Authored article by Deepesh Upadhyay, Assistant Vice President, Delair India Pvt. Ltd. | November 22, 2024,
The packaged food industry in India has been growing at a phenomenal rate with the changing consumption patterns and rising preference for ready-to-eat food. Given to the favorable market, by 2029 industry is expected to reach a size of 6.4 billion U.S. dollars, as per the report by Statista. As a result, in order to fortify the progression of the packaged food, it is more important than ever to reduce the wastage of food products. There is a need to focus on preserving the authenticity and integrity of the food to maximize the output of the industry. To achieve the purpose, resorting to quality air solution for providing dry compressed air can play a pivotal role in prolonging the shelf life of packaged food.
Compressed air is required for driving a wide range of applications in the food & beverage industry, right from manufacturing to packaging and transportation of the products. It is employed for carrying out freezing, canning, and dehydration of food products and also bodes well for dairy processing or agitation, meat processing, food packaging, etc. It also finds application in PET bottle manufacturing for overseeing the bottle achieves the desired shape and size. In addition to this, it is also involved in mold press powering, clamping, conveying plastic pellets, forming, etc. in the manufacturing process of bottles. The role of compressed air transcends food processing and is also sought for powering the various pneumatic equipment.
Therefore, coming in contact with food at every stage of manufacturing and processing, in case there is moisture in the compressed air, it can lead to contamination of food. Moisture promotes microbial growth such as mould, fungi, etc., which is responsible for initiating physical, enzymatic, microbiological, and biochemical deterioration, giving rise to hygiene issues. Likewise, moisture in compressed air at the time of PET manufacturing causes clouding issues, reducing the clarity of the PET bottles. Additionally, it also compromises the bottle strength and brings about the contamination of PET resin, culminating in internal bubbles and pockmarks in bottles.
Furthermore, compressed air laden with moisture is also responsible for malfunctioning of pneumatic machines, causing corrosion in the pipe lines, cylinders, and other components. The severity is amplified during cold weather, as it gives rise to freezing issues, leading to sluggish and inconsistent operation of equipment. This mandates the supply of dry compressed air, free from any sort of contamination entailing moisture, oil droplets, solid particles, etc., for driving food safety and retaining its palatability for a long period of time.
Deploying Delpet (high pressure) refrigeration dryers can play a crucial role in providing quality air solutions for compressed air. With the help of added filtration systems they remove moisture, dust particles, oil, and solid contaminants, and reside well for different applications. Above high pressure Delpet refrigeration dryers are sought for processes involving pressure dew point upto 2° to 3°C following Quality Standard ISO 8573:2010 Class 1.
Here, the refrigeration dryers focus on cooling the air to nearly freezing point and consequently reheating it 10°C below the incoming compressed air temperature. Furthermore, to support PET bottle manufacturing, the industry leverages high pressure Delpet dryers operating at high pressure of up to 40 barg and maximum up to 45 barg in some special PET Applications.
Therefore, understanding the importance of compressed air in the food & beverage industry, employing compressed air dryers can go a long way in curtailing the spoilage of food with the help of quality air solution.
