Compressed Air for Food and Beverage Manufacturing
Product contact air, packaging lines, pneumatic valves. Your food production depends on clean, dry, oil-free compressed air. We make sure it stays that way.
How Compressed Air Powers Your Operations
Product Contact Air
Direct contact with food products during processing, conveying, and packaging. Requires ISO 8573-1 class 1 or 2 air quality.
Packaging Lines
Fill and seal machines, carton erectors, labellers, and shrink wrappers all powered by compressed air.
Pneumatic Valves and Actuators
Process control valves across production lines. Consistent pressure keeps your batches running to specification.
Cleaning and Blow Off
Air knives, blow guns, and cleaning systems used throughout production and packing areas.
Nitrogen Generation
On-site nitrogen from compressed air for MAP packaging, tank blanketing, and purging.
Conveyor Systems
Pneumatic diverters, sorters, and reject systems on production and packing lines.
Where Food Manufacturers Get Caught Out
Air quality you cannot prove to auditors
BRC and SALSA auditors ask for evidence of compressed air quality. If you cannot show air quality test certificates, filter change records, and dewpoint monitoring, you have a non-conformance.
PSSR compliance treated separately from food safety
Most contractors treat pressure system safety and food grade air quality as separate conversations. They are not. A single compressed air partner should manage both.
Contamination risk from maintenance gaps
Oil carry over from poorly maintained compressors contaminates product. A contamination event means product recall, production halt, and potential delisting by retailers.
Food Grade Air Managed as One Package
Airmech manages your compressed air system with food safety built in. Not as an afterthought, not as a separate service. Every maintenance visit considers air quality alongside mechanical condition.
We specify and supply air treatment to meet the ISO 8573-1 class your food safety plan requires, verify the installed filtration is rated for it and performing, run filter management schedules aligned to your production calendar, coordinate PSSR compliance, and keep the documentation audit-ready. One partner handling both the engineering and the paperwork.
BCAS Best Practice Guideline 102 recommends ISO 8573-1 class 2.2.1 for air in direct contact with product and class 2.4.2 for indirect contact. Tell us which of the two applies to your line and we will tell you what we can evidence against it and what we cannot. Airmech sits on the BCAS Distributor Committee.
Compressed Air Testing
Breathing air testing to BS EN 12021, with a certificate for every point tested. Filtration verified against your required class.
Learn moreCompressor Servicing
Planned maintenance with food safety considerations at every visit.
Learn moreAir Treatment
Dryers, filters, and condensate management for food grade air quality.
Learn morePSSR Compliance
Written schemes and examinations coordinated alongside your food safety calendar.
Learn moreTools and Resources
Free tools built for engineers in your sector.
BRC/SALSA Audit Readiness Tool
Check your compressed air documentation against BRC and SALSA audit requirements.
Food Air Quality Compliance Checker
Verify your filtration and monitoring setup meets food grade requirements.
Contamination Risk Mapper
Map air contact points and identify where contamination risk is highest.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is ISO 8573-1 and do we need to work to it?
ISO 8573-1 defines compressed air quality classes for particles, water, and oil. If compressed air contacts your food product or packaging, you need to demonstrate the air meets the class your food safety plan sets. We specify and supply the treatment to meet that class, and we verify the installed filtration is rated for it and performing. We do not classify air to ISO 8573-1 ourselves, because the particle element requires a laser particle counter under ISO 8573-4 and we do not carry one. Where your specification calls for a measured particle count, tell us at enquiry stage and we will bring in a specialist for that element or point you to someone who does it.
How often should we check our compressed air quality?
We recommend an annual check as a minimum. High risk applications or BRC Grade AA sites may need it more often. We set the schedule based on your certification requirements and production risk profile.
Can you support our BRC audit preparation?
Yes. We provide audit-ready documentation including BS EN 12021 test certificates, filtration verification records, filter change records, dewpoint monitoring data, and compressed air system diagrams. We have supported food manufacturers through BRC audits for over a decade.
What happens if our air quality fails a test?
We investigate the root cause, whether that is filter degradation, dryer malfunction, or compressor oil carry over. We rectify the issue, retest, and update your documentation. We also review your maintenance intervals to prevent recurrence.
Clean Air. Clean Audit. Sorted.
Tell us about your food production environment. We will assess your air quality setup and show you where the gaps are.