A key component of most food and beverage processing is water, yet it is often overlooked. Water is used in many parts of the facility, from cleaning to its incorporation in recipes as an essential ingredient. Processors might assume the municipal water used in the plant arrives safely, but recent water quality scares, such as the high lead levels found in Flint, MI’s supply, have raised some significant questions.
“Food processors should assume that their municipal water supplies are monitored, analyzed and safe, as every municipal water source falls under the auspice of the National Sanitation Foundation,” says Dale Wynkoop, standard product line manager of industrial solutions for Veolia Water Technologies. “Having said that, processors should consistently perform water supply analyses on a regular basis.”