In the food processing industry, how should we choose a temperature instrument that meets hygienic standards?

In the food processing industry, temperature control directly affects the safety and quality of products, so it is very important to choose a temperature instrument that meets sanitary standards. The selection needs to be comprehensively considered from multiple aspects such as sanitary compliance, performance parameters, applicable environment, and post-maintenance to ensure accurate temperature measurement, clean and safe, reliable and stable.

Temperature instruments that meet international or regional sanitary standards must be selected. Common certifications include the US 3-A sanitary standard, the EU EHEDG certification, and FDA food contact material approval. These standards have strict requirements on the structural design, material selection, and cleanability of the instrument. For example, the part of the sensor that contacts the medium should be made of food-grade 316L stainless steel, and the surface should be mirror polished (Ra<0.8 μm) to avoid microbial attachment and reduce the risk of cleaning blind spots. In addition, the sealing material must meet FDA requirements, such as the use of corrosion-resistant and temperature-resistant materials such as silicone, PTFE or EPDM.

In terms of product type, sanitary thermal resistors (such as PT100) or thermocouples should be preferred. These sensors have the characteristics of fast response, high accuracy, and good stability. With the integrated temperature transmitter, it can output standard signals (such as 4~20mA or Modbus RTU) for easy access to the automation control system. The instrument should have a quick-install interface (such as Tri-Clamp connection) to facilitate installation and disassembly and CIP/SIP cleaning, and is widely used in dairy products, sauces, beverages, sugar making and other fields.

The selection of temperature range must also match the process requirements. For different processes such as pasteurization, cooking, and rapid cooling, models with moderate response speed and appropriate temperature coverage should be selected. At the same time, pay attention to the long-term stability and corrosion resistance of the instrument to ensure that long-term operation is not affected in high temperature, high humidity, and high-pressure cleaning environments.

Good protection level (IP67 and above recommended) and seismic resistance are also important indicators of hygienic temperature instruments. Before choosing, it is recommended to confirm with the supplier whether it supports regular calibration and whether it has self-diagnosis function to improve the maintainability and reliability of the temperature control system.

When selecting temperature instruments in the food processing industry, hygienic design, measurement performance, interface standards and automation compatibility must be taken into account. Only by strictly selecting products in accordance with sanitary standards can we effectively ensure the safety, efficiency and compliance of food production.