It used to be that food-grade oil changes on your air compressors needed to be performed every 2,000 hours, and the oil in your car needed to be changed every 3,000 miles or three months—whichever came first. Sound familiar?
But lubricant chemistry has improved: Now, you might drive your car twice as many miles between oil changes. That’s not quite the same for food-grade air compressor lubricant applications. Since compressed air may have incidental contact with food or beverages, a food-grade lubricant (or H-1 lubricant) must be used in air compressors for applications anywhere in a food facility and, to qualify, must meet FDA Title 21 Code of Federal Regulations 178.3570 and be USDA/National Sanitation Foundation H-1 compliant.