Food Processing
Food processing is the means used to transform raw ingredients into food for consumption by humans. Harvested or slaughtered components are cleaned and then used to produce marketable food products. This includes, in part, packing houses in the west that clean and process fresh produce for shipment all over the country, the chicken processing facilities in the Southeast, and the seafood canneries in the Northeast and Northwest.
USDA and FDA
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulate the Food Processing industry. Some of these regulations govern the physical environment in which food processing takes place. The overall guide to these regulations is in the Food Code. (http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/fc05-toc.html). More specific guidelines based on the location or the activity can be found throughout USDA regulations. (http://www.usda.gov).
FSIS and NSF
In addition, the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), an arm of the USDA, establishes its own regulations regarding the physical environment for inspection of ingredient processing. (http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/frpubs/sanitationguide.htm). The National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) is the non-profit entity that writes standards, certifies products and provides education and risk-management for public health and safety, which includes food processing. (http://www.nsf.org).
The Goal
The main goal of these regulating bodies is to keep America’s food supply safe and its citizens healthy. While luminaires do not usually touch the food, the emphasis on cleanliness and sanitation mandate that all luminaires within the food processing facility not be generators or carriers of disease or contamination. The lighting, as stated by the FDA, “…of good quality and sufficient intensity to ensure that sanitary conditions are maintained and that product is not adulterated must be provided in areas where food is processed, handled, stored, or examined; where equipment and utensils are cleaned; and in hand-washing areas, dressing and locker rooms, and toilets.” (9 CFR Sec. 416.2).
This leaves the interpretation of what is “good quality and sufficient intensity” up to the facility. However, throughout the FDA, USDA and FSIS regulations, more specific parameters are stated. A minimum of 50 foot candles (fc) are required on the work surface in a workroom. Dry food storage requires 10fc 30” from the floor. In areas for hand or ware washing, or where equipment and utensils are stored, the requirement is 20fc 30” above the floor. On inspection station work surfaces, 150 to 200fc with a color rendering index of 85 are required, with a 200fc minimum for poultry.
Certification
The NSF has established three levels of certification for Food Processing facilities. See chart below. The very minimum requirement is that the fixture be listed for wet location, but it is more often required to withstand up to 1000psi water pressure with hot water and/or sanitation solvents. Luminaires must be constructed in such a manner that they do not leak, corrode, or cause fires or electrical problems. The production area must be protected from broken glass in the event the lamps break.