McLarens Lubricants highlights importance of using food grade oils

McLarens Lubricants Limited, the local agent for Mobil Lubricants in Sri Lanka underscored the benefits the food and beverage industry in Sri Lanka can achieve and pass onto consumers with the use of ‘food grade oils’, that are uniquely designed to help enhance equipment efficiency, maximize productivity while safeguarding products against food contamination.

The use of food grade oils provides a viable solution to this particular problem by extensively lowering the risk of food contamination while offering longer life-span for machinery as well as performance improvement. 

Mobil Lubricants, offered by McLarens Lubricants offers a variety of food grade oils including Mobil Synthesized Hydro-Carbon (SHC) Cibus oils and Mobil grease Food Machinery (FM) series greases (next generation SHC oils) that minimize the risk of food contamination and equipment breakdown. 

Mobil Lubricants are NSF registered as H1 classified lubricants (Non-food compounds registration offered by NSF International), lubricants rated for incidental food contact. At present, food and beverage processing entities in Sri Lanka utilize Mobil industrial lubricants for meat and dairy processing, baking operations, mineral water bottling operations, tea processing and food packaging. 

“While a number of Sri Lankan food and beverage companies already use food grade oils in the manufacturing process, most companies are yet to make the switch from mineral oils that only afford a shorter life span. While companies might be reluctant to purchase food grade oils, the benefits of utilizing food grade oils are many and surpass the cost involved. food grade oils offer food safety from biological, chemical, and physical hazards in production processes consequently meeting the HACCP standards and allowing local manufacturers to pass compliance audits without complications,” commented Director of McLarens Lubricants Limited, Lalith De Silva.

Mobil food grade oils meet stringent FDA requirements and are suitable for Kosher and Halal food preparation. Additionally, these food grade oils are manufactured at ISO 22000 certified facilities that also meet the requirements of ISO 21469, to ensure the highest levels of product integrity are maintained. Along with delivering exceptional performance and long-lasting equipment protection, the Mobil SHC Cibus and Mobilgrease FM ranges generate significant cost savings.  

Commenting further De Silva added, “According to a recent report titled 2017 trends in food processing and operations by the Association for Packaging and Processing Technologies (PMMI), channels and technology are changing the way consumers will purchase food over the next 15 years, which will bring about significant changes to manufacturing and sourcing. The report further goes to highlight that manufacturers globally are predicting an increase in the use of automation and robotics, to bring more machinery that is flexible into efficiently run production lines. Sri Lanka fast adopting global practices and in a market that lacks stringent food and hygiene standards, it is important that food and beverage companies take an initiative to hygiene-proof their manufacturing process and embrace the increase in automation.”