Sara Deckers-Milsom, Focus Industry Manager EMEA in Food and Beverage (F&B), has over 15 years of experience in compressed air and specialises in advising manufacturers in the F&B industry. Her marketing focus enables her to communicate guidelines in an understandable and actionable way, making her a valuable partner for decision-makers in the industry. She ensures that traceability and transparency build consumer confidence throughout the entire production process. Sara regularly speaks at conferences and events and values sharing information with manufacturers, quality managers, inspectors and other experts in her field.
Lecture summary:
The presentation covers the importance and risks of compressed air in the food and beverage industry. Although compressed air is used in many manufacturing processes such as transportation, product injection and cleaning, there are often no specific legal requirements or regular monitoring of air quality. This poses a potential risk as contaminated compressed air can contain particles, moisture, oil and microorganisms that affect product quality. Certification programs such as BRCG8 or FSSC22000 mention compressed air quality but only provide vague guidelines. Sara Deckers-Milsom suggests reducing the risks by measuring contaminants, documenting them and developing a compressed air quality improvement plan in accordance with ISO8573.1:2010 to ensure the highest levels of safety, efficiency and transparency in the manufacturing process.