Why Should Your Food Processing Plant Use LED Lighting?
Manufacturers of food and beverages are distinctive establishments with high energy and performance requirements. In reality, the industry responsible for producing and processing food accounts for 15% of all energy used in the United States. Of course, the sheer size of these plants results in higher energy usage, but there are also other factors to consider.
One is that the majority of these food processing facilities are open around-the-clock. Additionally, these food processing facilities frequently include cold storage facilities, which not only run continuously day and night but also consume a lot of energy to maintain food safety. Additionally, maintaining uninterrupted processing lines for your factory’s production requires employing more energy and heavy machinery.
It’s obvious that this business will consume a lot of electricity, but LED lighting is a simple way to save energy. You’ll start saving straight away, and there are additional advantages of LEDs that are unique to the preparation of food and beverages, such as improved lighting performance and cleaner working conditions. Learn more about all the benefits of using LED lights in your cold storage facility and food processing plant below.
Conserve energy and cut carbon emissions.
Although we’ve already touched on it, switching to LED technology is probably the main motivation for companies who manufacture foods and beverages. Compared to conventional lighting, you might save up to 90% of energy.
A reduced carbon footprint and improved environmental impact result from increased energy efficiency. Overall, this is undoubtedly better, but have you thought about how a smaller carbon footprint can affect marketing? In a global Nielsen research, 81% of respondents strongly agree that businesses should do more to protect the environment. You might be surprised to learn that interest in sustainability crosses decades and genders. Tracking your corporate social responsibility activities and being open about the results will distinguish your business.
Meet the requirements for certification and safety
We have industrial LED lighting that has been approved to meet the specific specifications set forth by the NSF and other certifying bodies for lighting to be designated food safe. A few of the standards that LED lights can adhere to are as follows:
- The fixtures are IP69K rated, indicating that they can withstand powerful water jets for cleaning.
- NEMA enclosure ratings, indicating that dust and other particles won’t have an impact on the fixtures.
- Unlike conventional bulbs, which raise issues with storage, safety, and disposal, mercury-free bulbs
- NSF/ANSI certifications to satisfy food safety (toxicology analysis) and splash zone (items evaluated on smoothness, resistance to corrosion, and capacity to be manually cleaned) requirements
Find out more about lighting for food & beverage processing areas here.
Less repairs and a longer lifespan
Compared to conventional lighting, LED lighting products have substantially lower maintenance expenses. First of all, since LED lighting simply lasts longer, you won’t need to replace your fixtures as frequently. This will save you money by eliminating the need to hire a lift or bucket truck to reach those elevated lights, as well as your employees’ time since you won’t need to shut down operations to make room for fixture replacements. Additionally, LED lights are built to resist a wide range of dangerous situations, so there are fewer possibilities that they will break and fewer replacements required. Additionally, they are made with fewer parts, which provides the same advantages.
Boost personnel productivity
In the food processing sector, light levels are regulated. Higher foot candles equate to brighter light, which allows staff to work more precisely because they can really see what they’re doing. The higher color rendering index, or CRI, of LEDs is also well-known for measuring how exactly or closely the object or surface being illuminated is to its natural hue. Better CRI enables staff to accomplish duties more accurately and rapidly as well as detect possibly contaminated or moldy meals and packaging.
Safety
Sometimes, the painstaking work involved in the production of food necessitates the use of dangerous implements like knives and blades. In these situations, glare-free lighting and lighting with adequate visibility help to reduce accidents.
Additionally, LED lights are created without harmful substances like mercury, and they don’t have glass-bulb construction, which can break and harm workers or contaminate food.
You won’t get the characteristic yellow color from outdated high intensity discharge lights that inadequately illuminate the ground area when LEDs are utilized in parking lots and other outdoor locations. It is your responsibility to ensure that your employees who work graveyard shifts are always safe when leaving for their cars.
LED lights have no bothersome warm-up or flickering periods and turn on quickly. This extra time is crucial if you have staff members who start their work in good lighting.
Traditional incandescent lighting loses up to 90% of its output as heat during warm-up. The perishable foods are safer at lower temperatures since LED lighting operates significantly cooler. Additionally, this improves energy economy because using your HVAC system less and squandering less light as heat result from less heat. Even your refrigerators and freezers won’t have to work as hard (more below on cold storage and LED lights)
Store Cold Food
Unlike other lighting types that may malfunction in hot or cold locations, LED lighting is designed to perform effectively in these conditions. Additionally, as was already noted, LED lights don’t produce as much heat, keeping your freezer and refrigerator colder without having to raise the thermostat.
We also talked about how LED lighting doesn’t flicker and warms up quickly. You don’t want an employee to stay in a cold storage room longer than necessary when they require anything because every minute could jeopardize the quality of the food. No need to wait for the lights to come on; just let them grab what they need and go.
Controls, Sensors, and Developing Technology
In order to save money again, contemporary LED lighting can be fitted with occupancy sensors and controllers that only turn on the lights when necessary.
In addition, the market for LED lighting is expanding constantly. Research and product development are increasing in response to this demand. New features are constantly being introduced to LED lights as they continue to advance. One such innovation that has an impact on the food business is the use of blue LEDs, which have been shown to be antibacterial. You should keep expecting these kinds of innovations after you start using LED lights.
Interested in actually inactivating pathogens in your food and beverage manufacturing facility? Check more details about our Diamond series NSF certificated food safe high bay lights.
