GB 16798-2023Food machinery safety requirements (English PDF)

3.4 Area of product

4.1.1 Product contact surface materials shall meet product compatibility requirements. Structural materials shall also meet the requirements of corresponding usage conditions (such as product characteristics, temperature, pressure, medium characteristics, etc.).

4.1.2 Product contact surface materials shall be safe and traceable; it shall not affect the nature, purity, or quality of the product.

4.1.3 The contact between materials and products shall not produce substances, that are harmful or exceed the amount specified in the standards of the processed products, due to interaction.

4.1.4 Food machinery manufacturer shall inspect and accept materials and products. Information on purchased products shall comply with product labeling requirements and compatibility requirements.

4.1.5 When selecting materials, other risks that may endanger product safety that may exist under different use conditions shall be avoided, including but not limited to the following conditions: low temperature, ultraviolet radiation, microwaves, electromagnetic waves, gamma-radiation, ozone, etc.

4.2 Usage performance requirements

4.2.1 The contact between materials and products shall not cause the interaction to produce substances that pollute the product, affect the smell, color, quality of the product, or have adverse effects on the product processing process.

4.2.2 The material shall have the properties of heat resistance, chemical resistance, mechanical resistance.

4.2.3 When products, detergents, disinfectants come into contact with materials, the types and amounts of compounds formed on the surface of the materials or deep inside them shall not cause adverse consequences, that require additional processing of the equipment to remove these compounds.

4.2.4 The color of materials shall not present difficulties in assessing product quality or degree of contamination.

4.2.5 In order to adapt to different uses, materials used for parts with product contact surfaces shall have good processing performance (such as bendability, cutting ability, weldability, surface hardness, grindability, polishing, etc.), good thermal conductivity, corrosion resistance, resistance to liquid penetration, etc.

4.3 Structural material requirements for product contact surfaces

4.3.1 Stainless steel Stainless steel materials on product contact surfaces shall meet product compatibility requirements. The designation and chemical composition of stainless steel materials shall comply with the requirements of GB/T 20878. Stainless steel cold-rolled plates shall comply with the requirements of GB/T 3280; stainless steel hot-rolled plates shall comply with the requirements of GB/T4237; stainless steel plate materials for pressure-bearing equipment shall comply with the requirements of GB/T 24511. Stainless steel pipes and accessories for the food industry shall comply with the relevant requirements of QB/T 2467 and QB/T 2468. Stainless steel materials shall be easy to process, non-toxic, non-absorbent, highly corrosion-resistant, insoluble in food solutions, not produce metal ions that would damage the flavor of the product, have good resistance to liquid penetration, the surface can be polished, the appearance is bright, beautiful, easy to clean.

Note 1: For general purposes, austenitic stainless steel materials are used; the material designations are 06Cr19Ni10 (S30408), 022Cr19Ni10 (S30403), 06Cr17Ni12Mo2 (S31608), 022Cr17Ni12Mo2 (S31603). When the usage requirements are harsh, the designation used is 06Cr19Ni13Mo3 (S31708) and 022Cr19Ni13Mo3 (S31703) austenitic stainless steel materials. When necessary, in order to avoid stress corrosion cracking due to the presence of chloride ions, choose 022Cr23Ni5Mo3N (S22053) austenitic-ferrite type materials (such as the conditions for long-term storage of salt solutions ).

Note 2: When martensitic stainless steel is used for special parts on product contact surfaces, such as blades, shaft parts, etc., the material designations used are 1Cr13, 2Cr13, 3Cr13, etc.

4.3.2 Aluminum and aluminum alloys Aluminum and aluminum alloy materials on product contact surfaces shall meet product compatibility requirements. Aluminum and aluminum alloys shall have certain corrosion resistance, be non-toxic and non-absorbent, be used for parts with complex shapes and product contact surfaces. Aluminum alloy materials for casting shall comply with the provisions of

4.1.8 in GB/T 1173-2013. Aluminum and aluminum alloy materials produced by pressure processing methods shall comply with the requirements of GB/T 3190.

4.3.3 Welding materials The welding materials shall have properties similar to those of the materials being welded, form a tight and solid structure in the welding area, be non-toxic and corrosion- resistant.

4.3.4.1 Plastic materials and products

4.4.2 Fiber materials Paper and paperboard materials and products shall meet product compatibility requirements. Natural protein fiber materials and products shall meet product compatibility requirements. Other fiber materials such as cotton fiber, wood fiber, linen and man-made fiber shall meet product compatibility requirements. Fiber materials shall be non-toxic, non-shedding, insoluble in water, not interact with the product; they shall not affect the smell of the product. Fiber materials are commonly used as filter materials, screen materials, and elastic connection materials.

Note: Man-made fibers are materials made from natural plant fibers that have been chemically or physically modified.

4.4.3 Glass Glass and products shall have high mechanical strength, thermal shock resistance, thermal stability, and safety. It is used in sight glass and light entrances.

4.4.4 Filter media Filter media used for product contact include cotton fiber, wood fiber, metal wire, activated carbon, activated alumina, diatomaceous earth, semi-permeable membranes used in the food industry, etc. Filter media can be composed of several materials at the same time. It shall have good chemical stability under working conditions, be resistant to chemical corrosion, temperature changes, microbial action, be easy to clean and disinfect. It shall be non-toxic and harmless, with no shedding, toxic volatiles or other substances that may pollute the air and products. It shall not affect the odor of the product. The materials constituting the filter media shall comply with the corresponding standards.

4.4.5 Bonding materials Under working conditions, it shall be able to ensure that the bonding surface has sufficient strength and tightness, good thermal stability; it shall be non-toxic, non- volatile, non-solubility, non-affecting the odor of the product.

4.5 Requirements for other surface covering materials in contact with the product The materials of other surface coverings in contact with the product (hereinafter referred to as the covering layer) shall comply with product compatibility requirements and corresponding national standards. Lead, zinc and their alloys shall not be used; materials containing fiberglass shall not be used; wood shall not be used (except for hardwood chopping boards used to divide raw materials and special occasions for wine production). Articles with colored paint coatings shall not be used. The cadmium, nickel, chromium, enamel, glass-lined, foamed plastics and phenolic-based plastics shall not be used as coverings.

4.6 Material requirements for non-product contact surfaces

4.6.1 Non-product contact surfaces shall be made of corrosion-resistant materials, which shall have good anti-absorption and anti-penetration capabilities, durability, washability.

4.6.2 Non-product contact surfaces are allowed to be coated with corrosion-resistant materials. If surface coated, the coating shall adhere firmly.

4.6.3 Materials on non-product contact surfaces shall not peel or fall off, causing product contamination.

4.7 Other requirements Asbestos materials shall not be used in any part of food machinery.

5.1 Structural characteristics

5.1.1 The equipment structure, product delivery pipelines and connecting parts shall not have any depressions or dead corners where product is retained.

5.1.2 Pipes in direct contact with products shall use stainless steel pipes, pipe fittings and valves that meet cleaning requirements. Stainless steel pipes and pipe fittings shall comply with the relevant requirements of QB/T 2467 and QB/T 2468. Pipeline control valves shall be hygienic valve structure and easy to clean and sterilize. The piping, branch pipes, other accessories connected to the mechanical device shall use sealing materials that meet the conditions of use; have a structure to prevent the intrusion of pollutants, product retention; have a structure to prevent internal leakage of the product.

5.1.3 Reliable seals shall be installed where external parts extend into the product area, to prevent the product from being contaminated.

5.1.4 Bearings in contact with the product shall be non-lubricating (self-lubricating). If the lubricated bearing is located in the product area, there shall be reliable sealing devices and isolation measures around the bearing, to prevent product contamination.

5.1.5 The product area shall be isolated from the outside world. The isolation measures shall be graded according to the requirements of the product processing stage. At least a protective cover shall be added, to prevent foreign objects from falling in or pests located at the bottom or side, if it adopts an inward opening structure, it shall be designed in an oval shape to facilitate disassembly and installation.

5.2.9 For equipment equipped with ladders, passages, operating platforms, the selection of these fixed facilities shall meet the requirements of GB 4053 (all parts).

5.2.10 The material and structure of the operating platform's tabletop and ladder treads shall have anti-slip properties. Straight ladders parallel to the tower wall and tank wall shall be equipped with equidistant rungs. The vertical spacing between adjacent rungs is 225 mm to 300 mm; the distance between the rungs and the tower wall and tank wall shall not be less than 180 mm to 300 mm. For straight ladders without cages, after installation and fixation, the vertical distance from the climbing surface formed by the center line of the rungs to the surface of the nearest obstacle shall not be less than 760 mm.

5.2.11 A safety cage shall be installed, if the height of the straight ladder or falling height is above 3000 mm.

5.2.12 When the fall height exceeds 500 mm, protective railings shall be installed on all open edges of the platform, passage or working surface; the height of the guardrail shall not be less than 1050 mm. When the height from the reference plane is not less than 20 m, the height of the guardrail shall not be less than 1200 mm. There shall be skirting boards at the connection between the guardrail and the platform.

5.2.13 When the rising height of the stairs exceeds 500 mm, guardrails shall be installed.

5.2.14 The area of the operating platform shall not be less than 1 m2. The narrowest point shall be no less than 750 mm.

5.2.15 The outer surface of mechanical equipment shall be smooth, without edges or sharp corners.

5.2.16 Under normal operation without load, the noise (sound pressure level) of the equipment shall not exceed 85 dB(A).

5.2.17 When the external surface temperature of the equipment (pipeline) exceeds 60 °C, heat insulation measures shall be taken to prevent burns.

5.5 Cleaning in place and steam in place

5.5.1 Cleaning in place (CIP) requirements are as follows:

a) Food contact surfaces for online cleaning shall not have blind spots or spaces that cannot be completely cleaned;

b) There shall be a structure for discharging washing water and product materials;

c) There shall be a certain method to confirm the cleanability;

d) Appropriate cleaning conditions shall be determined and provided to users.

5.5.2 The requirements for steam in place (SIP) are as follows:

a) The product contact surface for steam in place shall not have blind spots or spaces that cannot be reached by disinfection steam;

b) There shall be a structure for discharging washing water and product materials;

5.7.1 When the equipment cannot be cleaned automatically, the parts that need to be cleaned shall be easy to disassemble and clean.

5.7.2 The parts of the equipment that need to be disassembled shall be easily accessible; disassembly can be completed without the use of special tools; reinstallation shall be easy. In the connection of material pipelines, stainless steel pipes and pipe components for the food industry shall be used, or steel pipes and accessories of the same level of hygienic structure shall be used. Stainless steel threaded pipe joints for the food industry shall comply with the requirements of QB/T 2468; stainless steel butt welded pipe fittings for the food industry shall comply with the requirements of QB/T 2003; stainless steel clamp bushings with washers for the food industry shall comply with the requirements of QB/T 2004. Various technical requirements for pipes and fittings shall comply with corresponding standards.

5.7.3 The clamping mechanism shall adopt wing nuts and buckles operated by a single handle.

5.7.4 The lids and doors of various containers shall be easy to disassemble and easy to clean and inspect.

5.8 Inspectability

5.8.1 Parts located in the product area shall be easy to inspect after cleaning. Perform inspection cleaning when necessary.

5.8.2 Special parts that need to be cleaned shall be easy to disassemble and inspect.

5.8.3 Accessories or parts shall be installed so that the operator can easily see whether they are installed correctly. If necessary, there shall be designs or markings to prevent mis-installation.