H1 lubricants for safety in dealing with food, pharmaceutical products and cosmetics

Very special requirements apply to lubricants used in the food industry. No compromises may be made with respect to the harmlessness of lubricants. H1 lubricants are lubricating oils and lubricating greases whose occasional, unintended contact with food presents no danger for humans.

However, H1 lubricants are to be used not only where food, drinks or products of the pharmaceuticals and cosmetics industries are processed and manufactured, but also in the manufacture of their packaging. Here is an example: in the gripper shaft of a printing machine, the insulation of a bearing is defective. In the printing process, the material to be printed on is soiled by dripping-down lubricant. If this material is used to manufacture packaging in the food-processing, pharmaceuticals or cosmetics industry, the use of H1 lubricants is absolutely necessary in this case of application, since endangerment to the consumer can thus definitely be ruled out.

H1-Schmierstoffe

ELKALUB – an experienced partner

For many years, the ELKALUB brand has been a partner of both the food-processing industry and the graphic arts industry. Its experience with H1 lubricants is correspondingly vast. At Drupa in 2008, we completely equipped Heidelberger printing machines with H1-certified lubricants. ELKALUB’s first twelve H1-certified lubricants were already available in 1992. Today, approximately 70 ELKALUB lubricants have NSF’s H1 certificate.

Detecting risks by means of HACCP

Full-page headlines such as “Death by Cake?” and “Cream cake said to have killed girl” caught the attention of German consumers in 2003. And of course the cake manufacturer concerned. Later, with the aid of its quality assurance system, the manufacturer proved that the consumption of the cake was not connected to the girl’s death.

As with many other scandals in the industry in the last few years, there are two consequences of this story for companies in the food-processing industry. First, the public reacts in an extremely sensitive fashion when it comes to food safety. Second, in the entire manufacturing chain nothing may remain untried in order to eliminate risks. To this end, German food law has provided for the HACCP concept (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) since 1998. This concept includes the analysis and assessment of the critical points in all stages of the manufacturing process for the purpose of a failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA).

Averting risks by means of H1

H1-certified lubricants are used in order to eliminate risks due to contamination in companies that manufacture according to the HACCP concept. They are developed specially for this unintended contact with food, since they cause no harm to the consumer in the event that they come into contact with food.

Sicherheit zählt. 48 % der Befragten Verbraucher sorgen sich um schädliche Zusatzstoffe in ihren Lebensmitteln.
Sicherheit zählt. 48 % der Befragten Verbraucher sorgen sich um schädliche Zusatzstoffe in ihren Lebensmitteln.

H1 lubricants for the print and paper-processing industry

Learn more about the application areas and our extensive range of lubricants in forms of fats and oils.

Download PDF-Product brochure (only in german)