Thermal fluid passes safety test
official food-grade certification in the US. Manufacturer Paratherm
says that the fluid offers food processors a safer alternative to
conventional heat transfer fluids, and is environmentally friendly.
Rated for optimal service from -40C to +204C, the fluid, called LR, is non-aromatic, non acqueous and non-toxic. The fluid can be used as a substitute fluid in secondary cooling systems and in condensers where water contamination would pose significant safety issues. Heat transfer fluids are used in a wide variety of food processing applications such as cooling and adhesive packaging.
Manufacturer Paratherm also claims that the new fluid is environmentally safe as it contains no chlorinated hydrocarbons or heavy metals. LR fluid can be disposed of by combining it with spent lubricating oils and then recycling.
HT1 food grade certification is required if there is any chance of incidental food contact with the fluid. It is also a matter of good manufacturing practice. For example, if a leak occurs on a packaging line that heats adhesive with heat transfer fluid, this could pose not only a health risk but also a financial disaster.
Manufacturers such as Paratherm argue that the extra cost paid for incidental food contact (HT1) fluid is significantly less than the cost of a mass product recall.
Another interesting specifying consideration in food processing is the need for kosher heat transfer fluid in applications that manufacture kosher products or products to be used in kosher foods. Even though heat transfer fluid is not put into the food directly, it must be kosher under the kosher laws that refer to heating a product through a common wall (in this case, a heat exchanger).
For example, if a plant is broiling kosher chickens with a heat transfer fluid system and using the same fluid to process animal fats that contain pork in another part of the plant, under kosher law, the process has been contaminated. Likewise, in plants that produce both kosher and non-kosher or even dairy and pareve (non-dairy), engineers must carefully review details like returned condensate.
Heat transfer fluids used in process temperature control have been engineered and manufactured by Paratherm since 1988. The thermal oils are designed for rugged heating and cooling in non-pressurised high-temperature closed-loop heat transfer systems, temperature control units and heat exchangers.
