In recent months, the food processing industry has dealt with a slew of product recalls. While some of these recalls were due to bacterial contaminants that spread through poorly inspected product, other recalls have been initiated due to product contamination by faulty processing equipment.
Any product recall is a devastating loss for a manufacturer. The financial strain of recalling contaminated materials, the unnecessary waste of lost product, and the potential danger those products pose to consumers necessitate stringent safety standards for any automated food processing system. Inferior equipment materials, such as plastic or rubber conveyor belts, can represent a needless risk to product quality. Due to aging and repeated use, they can fray and generate particulates that can directly contaminate food. They can also “outgas”, which will affect the flavor of food products. Additionally, rubber and plastic belts are susceptible to physical damage that creates pits, divots, or cracks where chemicals, allergens, or contagions can fester.
Stainless Steel is Ideal for Food Processing Applications
Endless metal belts have a flat, nonporous surface and will not absorb bacteria.
Solid stainless steel conveyor systems are a long-lasting, accurate and repeatable material choice for food processing systems. Metal conveyor belts do not require lubrication and they do not outgas, so there is no risk to product flavor. Additionally, they do not fray or generate particulates that can contaminate food and endanger consumers.
Maintaining standards for cleanliness and sanitization is easy with stainless steel conveyor belts. The solid, non-porous surface of endless metal belts is resistant to bacteria, providing an overall cleaner surface area for transporting edible materials. Thanks to their resistance to high temperatures and corrosion, stainless steel conveyor systems can also easily be cleaned with any cleansing method such as chlorine washes, high-pressure steam, high-pressure washes, and more. Stainless steel conveyor systems by Belt Technologies are specifically designed for easy access, allowing OEMs to save time during maintenance and cleaning operations.
Achieve Optimal Product Throughput and Efficiency
The design and configuration options for stainless steel food processing systems are versatile. Non-stick surface coatings or perforations can be added to improve efficiency and product quality. Conveyor belts can also be fitted with attachments for more accurate placement indexing. All stainless steel belts have the twofold advantage of operating at high temperatures and corrosion-resistance that ensures long-term safety and reliability.
Including stainless steel into your automated food processing system guarantees sanitary, efficient, and reliable product quality results. Our engineers can easily design metal belts to fit into and upgrade any existing automated food processing system. We can engineer and fabricate custom stainless steel conveyor systems designed to fit your unique food processing application. From frozen foods, such as ice cream and frozen pizzas, to cooking processes for raw meat, stainless steel metal conveyor belts are excellent for the cooking, freezing, and handling of edible products.
Having troubles with an automated food processing system? We’re standing by to help. Contact the experts at Belt Technologies, today.
