Steel is rapidly and surely overtaking many industries, such as the building industry, but one that may not be so popular is the food industry. Steel has countless of benefits that are not as well-known as the ones listed in the article “Steel Buildings: The Future of Architecture”. These not so known benefits are extremely important for said industry, which has a lot of demands and requirements.
Steel Benefits Regarding the Food Industry
- Durable lifetime material solution: this point needs no explanation. It is no surprise to anyone that steel provides a permanent solution to the person using it because of its durability. Demand is very present in the food industry and being able to rely on a determined product eases the producers’ minds given that he know he will be able to provide on-demand because he will have no problem whatsoever in his line of production as regards steel.
- No chemicals released into food and drink: steel is a material that sees no effect on its physical integrity when exposed to contact with food industry chemicals, no matter which one. This was not the case of plastic and specially wood. Glass is not convenient because it is breakable.
- No discoloration or flavor imparted to food and drink: again, when in contact with chemicals or strong liquids such as the one released by the grapes and left to ferment, steel sees no change on its integrity.
- Consistent performance in heat and cold: steel is a material with both extremely high and extremely low temperature resistance, so it is perfectly usable in the industry.
Last but not least, the most important benefit when talking about an industry that produces consumption goods has to do with hygiene:
- Hygiene and safety: with steel, the highest levels of hygiene and safety can be achieved. Why? Because it is marked by exceptional tolerance accuracy, strength, and formability, making it ideal for use in limitless shapes for food processing, handling and storage. Stainless steel is corrosion resistant, strong, and easily cleaned. Because stainless steel is resistant to rust it can be exposed to liquids.
Stainless steel is perfectly suited to work because it combines the strength and high melting point of ordinary steel with corrosion resistance, which means that the inside of the pipes remains in good condition for many years. A food processing plant, for example, would greatly benefit from the hygiene benefits of stainless-steel sanitary fittings.
Applications:
- Storage tanks for syrup: There are many companies who offer high quality sanitary food grade stainless steel oil storage tanks. For this type of storages, steel storages are now the only ones on the market. Steel’s excellence is sometimes too much for other material to compete with it.
- Wine and beer tanks: It is a commonly known fact that wine gets better with age. But in addition to how long a wine is aged, the material which it is stored in during that aging process can make the difference between producing a mediocre vino and an award-winning vintage. To store wine for long periods without spoilage requires a material that is easy to fabricate, strong and resistant to a highly acidic environment. Which is why stainless steel being the preferred material in all stages of the wine production process. In addition to sanitary reasons, stainless steel tanks ensure that no additional aromatic components are expressed in the wine. This allows for the grapes to convey their own aromas, making the finished wines crisper and fruitier than those fermented in a barrel. Additionally, compared to oak barrels, stainless tanks are extremely durable and can be reused again and again. Unlike other materials, stainless steel does not develop permanent discoloration and remains visibly hygienic.
More than 200,000 cups made from stainless steel smelted in Sheffield, England will be handed out to merrymakers at this year’s Glastonbury Festival. The initiative, which has been three years in the making, is part of organizers’ efforts to reduce the amount of waste produced on the site of the festival. Rather than using copper, which can react with beer, and pewter, which can affect the taste of the beverage, the cups utilize food-grade stainless steel, which does not affect the beverages it comes into contact with.
