Food Service and Food Processing

Mechanical ventilation in food processing and food handling is incredibly important, and in most cases a necessity in order to maintain food quality and prevent contamination while keeping your employees comfortable during their work day. For these reasons, many food processing plants require supplemental mechanical ventilation in the form of air curtains or air doors, washdown duty fans and ceiling fans.

Air Quality Hazard in Food Handling and Food Processing

The primary goal of the ventilation system in food handling and food processing plants is to control indoor temperature and humidity levels and keep outside contamination, like bugs, moisture, mold spores, dirt, dust and debris, from reaching the food and the food preparation surfaces. Specifically designed fans and blowers also help to vent the exhaust, fumes, heat and humidity created by the food handling equipment and cooking and baking processes. Because of these unique air quality and air handling needs, many food processing facilities need additional ventilation along with their HVAC systems.

Types of Food Handling and Processing Mechanical Ventilation

Controlling the airflow and air quality inside food handling and processing facilities may require additional fans, like air curtains, ceiling fans and washdown duty fans in order to help precisely control indoor air temperature and humidity levels and prevent contamination from dust and other particular matter. Here at Industrial Fans Direct, we sell supplemental mechanical ventilation systems for food handling and processing facilities.

Air Curtains

Unfiltered outdoor air contains mold spores, chemical contamination in the form of exhaust fumes from vehicles, pollen, dust, fly insects and other bugs. If any of those items reach the food products, it can result in contamination. Air curtains (otherwise known as air doors) are fans that are designed to prevent outdoor air from entering facilities by blowing a curtain of air at a downward angle protecting the door opening. This helps prevent bugs, dust and dirt from entering the building every time an employee or visitor opens an exterior door. Our air curtains for food processing facilities have the ability to move up to 7,500 cubic feet of air per minute.

Ceiling Fans

Ceiling fans are essential in food processing facilities in order to keep employees comfortable and cool. Cooking and baking equipment combined with hot water and steam can quickly cause an area to become too hot and humid, which can negatively affect employee health. Ceiling fans help circulate in order to keep the area at a constant temperature and humidity level. In fact, installing ceiling fans in for food processing or food handling facility may even lower your heating and cooling costs. We offer standard ceiling fans, HVLS ceiling fans and barrel mounted ceiling fans with CFMs between 5,001 and more than 75,001.

Washdown Duty Fans

Washdown duty fans are essential for maintaining air circulation in wet, corrosive and chemical laden environments. These fans (typically constructed of either stainless steel, zinc coated, or epoxy coated parts) are built to be corrosion and water resistant, meaning they will not create an electrical hazard if they get wet, and they will not rust when exposed to large amounts of water, steam or humidity. Since food and other contaminants can land on the fans themselves, they are literally designed to be washed down at the end of a work day. For this reason, many food processing and handling facilities opt to install these fans in and around sinks and water-using equipment and appliances. Here at Industrial Fans Direct, we offer stainless steel and zinc-coated washdown duty fans with CFMs between 2,501 and 15,000.

Industrial Fans Direct carries a full line of washdown air circulator fans, pedestal fans, wall mount fans, air curtains and ceiling fans for the food processing and food service industries where USDA, NSF and OSHA compliance and approval is a necessity. Typically fans used in this industry must stand up to be washed down with water and disinfectants. Materials that make up may of the circulator fans are stainless steel, food grade paint, and washdwon proof motors.

To learn more about our mechanical ventilation fans for food processing plants and food handling facilities, call us at 866-727-1060.