Food Industry Lighting

Food Industry Lighting

Lighting for food industry is categorized into several areas such as storage, sorting, preparation, inspection and many other processes. Hygiene is the key requirement while providing lights for food industry. Providing the right light reduces stress, offers minimal glare, uniform illumination of the immediate surroundings and absence of flickering all play a part in ensuring hygiene food products. All lighting fixtures for the food industry are provided as per National Institute of Public Health and International Food standards.

LUX Levels

Application

Typical Use

Horizontal Illuminance

Eave (LUX)

Horizontal Illuminance

Emin/Eave


Ra

Glare

Food Storage

Drying, fermentation, preservation

200

>0.4

>80

<25

Food Sorting/ Preparation

Cutting, milling, mixing, packing, washing

300

>0.6

>80

<25

Critical Zones

Slaughter house, butchers, diaries, Sugar refineries

500

>0.6

>80

<25

Food production

Machine operation, sorting, decoration

500

>0.6

>80

<22

Inspection

Quality control, sorting, decoration

500

>0.6

>80

<22

Colour inspection

Quality control

1000

>0.7

>90

<16

IMPORTANT NOTE: data is compiled from cold-storage-specific lighting publications. However, these are recommendations only; careful consideration must go into every unique environment

Light fixtures suitable for illumination of food production premises in restaurant services, e.g. in bakeries, hotel kitchens, industrial kitchens, freezing plants and restaurants.

Light fixtures designed for preparation and storage of foods must meet strict sanitary and technical criteria. The Food industry lights are often cleaned with aggressive detergents in this area to preserve sterility. Light fitting used in such areas especially in food processing plants must be sealed properly to avoid growth of germs inside its warm environment. They must withstand low temperatures in freezing plants and high temperatures in bakeries and kitchens.