Minimum Specifications for Food Gas Applications
- Publisher
- European Industrial Gases Association
- Document
- Doc 126/20
- Edition
- Revision of Doc 126/18 (2020)
- Document language
- English
EIGA Doc 126/20 sets out minimum specifications for all gases approved for use as food additives and for gases used in other food applications. It was prepared by EIGA working group WG-8 on food gases and carbon dioxide, and revises the 2018 edition.
The publication separates the three ways a gas can appear in food production, since the legal treatment differs: as a food additive, as a processing aid, and as an ingredient.
What the document covers
- Covers the specification of every gas approved as a food additive, including carbon dioxide, nitrogen and other industrial gases used in food.
- Distinguishes food additives, food processing aids and food ingredients, because the applicable requirements differ.
- Provides the purity and contaminant limits that a food grade gas has to meet.
- A French edition prepared by AFGC exists for the earlier 126/11 revision; EIGA treats the English text as the official version.
What it means for equipment
For a beverage or food plant, the gas specification and the equipment specification are connected. A CO2 installation serving a food application has to keep the delivered gas inside these limits, which puts requirements on vessel cleanliness, materials in contact with the product and the integrity of the pressure control arrangement.
If your project is food related, state that at the inquiry stage. It changes the configuration, not just the paperwork.