoses you choose are especially important, since it is their job to transport ingredients, finished products, and byproducts throughout your whole production line. When your hose is not equipped for the job, it can lead to production line interruptions, product contamination, spoilage, and sometimes even costly recalls and health risks. This guide will help you select the best food-grade hose for your application, so you can keep things moving and ensure quality production.

Purpose of Food Grade Hose

Food grade hoses are specifically designed for the safe and hygienic transfer of consumable products. These hoses are held to an incredibly high standard of safety to prevent contamination and maintain product integrity. Some common applications for food grade hose include beverage production, dairy handling, ingredient transfer, and conveyance of finished food products and byproducts. Food grade hoses possess several distinct characteristics that set them apart from other hoses, including:

Material Compatibility: The inner tube of food grade hoses is constructed from materials that are inert and do not react with food products, such as UHMWPE or PTFE. This prevents leaching of harmful substances into the product.  

Sanitary Design: Their smooth inner surfaces minimize product buildup and make these hoses easier to clean. They are also resistant to bacteria and other microorganisms, ensuring sanitary production.  

Temperature Resistance: Since food production requires varying temperatures, there are a variety of food grade hoses are designed to safely withstand hot or refrigerated conditions.  

Chemical Resistance: These hoses are resistant to a wide range of chemicals, such as sanitizers and other cleaning agents, ensuring longevity and ease of sanitization.  

Flexibility: Sometimes food grade hoses need to be maneuvered in tight spaces. Some hose options are designed to be flexible without compromising durability. Factors that may affect flexibility include durometer, force-to-bend, hose size, wall thickness, reinforcement, and environmental temperature.

Compliance with Standards: These hoses adhere to strict food safety regulations and standards, such as FDA and NSF, guaranteeing their safety for food contact.  

Considerations When Selecting Your Hose

Since the food and beverage industry is so broad, a wide variety of food and beverage hoses are available to meet your industry’s needs. Before jumping into your next purchase, here are a few important questions you should ask yourself:

What are the properties of the material I am transferring? Does the hose need to be resistant to fats or oils? Different fluids have different properties, so it's important to choose a hose that is compatible. For example, if you're transferring milk, you'll need a hose that is resistant to dairy products.

Am I concerned with high temperatures? Some hoses are only rated for cold temperatures, while others can handle hot liquids. It is important to confirm what temperature transferred materials need to be kept at before making your selection to ensure temperature compatibility.

What kind of space do I have available for routing? Food and beverage applications often require hoses that can be routed around corners and through tight spaces. Choose a hose that is flexible enough to meet your needs without kinking or breaking.

Do the fittings make the hose? Remember that the fittings on your hose can be just as important as the hose itself. A hose assembly is only as durable as its weakest point, so ensure all fittings are also rated for the job at hand.

The Parker Hannifin PURE Hose Solution

The Parker Hannifin PURE Hose product line is specifically designed to meet the stringent requirements of the food and beverage industry. Here are a few benefits of investing in Parker for your next food and beverage application:

Sanitary Design: The smooth, non-porous inner surface of PURE Hoses minimizes product buildup and facilitates easy cleaning. This design helps prevent bacteria harborage and promotes optimal hygiene.

Durability and Performance: PURE Hoses are built to withstand the demanding environments of food and beverage production. They are resistant to high and low temperatures, cleaning chemicals, and abrasion, ensuring long service life and minimizing downtime.

Compliance with Standards: PURE Hoses are rigorously tested and certified to meet all applicable food safety regulations, including those set by the FDA and USDA. This gives you peace of mind knowing your hoses are compliant and contribute to a safe production process.

To learn more about Parker’s PURE Hose Series, explore the PURE Food & Beverage Hose Data Sheet.

Maintaining food safety is a continuous effort, and selecting the right hoses is a critical step in that process. Parker Hannifin's PURE Hose product line offers a reliable and compliant solution for your food and beverage applications. You can find PURE Hose assemblies, as well as a wide variety of other industrial hose solutions, at Triad Technologies. Order your hose assemblies online today through our Hoses 2 Go program, or contact a Triad Technologies expert to ask questions and determine the best industrial hose solution for you.