Clean Steam in the Food & Drink Industry

Which grade of steam is right for your application?

 There is a growing trend for steam users to switch to clean steam.

Plant steam is fine for applications where it doesn’t come into direct contact
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edrosa, EME with the product, as well as in many applications where the product would be
Francisco P e n t M anager
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Business De unaffected by low levels of contamination. However, the possibility that water
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- Clean Stea
treatment chemicals or other contaminants such as flakes of rust or scale could
end up in end product, for instance, is increasingly seen as unacceptable. Many
food and drink manufacturers are therefore looking to up their game by switching
to cleaner forms of steam. It’s a move that other, high-purity operators such as
pharmaceutical manufacturers, healthcare providers and electronics companies
have already made, either for regulatory/guidance or product quality reasons.

This white paper looks at the different grades of steam available, including plant
steam, filtered steam, clean steam and pure steam. It also considers where they
might be most applicable. For instance, some food manufacturers are happy
with filtered (culinary) grade steam, while others are opting for steam generated
by a dedicated clean steam generator.

Finally, it considers the potential advantages of switching to clean steam,

including reduced costs from product wastage and the ability to demonstrate the
use of best practice to demanding customers such as supermarkets.
The demand for clean steam is growing 1
Standard plant steam is a convenient and costefficient Food and drink companies are waking up to clean steam
way for moving heat around a huge variety of processes Food and drink are the industries where the trend towards
and premises, from petrochemical sites to pharmaceutical clean steam is undergoing the biggest shift. This is partly
plants. Yet there’s a growing recognition that plant steam is because manufacturers want to avoid quality issues,
simply not clean enough for some applications. While this expensive product wastage and even product recalls with
has long been understood in pharmaceutical production, the associated damage to their reputation. It’s also partly
healthcare and electronics, demand for clean steam is now because of pressure from customers such as the major
on the rise in other industries. supermarkets, who have their own responsibility to ensure
the safety and quality of the products they sell.
The most obvious is food and drink, where improved
hygiene naturally promotes greater food safety. However, There is no specific legislation governing the quality of
the quality of other products may sometimes benefit from steam in food and drink applications even though concerns
the use of clean steam to prevent contamination, even over issues relating to taste and taint are becoming more
where there is no regulatory requirement relating to steam prominent. However, manufacturers are legally bound to
quality. In fact, any process that has steam coming into ensure the quality of the final product by identifying potential
direct contact with the product has some potential to hazards and controlling them, typically by using a Hazard
benefit from a switch to clean steam, although industries Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) approach.
such as food, drink, pharmaceuticals and healthcare will
undoubtedly remain the biggest users.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA)

Responsible for food safety and food hygiene in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The FSA works with local
authorities to enforce food safety regulations and standards.
 The demand for clean steam is growing
This means manufacturers should ensure suitable controls are established The Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
and adhered to for all possible hazards. Within a HACCP context, steam
quality and safety could be described as a HACCP prerequisite or, if the The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is a government
steam is added directly into the product, as a stage in the food production agency established in 1906 with the passage of the Federal
process. The standards commonly referred to when considering food Food and Drugs Act.
hygiene include:
Exerts strict control over the manufacture and commercial
UK: distribution of food and drink, cosmetics and pharmaceutical
• S.I. 2006 No. 14 - The Food Hygiene (England Regulation). products, for products manufactured within the USA or
• Guidelines for the Safe Production of Heat Preserved Food – manufactured outside of the USA for sale within.
Department of Health.
In addition to the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s)
• Hygiene and design of food factories, edited by J. Holah. requirements, food business will be subject to other federal,
Europe: state, and local requirements. These will vary depending on
• Regulation (EC) No 852 / 2004 of the European Parliament and of the the product and the type of facility. When planning to operate
a food business, companies may want to discuss their specific
Council of 29 April 2004 on the hygiene of foodstuffs. (Chapter VII,
product and facility with the FDA District Office and the state
Section 5). and local regulatory agencies external Link Disclaimer that have
• Codex Alimentarious. jurisdiction.
• European Hygienic Engineering and Design Guidelines (EHEDG).
• Regulation (EC) No 1935 / 2004 of the European Parliament and
the Council of 27 October 2004 on materials and articles intended to
come in contact with food and repeating Directives 80 / 590 / EEC
and 89 / 109 / EEC. What does ‘FDA approved’ mean?
USA: “FDA approved” means that the agency has determined that
• 3-A Accepted Practices for A Method of Producing Culinary Steam, the “benefits of the product outweigh the known risks for the
Number 609-03. intended use.” Manufacturers must submit a premarket approval
• FDA Code of Federal Regulations, 173.310, Title 21, Volume 3, (PMA) application and the results of clinical testing in order to
Revised as of April 1, 2005. get approval.
• National Organic Standards Board (NOSB), Steam Generation in
Organic Food Processing Systems TAP Review.
International:
• ISO/TS 22002-1 Prerequisite programmes in food safety for food
manufacturing.
The demand for clean steam is growing
Pharmaceutical and healthcare standards Further guidance comes from the International Society
The situation is more clear-cut in the pharmaceutical and for Pharmaceutical Engineering (ISPE) which publishes a
healthcare industries, where clean steam has a long- number of best practice and framework books including its
established track record. Pharmaceutical operators should Good Automated Manufacturing Practice (GAMP) guide.
be working to current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP)
Electronics require extreme hygiene
guidelines, while healthcare providers in the UK operate
sterilisation facilities according to the latest guidance from While there is no consumer or patient health
the Department of Health. imperative to use clean steam in the electronics
industry, the tiny scale and extreme fragility of
In addition, the Bioprocess Equipment (BPE) group of electronic components demand the highest standards
the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) of hygiene during the production process in order to
provides a measurable way to design, manufacture, maintain product quality.
specify and purchase equipment for the biotechnology,
pharmaceutical and personal care industries.

ASME-BPE guidance applies to: The European Medicines Agency (EMA)

• Any manufacturing system that is in contact with the A decentralised body of the European Union, the
product, raw materials, buffers for pH modification or EMA’s main responsibility is the protection and
product intermediates. promotion of public and animal health, through the
evaluation and supervision of medicines for human
• Systems that are a critical part of product manufacture and veterinary use. Regulations are enforced by
e.g. fermentation, separation, purification, intermediate, National Regulatory Agencies e.g. MHRA in the UK.
product storage, fill/finish equipment.
• Utilities that come in contact with manufacturing
equipment for cleaning and sanitisation e.g. Water
For Injection (WFI) used for rinsing, caustic fluids for
Cleaning in place, clean/pure steam for sterilisation in
place, gases used for blanketing or product movement.
 The four grades of industrial steam 2
There are four grades of steam commonly used
in industry today, from basic plant steam, through
filtered (culinary) steam, clean steam and pure
steam. While plant steam is great for heat transfer
• Pharmaceuticals applications in industries such as petrochemicals or
PURE • Biotechnology pulp and paper, many food companies already use
filtered steam, or even the clean steam favoured by
hospital sterilisation departments and life science
• Hospitals • Cosmetics labs. Pure steam is the highest grade option and is
CLEAN
y

• Life science • Food & beverage

rit

required in pharmaceutical and biotech applications.

pu
m
ea
St

FILTERED • Food & beverage

Steam purity versus steam quality
It’s worth noting that steam purity and steam quality mean different things
While steam purity is a measure of the dissolved solids, volatiles and/or
• HVAC • Laundries • Pulp particles in the steam, steam quality refers only to the amount of water in
PLANT
& Paper • Petrochemicals the steam. A more correct term is dryness fraction.
Dryness fraction = Mass of steam/(Mass of steam + entrained water)

Steam applications
 The four grades of industrial steam
PLANT STEAM
Plant steam is the starting point for most steam users. It can Cross contamination is also a possibility, since most manufacturers
certainly be used anywhere it doesn’t come into direct contact with will recover condensate from around the factory in order to save
the process or product. If it is used directly, users should consider water and energy. If there are any pinholes or other leaks in the
whether the quality and purity of the steam are fit for purpose or system, the returning condensate may be contaminated by process
whether any possible contaminants could present a problem. media or by the chemicals used for cleaningin-place, for instance.

Contaminants can be chemical, physical or microbiological. Although effective water treatment should minimise problems such
as scale and corrosion if carried out correctly, plant steam may still
The most common source of chemical contamination in plant steam carry solid contaminants, such as flakes of rust or residual scale from
arises from treating the feed water as it enters the system. Boilers inside the boiler and steam distribution system.
generate steam from water and that water is typically treated with
chemicals to prevent a range of problems such as corrosion or the Of course, the temperature and pressure of steam kills common
build-up of scaly deposits. Traces of those treatment chemicals can microbial hazards such as Salmonella, Listeria or E. coli. In fact,
end up in the steam supply, especially if users do not follow best heat is a most effective and convenient physical control agent for
practice, which is available in standards such as BS 2486: 1997 and destroying microbes, which is why clean steam is used to sterilise
BS EN 12953 –10 2003. medical instruments, for example. Even so, dead microbiological
debris (pyrogens) can still induce an adverse reaction if injected,
If chemicals do end up in direct contact with the process, they have which is why many pharmaceutical applications demand pure steam.
the potential to taint products with an unwanted taste or smell. In the In addition, any solid residue deposited by plant steam as it contacts
case of food and drink applications, there may also be safety concerns the process or product could potentially provide a home for future
or consumer perception issues associated with their presence. microbiological growth once the product has cooled down.

Carryover is another potential source of contamination. It may result

from priming (where the distribution system draws off a large quantity
of steam quickly and boiler water is entrained in the steam line)
or foaming. Carryover can contain potentially high levels of water
treatment chemicals.
 The four grades of industrial steam
FILTERED STEAM
Log
scale Common materials Filtration processes Filtered or culinary steam is plant steam that has passed through a
10´ Visible to the naked eye
filter, typically 5 microns. This removes 95% of all particles larger than
Granular
activated 2 microns. A pre-filter (typically 25 microns) is placed upstream of any 5
5 carbon
4
3 Sand
micron filter to prevent rapid blinding (blocking) of the main culinary filter.
2

Mist Particle While EU Regulation (EC) No. 852 / 2004 says: ‘Steam used directly
10´ filtration
Human
hair in contact with food is not to contain any substance that presents a
5
4 hazard to health or is likely to contaminate the food’, it doesn’t specify
3
Optical microscope Fine the acceptable quality or purity of steam. In practice many European
2 dust
Bacteria operators refer to the US 3-A practices for producing culinary steam.
10´

5
Culinary steam 5 micron filter
3-A Accepted Practices for a Method of Producing Culinary Steam,
5
4 Number 609 - 3, is the US standard that establishes requirements
3 Optical microscope
Particle for producing culinary steam. It stipulates the materials used, surface
2
filtration
Fine
dust
finishes, installation and boiler operation with regard to the use of
10´
Bacteria culinary steam.
5000
4000
3000
Scanning electron Note that water treatment, boiler carryover and cross contamination
2000 microscope
still pose a risk, because the filter may not remove all the potential
1000 contaminants. In fact, the 3-A Practice specifically stipulates that boilers
500 Gelatin
should be ‘operated in such a manner as to prevent foaming, priming,
400
300 Colloidal carryover, and excessive entrainment of boiler water into the steam’.
silica Ultrafiltration
200
Starch

100

50
40
30

20

ST microscope Aqueous Sugar

10 salts

5 Metal
Acid Reverse
4 ion
3 osmosis
2

1
 The four grades of industrial steam
CLEAN STEAM
Clean steam is different because it relies on a secondary generator and Clean steam is very aggressive, so grade 316 or 316L stainless steel
tightly controlled feed water quality to eliminate many of the potential is typically used on contact surfaces throughout the system to protect
issues already outlined. against rouging. In addition, even though the temperature of the steam
will keep most bacteria at bay, the surface finish of equipment should
It’s critical to start with the right water quality. Raw water is not adequate minimise any crevices that could encourage microbial growth. Similarly, a
and will require pre-treatment. Reverse osmosis (RO), deionised/ clean steam distribution system should be designed to good engineering
demineralised (DI) and continuous electrodeionised (CEDI) water are all practices. Guidance can be sought from 3-A Sanitary Standards.
good possibilities. They all remove the need for chemical treatment by
removing most of the particulates, inorganics and dissolved solids at the Clean steam is often used in applications such as sterilisation not only to
pre-treatment stage. The risk of water treatment chemical contamination eliminate contaminants, but also to ensure the quality control of critical
is therefore eliminated when using clean steam. attributes such as dryness, superheat and production of noncondensable
gases, all of which could adversely affect the process and equipment.
In addition to the quality/purity of the clean steam leaving the generator,
there are other factors that should be considered when installing a clean
steam system.
 The four grades of industrial steam
CLEAN STEAM CASE STUDY
With partners including global companies and offering no room for improvement, and was also an Generating and using clean steam within a process
offering a variety of services including product expensive resource. means controlling feedwater quality at the source.
development, ingredient sourcing, process advice Rather than relying on a filtration process to extract
and pack design, no challenge is too big for Natural With CO2 restricting progression, an alternative particulates, the production of clean steam utilises a
Fruit & Beverage Co. To help a leading baby food method had to be sourced. Jamie sought advice from secondary steam generator with the ability to control
manufacturer differentiate itself in a crowded market, existing suppliers and peers in the industry to see chemical-free feedwater quality.
the team at Natural Fruit & Beverage Co. embarked what alternatives were available. After speaking to
Based on this explanation, Natural Fruit & Beverage
on a project to transition to clean steam generation a number of experts, he decided to follow up on the
Co. went ahead and introduced an electric compact
for the packing process. All the while, minimising recommendation to use steam.
clean steam generator 50 kW (50 kg/h @ 3 bar) with
the risk of contamination to meet strict investor
preheating capability and the ability to control feedwater
requirements. Clarity on steam
quality.
The food and beverage industry might be a vibrant Jamie’s initial findings unearthed a common
misconception around the use of steam in food Overall Jamie was impressed with the service he
and thriving scene, but as one of the fastest moving
processing and he discovered that there is far more to received. He commented: “The Spirax Sarco team
industries, its highly competitive nature has also added
understand than simply opting for one type of steam. gave me the confidence and security that they knew
considerable pressure to operating margins across the
With the need to understand which steam type would be the subject well enough to introduce a clean steam
supply chain. In response, many organisations focus
best for their process, Natural Fruit and Beverage Co. generator rather than filtered steam.”
on identifying areas for improvement in the quality of
products and processes. As one of the UK’s leading called upon steam specialists, Spirax Sarco to guide Since installing the new solution, Spirax Sarco has
packers of food products into resealable pouches, them in the right direction. supported the Natural Fruit & Beverage Co. with regular
Natural Fruit & Beverage Co. did just that. site visits which has helped Jamie in gaining a better
A clean steam solution understanding of how their steam system is working.
In late 2017, Jamie Walker, Manufacturing Manager at
The Spirax Sarco experts were invited to present to the Francisco Pedrosa, Clean Steam Specialist at Spirax
Natural Fruit & Beverage Co. was approached by a key
The Spirax Sarco experts were invited to present to the Sarco added: “There are many companies across the
customer looking to enhance the quality of their product -
management team at Natural Fruit & Beverage Co. Here country that use the same processes as Natural Fruit
baby fruit puree sachet pouches. Ultimately, they wanted
they explained the various types of steam, the concept & Beverage Co., and yet do not realise the full potential
to differentiate themselves from their competitors and
of clean steam as an ingredient and how it applies in of clean steam. Should their story spark an interest with
win future supermarket contracts.
relation to a Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point any like-minded manufacturers, we would be more than
(HACCP). The team of specialist engineers explained happy to offer a consultation to advise on where they
CO2 problems
that despite the food and drinks manufacturer having might be able to improve.”
Until then, the customer had been using CO2 for made use of filtered steam in the production process,
purging and cleaning excessive residue before capping consistency in taste, colour and quality of the end
the product. It was becoming apparent that while product could be achieved by choosing clean steam.
competitor products were improving in quality, CO2 was
 The four grades of industrial steam
PURE STEAM

Pure steam must be pure, dry and pyrogen-free. When it condenses it

should comply with international pharmacopoeia requirements for water
Pure steam
for injection (WFI). In other words, it must be pure enough to be injected
Rupture disc into the human body with no ill effects.

Pressure control Again, a supply of highly purified feed water is essential, using the same
principles as for clean steam. However, this time the standard is higher,
Demister
with the resulting condensate again meeting WFI standards. A dedicated
pure steam generator then distils the water either once or multiple times
to produce the purity of steam required.
Level control

Because you’ll find most pure steam being used in pharmaceutical

Plant steam applications, all the equipment and processes should meet cGMP, as
enforced and regulated by national agencies such as the US FDA and
Pharmacopoeia.

Preheater

Feedwater

Feedwater
pump
Condensate

Blowdown
Schematic of a pure steam generator
 Why opt for cleaner steam? 3
The direct benefits of opting for steam with a higher standard of purity
than plant steam vary, depending on the industry and the particular
application. In industries such as pharmaceuticals, healthcare
and electronics, the patient safety, regulatory and product quality Total
requirements make the decision to use highpurity steam extremely clear- Management
cut. Quite simply, it’s an essential prerequisite for a successful operation. Commitment

On the other hand, some operators in the food and drink industries still
view the use of clean steam as discretionary because of the lack of
concrete regulatory requirements. However, it can be crucial in helping
manufacturers to demonstrate that they are applying an effective food HACCP
safety regime according to HACCP principles. This is increasingly a Biological, Education
requirement from major retailers who, along with manufacturers, are Chemical and
responsible for ensuring the safety and quality of the products they sell. and Physical Training
Hazards
A recommended approach to applying HACCP involves the
following steps:
Oth Food Cleaning Pest
1. Conduct a hazard analysis of the plant and process areas. er Personal
PP and Management
2. Identity critical control points to eliminate the risks. s Temperature Hygiene
Control Sanitising
3. Establish critical limits .
4. Create monitoring processes.
5. Establish correction actions and solutions
6. Define verification procedures. FOOD SAFETY MANAGEMENT IMPLEMENTATION PYRAMID
7. Keep records.
 Spirax Sarco clean steam solutions 4
As well as being the leader in general-purpose steam, Spirax Sarco is Global brewer relies on Spirax Sarco clean steam
also very active in delivering filtered, clean and pure steam systems for
more specialised applications. A major brewer uses two Spirax Sarco Clean Steam Generators and
a Spirax Sarco Reverse Osmosis water treatment system to provide
Filtered steam – Spirax Sarco offers a range of clean steam filters that clean steam for beer keg sterilisation. Directly injecting clean steam
will remove 95% of particles from plant steam, such as a 5 micron filter into the beer kegs ensures that the process will not taint the product’s
element that is designed to remove 95% of all particles larger than 2 taste, which could happen if only plant steam was used.
microns and is acknowledged in the 3-A Accepted Practices for a Method
of Producing Culinary Steam (when used in conjunction with FDA The Spirax Sarco generators were supplied as pre-assembled
chemical standards). This solution should be combined with optimised compact skid mounted packages for minimal installation time. The
water treatment and good plant maintenance in order to minimise the systems included precision automated controls, PLC control with
chances of contamination. a touch-screen interface and remote monitoring capabilities. They
were built for low maintenance with all wetted secondary parts in
Clean steam – Spirax Sarco also offers dedicated systems for stainless steel 316L and are supported by a support service with
generating clean steam. For example, our reverse osmosis (RO) 24-hour response.
technology can remove almost 99% of the dissolved solids from raw feed
water, without the use of chemical treatment. Our dedicated clean steam Spirax Sarco is now the brewer’s preferred supplier for its other
generators typically use plant steam to generate a source of clean steam global facilities.
that’s suitable for a vast majority of hygienic environments, including food
and drink manufacture and healthcare.

Pure steam – Pure steam generators from Spirax Sarco are coupled
with high-purity distribution systems designed to ASME-BPE and meet
cGMP requirements. All the contact parts are 316L stainless steel,
complete with certified surface finishes. Supporting documentation
provides full material traceability, surface finish, elastomer FDA and USP
Class VI compliance, complete with a certificate of conformance.
 Spirax Sarco clean steam solutions
Spirax Sarco offers a range products and services for clean and pure Clean & Pure Steam Components
steam applications: Spirax Sarco is natural partner to help design and provide solutions and
components for your clean and pure steam requirements. These include
Clean steam generators
our sanitary range of products, heat exchangers and control systems to
All Spirax Sarco clean steam generators are supplied with a certification provide the efficient and safe steam distribution of steam to the point of use.
as standard to demonstrate they are manufactured in accordance
with legislation requirements that avoids the risk of corrosion or
contamination of clean steam supply and the PED directive. Services
Steam Quality Testing
Compact Modular Design Clean Steam generator ( CSG - FB )
A steam quality test can advise on the best quality of steam for an
The CSG-FB is a compact modular design system made to fit through
application. Improving the quality and purity of steam can cut energy
plant room doors and save on floor space. The pre-assembled, skid-
costs, improve productivity and product quality, minimise risk and reduce
mounted package arrives ready to be connected to your utilities with an
maintenance workload.
option of multiple units side by side. The CSG - FB unit is equipped with EC
1935/2004 declaration of conformity. Clean and Pure Steam Systems Training
This training course provides knowledge on all aspects of filtered, cleans &
The standard range covers clean steam duties up to 1600 Kg/hr @
pure steam and associated water quality.
5bar g. It comes with a programmable control panel and colour touch
screen mounted on the control panel, for easy parameter setting,
monitoring, remote diagnosis and maintenance, providing reliable
operation and low cost of ownership.

High Capacity Clean Steam Generator (CSM-K)

The CSM-K is ideal for use on larger loads where steam purity and quality
consistency is critical to the process. The pre-heat degassing system is
separate on this model and circulates the feedwater, ensuring the removal
of soluble gases prior to entering the boiler.

The standard range of outputs is up to 5000 kg/hr @ 3bar g but also

manufacture to client requirements and needs.
 For more information or to request a steam quality assessment, please contact the Spirax Sarco team at
[email protected]

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