Guide to major food and sanitary pump certifications

Food and sanitary pumps comprise a wide range of models that differ in the characteristics of the liquid to be handled and the application of use. However, food pumps must comply with special construction requirements to ensure high standards of hygiene and cleanliness with the aim of minimizing the risk of potential bacterial load. Therefore all DEBEM food pumps adhere to the regulations of the main international standards. The aim of this article is to provide an overview of the main regulations that characterize the design and production of DEBEM food and sanitary pumps.

MOCA

MOCA (Materials and Objects in Contact with Food) was introduced by a European Council directive on food contact materials. The directive was developed to increase quality standards in food production and reduce public health risks by eliminating potentially harmful contamination caused by chemical migration from materials to the product. DEBEM’s food pumps designed to handle fluids that are part of food production processes display the MOCA logo to show that they have been tested and are compliant with the directive. But that’s not all, the entire production process of the Hygienic Debem series pumps (suppliers, goods receipt, production, testing, etc.) is controlled and compliant with the strict MOCA regulations.

3-A Sanitary Standards

The 3-A Sanitary Standards is a US regulation that governs protection from risks related to potential food contamination. Specifically, the regulation is aimed at regulating the production of equipment intended to encounter foodstuffs, ensuring that all the parts that make up a system are correctly sanitized to avoid the formation of bacterial charges. In our specific case, 3-A certification has the precise aim of verifying that the materials used in the production design of DEBEM sanitary pumps can withstand repeated cleaning and sterilization cycles. 3A also analyses the design of pumps destined for the pharmaceutical sector to understand whether the design requirements comply with the regulation. Specifically, pumps of this type must comply with precise rules, including the possibility of undergoing CIP-COP washing or SIP sanitization; other product requirements are the possibility of installing sensors to detect membrane rupture and supporting structures to allow the pump to rotate on itself to be emptied of product residues.

FDA

Within the food or pharmaceutical industry, the FDA regulation, issued by the Food & Drug Administration, regulates all aspects concerning the contact of materials with the food or pharmaceutical product used within the production process. In our specific case, the purpose of the regulation is to identify the materials and finishes of pumps that are best suited to handle contact with the fluids used within the food or pharmaceutical production process.  DEBEM food pumps are made from materials approved for food contact and are therefore FDA-compliant for use in food, cosmetic and pharmaceutical applications.

Atex regulations

To protect the safety of workers in potentially dangerous workplaces, the European Union introduced the ATEX (ATmosphères et EXplosives) directive. The purpose of the ATEX legislation is to regulate all activities that contribute to the reduction of risks of the formation of potentially explosive atmospheres that may be produced or released by the equipment or protective systems themselves. In particular working environments, the propagation of flammable substances in the air can, under certain conditions, form an explosive mixture that can give rise to explosions and fires if ignited. DEBEM sanitary pumps are ATEX-certified and meet the requirements of protection systems for use in potentially explosive atmospheres.

CE Marking

The CE marking on a piece of machinery or equipment indicates that it complies with all applicable directives within the European Union. In our case the CE marking identifies the conformity of DEBEM’s food and sanitary pumps with European Union health, safety and environmental legislation, including the Machinery Safety Directive 98/37/EC. DEBEM can self-certify and CE-mark its line of food pumps having demonstrated compliance with the “Essential Health and Safety Requirements” of the legislation.

DEBEM pumps' compliance with the main international certifications

DEBEM’s food and sanitary pumps are manufactured in compliance with major international standards to meet the most demanding specifications for use in a wide range of food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and trichological applications. DEBEM products are designed according to a practical and intelligent design and are manufactured from the highest quality materials. DEBEM, to regularly certify the quality of its pumps, has achieved ISO 9001:2015 organizational certification in accordance with international standards. For any technical queries regarding our certifications, please contact our technical sales team.