As a key purification device in food clean workshops, the air shower room’s core function is to remove dust, hair and other contaminants from the surfaces of personnel and materials through strong air spray, prevent external pollution sources from entering the clean area, ensure the cleanliness of the food production environment, and thereby maintain food quality and safety. Its specific applications can be carried out in the following multiple aspects:
Application scenarios and core functions
Personnel must undergo purification before entering the clean area
The clothes, hair and skin surfaces of food production personnel are prone to carrying dust, microorganisms and other contaminants, which is one of the main sources of pollution in the workshop. Air showers are usually set up at the junction of the clean area and the non-clean area (such as between the changing room and the production workshop), and personnel must pass through the air shower to enter the core production area.
During the air shower process, high-speed air flow (usually with a wind speed of ≥25m/s) is sprayed from multiple angles, which can effectively blow off dust particles adhering to work clothes, shoes, hats and hair, while reducing the number of microorganisms carried by personnel and lowering the risk of cross-contamination of food. Especially in workshops with high requirements for microbial control, such as those for pastries, dairy products, and cooked meat products, this step is indispensable.
Pretreatment and purification of materials and tools
Some raw materials that come into direct contact with food (such as packaging materials and dried grain raw materials) and production tools (such as knives, containers, and molds) may have dust or impurities on their surfaces before entering the clean workshop. For materials and tools that cannot be processed by high-temperature sterilization or other methods, they can be preliminarily purified through an air shower to remove surface dust and prevent contaminants from entering the production process and affecting food quality.
It should be noted that for materials with a high risk of microbial contamination, air shower is only an auxiliary means and should also be combined with other treatment methods such as disinfection and sterilization.
Secondary purification in special areas
Between different clean grade zones in the food clean workshop (such as the 10,000-level zone and the 100,000-level zone), or at the entrance of high-risk operation areas (such as the aseptic filling area), air showers can be added to achieve secondary purification. For instance, in a beverage aseptic filling workshop, when operators enter the aseptic filling area from the general clean area, they need to go through a secondary air shower to further reduce the risk of contamination and ensure that the environmental cleanliness of the core process meets the standards.
Application norms and operational requirements
Personnel operation specifications
After entering the air shower room, you need to close the door and wait for the air shower program to start automatically (some air shower rooms support manual start). During this period, you should turn your body and pat your clothes to ensure that all parts of your body are covered by the airflow. The air shower time is usually set at 10 to 30 seconds to avoid shortening the time and causing incomplete purification.
It is strictly prohibited to stay, stack items or forcibly open the two side doors in the air shower room (air shower rooms are usually equipped with interlocking devices to prevent direct connection between the clean area and the non-clean area due to simultaneous opening).
Equipment maintenance and parameter control
Regularly clean the nozzles and filters of the air shower room (clean the primary filter 1-2 times a week, and replace the high-efficiency filter regularly according to the resistance change, usually once every 6-12 months) to ensure smooth airflow and stable purification effect. If the nozzle is clogged or the filter fails, it will cause the wind speed to drop and the contaminants cannot be effectively removed.
To control the operating parameters of the air shower, in addition to meeting the air velocity standards, it is also necessary to ensure the stability of the pressure difference inside the room (the clean area should maintain a positive pressure relative to the non-clean area) to prevent the infiltration of unclean air from the outside. At the same time, regularly test the cleanliness and microbial indicators of the air shower room to ensure that they meet the purification standards of the food workshop (such as the requirements of GB 14881 “General Hygienic Specifications for Food Production”).
Coordination with other purification systems
The air shower does not operate independently; it needs to work in coordination with the central air conditioning purification system, air filters, disinfection equipment, etc. in the workshop. For instance, the entire workshop is provided with clean air through central air conditioning. The air shower room is responsible for the precise local purification of personnel and materials. Combined with ultraviolet disinfection, ozone disinfection and other methods to control the number of microorganisms, a comprehensive purification and protection system is formed.
Application value and industry significance
Ensuring food quality and safety: By reducing the entry of contaminants into clean areas, the probability of food being contaminated by dust and microorganisms is lowered, avoiding food spoilage and scrapping caused by contamination. At the same time, the risk of food safety incidents is reduced, helping enterprises meet the hygiene review requirements of regulatory authorities.
Compliance with industry standards and certification requirements: Food production enterprises need to obtain SC certification (Food Production License), and the purification facilities in the clean workshop (including air showers) are important assessment contents of the certification. The standardized use of air showers can help enterprises meet relevant standards and enhance their market competitiveness.
Reduce production costs: Minimize the losses caused by product rework and destruction due to pollution, while also reducing the frequency and cost of workshop cleaning and disinfection to enhance production efficiency.
Precautions
The selection of air shower rooms should be determined based on factors such as the cleanliness level of the workshop, the flow of people, and the type of materials. For instance, workshops with a large flow of people can choose multi-person double-blow air shower rooms, while areas with frequent material transportation can be used in combination with material shower rooms.
Avoid using the air shower room to handle damp and highly viscous contaminants, as these contaminants are difficult to be blown off by the airflow and require pre-treatment with other cleaning methods.
Strengthen the training of operators to ensure they master the correct usage method of the air shower room and avoid affecting the purification effect due to improper operation.
Application scenarios and core functions
Personnel must undergo purification before entering the clean area
The clothes, hair and skin surfaces of food production personnel are prone to carrying dust, microorganisms and other contaminants, which is one of the main sources of pollution in the workshop. Air showers are usually set up at the junction of the clean area and the non-clean area (such as between the changing room and the production workshop), and personnel must pass through the air shower to enter the core production area.
During the air shower process, high-speed air flow (usually with a wind speed of ≥25m/s) is sprayed from multiple angles, which can effectively blow off dust particles adhering to work clothes, shoes, hats and hair, while reducing the number of microorganisms carried by personnel and lowering the risk of cross-contamination of food. Especially in workshops with high requirements for microbial control, such as those for pastries, dairy products, and cooked meat products, this step is indispensable.
Pretreatment and purification of materials and tools
Some raw materials that come into direct contact with food (such as packaging materials and dried grain raw materials) and production tools (such as knives, containers, and molds) may have dust or impurities on their surfaces before entering the clean workshop. For materials and tools that cannot be processed by high-temperature sterilization or other methods, they can be preliminarily purified through an air shower to remove surface dust and prevent contaminants from entering the production process and affecting food quality.
It should be noted that for materials with a high risk of microbial contamination, air shower is only an auxiliary means and should also be combined with other treatment methods such as disinfection and sterilization.
Secondary purification in special areas
Between different clean grade zones in the food clean workshop (such as the 10,000-level zone and the 100,000-level zone), or at the entrance of high-risk operation areas (such as the aseptic filling area), air showers can be added to achieve secondary purification. For instance, in a beverage aseptic filling workshop, when operators enter the aseptic filling area from the general clean area, they need to go through a secondary air shower to further reduce the risk of contamination and ensure that the environmental cleanliness of the core process meets the standards.
Application norms and operational requirements
Personnel operation specifications
After entering the air shower room, you need to close the door and wait for the air shower program to start automatically (some air shower rooms support manual start). During this period, you should turn your body and pat your clothes to ensure that all parts of your body are covered by the airflow. The air shower time is usually set at 10 to 30 seconds to avoid shortening the time and causing incomplete purification.
It is strictly prohibited to stay, stack items or forcibly open the two side doors in the air shower room (air shower rooms are usually equipped with interlocking devices to prevent direct connection between the clean area and the non-clean area due to simultaneous opening).
Equipment maintenance and parameter control
Regularly clean the nozzles and filters of the air shower room (clean the primary filter 1-2 times a week, and replace the high-efficiency filter regularly according to the resistance change, usually once every 6-12 months) to ensure smooth airflow and stable purification effect. If the nozzle is clogged or the filter fails, it will cause the wind speed to drop and the contaminants cannot be effectively removed.
To control the operating parameters of the air shower, in addition to meeting the air velocity standards, it is also necessary to ensure the stability of the pressure difference inside the room (the clean area should maintain a positive pressure relative to the non-clean area) to prevent the infiltration of unclean air from the outside. At the same time, regularly test the cleanliness and microbial indicators of the air shower room to ensure that they meet the purification standards of the food workshop (such as the requirements of GB 14881 “General Hygienic Specifications for Food Production”).
Coordination with other purification systems
The air shower does not operate independently; it needs to work in coordination with the central air conditioning purification system, air filters, disinfection equipment, etc. in the workshop. For instance, the entire workshop is provided with clean air through central air conditioning. The air shower room is responsible for the precise local purification of personnel and materials. Combined with ultraviolet disinfection, ozone disinfection and other methods to control the number of microorganisms, a comprehensive purification and protection system is formed.
Application value and industry significance
Ensuring food quality and safety: By reducing the entry of contaminants into clean areas, the probability of food being contaminated by dust and microorganisms is lowered, avoiding food spoilage and scrapping caused by contamination. At the same time, the risk of food safety incidents is reduced, helping enterprises meet the hygiene review requirements of regulatory authorities.
Compliance with industry standards and certification requirements: Food production enterprises need to obtain SC certification (Food Production License), and the purification facilities in the clean workshop (including air showers) are important assessment contents of the certification. The standardized use of air showers can help enterprises meet relevant standards and enhance their market competitiveness.
Reduce production costs: Minimize the losses caused by product rework and destruction due to pollution, while also reducing the frequency and cost of workshop cleaning and disinfection to enhance production efficiency.
Precautions
The selection of air shower rooms should be determined based on factors such as the cleanliness level of the workshop, the flow of people, and the type of materials. For instance, workshops with a large flow of people can choose multi-person double-blow air shower rooms, while areas with frequent material transportation can be used in combination with material shower rooms.
Avoid using the air shower room to handle damp and highly viscous contaminants, as these contaminants are difficult to be blown off by the airflow and require pre-treatment with other cleaning methods.
Strengthen the training of operators to ensure they master the correct usage method of the air shower room and avoid affecting the purification effect due to improper operation.
