Evidence of the high standards followed by manufacturers of the food we eat is on display by how often we prepare and eat meals with little thought to food safety. This is more a testament to the hard work of the men and women in this industry than it is to a careless attitude. The reality is we demand a high level of safety in the food products we purchase, but it’s worth a few moments to highlight organizations that make this possible.
IFTPS (Institute for Thermal Processing Specialist) is one of those organizations that allows us to enjoy some of our favorite foods and beverages safely. Broadly speaking, thermal processing is a technique that uses heat to sterilize food, but that is far too simple of an explanation. (That’s like saying surgery is just something done with a scalpel). Thermally processing food requires a similar knowledge base and commitment to excellence as the consequences of failure for either are potentially catastrophic.
“IFTPS is an international organization whose mission is to provide leadership and education for thermal processing specialists to enhance awareness and ensure public health safety by using the knowledge of a diverse membership through communication, networking, research, and establishing best practices.”
Recently, IFTPS published the document; Guideline for Sterilizing Filtration of Air and Other Gases in Aseptic Processing and Packaging of Food and Beverages. As evidence of just how technical this field can be, this single guideline focused only on the very narrow topic of filtering the air and other gases used in selected processing techniques, yet the guideline is over 100 pages long.
Input from dozens of subject matter experts from a wide variety of industries was required to put together such a document. Certain techniques in thermal processing require high-quality HEPA and ULPA filters. Camfil’s Benjamin Rühl and Mark Davidson were able to add valuable information to the document by drawing on the experience learned in Camfil’s 60 years of research and development on these most critical air filters.
Camfil recommends any professional involved in the thermal processing of food to strongly consider IFTPS as an invaluable resource to improve their knowledge base. Camfil is leader in the air filtration industry for sourcing air filters that aid in maintaining the level of food safety we’ve all come to expect.
