In-depth Interpretation of Hygienic Design Standards for Food-grade Lug Butterfly Valves: 3A Certification And FDA Material Compliance

3A Certification

Mostly used in the food processing, dairy products, beverage and other related industries in the United States and regions that recognize its standards

In various fluid transportation links on the food production line, such as the process of raw material transportation and product filling, the lug butterfly valves used need to meet strict hygienic requirements.

FDA Material Compliance

Applicable to the United States and regions that have food trade with the United States and follow its relevant regulations, covering numerous aspects such as food production, packaging, and storage

Whether it is the components of the butterfly valve that directly contact food or the related materials that indirectly affect food hygiene, they all need to meet the requirements of the FDA for material safety.

3A Certification

There are strict limits on the surface roughness value of the inner surface of the butterfly valve. It needs to be smooth enough to avoid food residue and bacteria breeding. For example, the surface roughness is required to reach a specific Ra value range.

There should be no hard-to-clean gaps and hygienic dead spaces. The design of the connections and seals of various components should be easy to disassemble for inspection and thorough cleaning to ensure that there is no place for dirt to accumulate.

The overall structural design should be convenient for daily cleaning and disinfection operations. For example, it can be quickly disassembled and assembled to facilitate the use of appropriate cleaning tools for comprehensive cleaning of the interior.

FDA Material Compliance

Although there is no clear unified quantitative standard for surface roughness, it emphasizes that the surface should be smooth, not cause pollution to food or make food components adhere and be difficult to remove, which is conducive to maintaining food hygiene.

It pays attention to the parts where materials are joined and other areas where dirt may accumulate. It requires that the design should minimize gaps as much as possible to prevent the accumulation of food residues and be easy to clean and maintain to ensure good hygienic conditions.

From the perspective of material characteristics, it requires that the materials used will not be damaged by cleaning methods (such as chemical disinfectants, high-temperature water, etc.) and affect the safety of subsequent food contact, ensuring that the cleaning work can be carried out normally.

3A Certification

There are strict regulations on the material composition of main components such as valve bodies and seals. For example, certain metal materials cannot contain heavy metal elements harmful to human body and need to meet the requirements of food-grade chemical stability.

It needs to be able to withstand the erosion of common acid-base, salt and other media in food processing. Under long-term use, it will not produce corrosion products to pollute food and ensure food hygiene and safety.

Professional third-party testing institutions conduct tests according to 3A standards and issue detailed material composition and performance test reports to verify material compliance.

FDA Material Compliance

It stipulates a list of materials that can be used for food contact and prohibits the use of materials that may migrate harmful substances into food, covering a wide range of material categories such as plastics, rubbers, and metals.

It should maintain good corrosion resistance under different food environments (such as acidic beverages, alkaline foods, etc.) to prevent the infiltration of material components into food due to corrosion and endanger human health.

Manufacturers need to collect and organize relevant safety data of materials by themselves, conduct self-assessment according to FDA regulations, and cooperate with the FDA's spot checks and reviews when necessary to prove material compliance.

3A Certification

The product needs to be prominently marked with the 3A certification mark, and at the same time, key information such as the certification number can be attached to facilitate users to identify its identity that meets the high-standard hygienic design.

It is necessary to provide the purchaser or the regulatory department with detailed hygienic design descriptions, material reports, cleaning and maintenance guidelines and other documents for the product to ensure that the hygienic situation of the product can be traced and understood.

FDA Material Compliance

Generally, there is no specific unified marking requirement, but the manufacturing enterprise needs to be able to prove that the materials used in the product comply with FDA regulations and can provide relevant explanatory materials when necessary.

It is necessary to prepare a list of material components, relevant certificates that meet FDA standards, supplier qualification documents, etc., in order to respond to regulatory inspections and explain the safety of materials to customers.