The food and beverage industry demands sealing materials that are safe for contact with consumables, resistant to steam cleaning, CIP/SIP processes and food acids. FITCO supplies FDA-compliant and food-grade O-Rings and seals to breweries, dairies, soft drink manufacturers and food processing plants across UAE and GCC.
Key Sealing Challenges
- CIP (Clean-in-Place) and SIP (Steam-in-Place) chemical and thermal cycles
- Contact with food acids, oils, sugars and flavouring agents
- FDA/EC 1935:2004 food-contact compliance requirements
- Hygienic design — no crevices for bacterial growth
- High-pressure homogenisers and fillers
Recommended Materials
- EPDM — Excellent hot water and steam resistance; widely approved for food contact
- Silicone (VMQ) — FDA-grade, odourless, tasteless; ideal for direct food contact
- FKM (Viton) — Resistant to vegetable oils and cleaning agents; high temperature
- NBR — General-purpose sealing; suitable where food contact is not direct
Applications
- Pumps, valves and pipe fittings in production lines
- Filling and bottling machines
- Heat exchangers and pasteurisers
- Mixing vessels and homogenisers
- Conveyor and processing equipment